BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Kalibek Erbosyn, a 23-year-old student from Kazakhstan, finds his unique rhythm as he immerses himself in studying The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, an esteemed Chinese traditional medical text dating back over 2,000 years.

"Initially, the ancient Chinese terminology was incomprehensible to me," Erbosyn told Xinhua. "Now, however, I have come to understand terms equivalent to 'weak' or 'happy' in modern languages, thanks to the help of my teachers and classmates."

Fluent in Chinese, Erbosyn is among the approximately 200 students from the five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. They are currently enrolled at Xinjiang Medical University (XMU) in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all enrolled overseas students in the school.

Since the turn of the millennium, and particularly following the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has experienced a significant increase in student enrollment from this region, a core section of the ancient Silk Road connecting China with Europe.

These countries are now key participants in the modern-day educational exchanges with China.

COOPERATION AT A NEW LEVEL

Official data reveals that the annual number of Central Asian students studying in China grew at an average rate of 12.33 percent from 2010 to 2018, with the current tally exceeding 18,000.

These students typically favor major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, as well as Xinjiang, which is adjacent to their home countries. They engage in a broad spectrum of academic disciplines, ranging from literature, history, and social science to natural science, medicine, and agriculture.

On the other hand, alongside traditional destinations like developed countries, BRI partner countries have emerged as significant overseas education hubs for Chinese students.

Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakhstan's minister of science and higher education, spoke highly of the education cooperation with China. "Young people are increasingly interested in studying in each other's countries," Nurbek noted.

In 2023, this modern-day "Silk Road" of education was elevated to a new level at the first China-Central Asia Summit, when China pledged to continue providing government scholarships to Central Asian countries and support Central Asian universities in joining the University Alliance of the Silk Road.

Bordering three Central Asian countries, Xinjiang serves as a natural tie for deepening cooperation on higher education between China and the heartland of Asia.

XMU, for example, has partnered with medical universities in Uzbekistan to offer traditional Chinese medicine courses, training over 5,000 local teachers and students in total. Xinjiang Normal University has trained over 1,100 teachers for Central Asian countries.

Beyond campus, youth exchange events take the form of tea drinking, paper cutting, Chinese calligraphy writing, or language contests, serving as a people-to-people bridge connecting the two important parts of the Asian continent.

Ma Bin, a researcher on Central Asia at Shanghai-based Fudan University, emphasized the importance of education exchanges as a key foundation for bilateral cooperation, which helps expand understanding.

"It is also a lubricant and catalyst for relations between China and Central Asian countries, ensuring their sustainable and healthy development," Ma added.

FROM BOOKS TO LABS, WORKSHOPS

From textbooks to laboratories and workshops, talent cooperation between China and the Central Asian nations is expanding its reach for even more pragmatic outcomes.

In the past two years, Xinjiang has signed dozens of agreements and cooperation projects with the countries in fields such as science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine.

In May, universities from both sides signed multiple agreements at a conference held in Xinjiang, focusing on the integration of research, development, and manufacturing. Prioritized sectors included water resources, saline-alkali soil management, and teacher training.

A research institute was also launched at the meeting by China's Ministry of Education to collaborate with counterparts in Central Asia to establish a network of joint research institutes and schools focused on integrating industry and education.

Huai Jinpeng, Chinese minister of education, said at the meeting that China stands ready to work with Central Asian countries to explore new models and paths for collaborative innovation in industry, education, research, and application.

Kongratbay Sharipov, Uzbekistan's minister of higher education, science and innovation, expressed the interest in expanding bilateral and multilateral research projects involving Chinese academic institutions, citing the establishment of joint laboratories as an example.

Chinese university staff have observed positive feedback on the employment prospects of their Central Asian students, saying that most of them can find jobs closely aligned with their field of study.

Ayken Tohay, who oversees international education at XMU, said that upon returning to their home countries, many of the foreign students at the university work for public hospitals, healthcare departments, or open their own clinics.