On the afternoon of November 8, the first meeting of the Joint Management Committee of the NWU-Salento School of Cultural Heritage and Arts (An-Lai School) was successfully held via video conference between Chang’an Campus of Northwest University and the University of Salento, Italy. Participants included President GUO Lihong of Northwest University (NWU), President Fabio Pollice and Vice President Rosta De Omola of the University of Salento (UniSalento), as well as NWU and UniSalento members of the Joint Management Committee and the core management team of An-Lai School.

President GUO Lihong, on behalf of NWU, extended a warm welcome to President Pollice and other UniSalento members of the committee. He expressed the hope that through this “cloud meeting,” both universities could further build consensus and promote the high-quality and rapid development of An-Lai School. President Guo noted that, after more than three years of careful planning and joint effort, the two universities had taken education exchange and cooperation as a bridge to achieve deep integration between the two ancient civilizations in the field of cultural heritage and art conservation, opening a new chapter in Sino-Italian joint education. The founding of An-Lai School fills a gap in bilateral higher-education collaboration in this academic field and serves as a forward-looking initiative within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. He emphasized that the two universities should take An-Lai School as a platform to integrate disciplinary, geographical, and institutional advantages, deepen cooperation in cultural relic and art conservation, and cultivate future practitioners, researchers, and leaders in this international field.

In his address, President Fabio Pollice remarked that internationalization in education is a vital strategic goal for the UniSalento and an important step to strengthen its global influence. He described An-Lai School as a core project of the university’s international cooperation, representing the fruit of over three years of joint effort and mutual commitment between the two universities. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would continue to contribute to mutual understanding among world civilizations.

Dean WEN Rui, on behalf of the management team, presented a comprehensive report on the school’s progress since its establishment, including achievements in team building, teaching conditions, educational innovation, curriculum optimization, institutional development, and partnership mechanisms.

LI Wei, Secretary of the CPC Party Committee of An-Lai School, introduced the key members of the management team.

During the meeting, both sides also announced the list of Joint Management Committee members, academic committee members for the two undergraduate programs—Cultural Heritage Conservation Technology and Fine Arts, and approved several proposals, including the appointment of the Dean and Executive Deputy Dean, and the addition of new committee members. A short video produced by An-Lai students showcasing their study and campus life was also presented at the meeting.

An-Lai School is a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution jointly established by Northwest University and the University of Salento, operating without independent legal status. It aims to integrate the strengths of both sides in the field of cultural heritage, and to develop a “small-scale, distinctive, and high-standard” international education model. The school was approved by China’s Ministry of Education in May 2021, officially established in July 2021, and is the first Sino-foreign cooperative institution in China focusing on cultural heritage.