The inauguration ceremony for the China-Rwanda Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure (Under Preparation) was recently held at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). Han Jinhua, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Heilongjiang Province; Zhao Yonggang, First-Level Inspector of the Department of Transportation of Heilongjiang Province; and Gao Haibo, Member of the Standing Committee of the HIT Party Committee and Assistant to the President, attended and delivered speeches. Ignace Gatare, Dean of the College of Science and Technology at the University of Rwanda and former Minister of Information Communication Technology of Rwanda; Zhao Lianzhi, Deputy General Manager of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC); and Tan Yiqiu, Assistant to the HIT President and President of HIT, Weihai Campus, also attended the event.
Inauguration Ceremony Scene
Han Jinhua stated that the Joint Laboratory represents a concrete measure by Heilongjiang Province to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The Provincial Department of Science and Technology will fully support the construction of the laboratory, promote deep collaborative innovation, and create a replicable and scalable model for the intelligent development of transportation in countries along the Belt and Road.
Han Jinhua Delivering a Speech
Zhao Yonggang noted that the Joint Laboratory focuses on the intelligentization of transportation infrastructure, precisely matching the actual needs of infrastructure development in Rwanda. The Provincial Department of Transportation will actively integrate resources, build a cooperation platform, share China's experience in smart road network construction, and leverage technological innovation to facilitate connectivity.
Zhao Yonggang Delivering a Speech
Gao Haibo emphasized that HIT, CRBC, and the University of Rwanda complement each other's strengths and share a common vision. The three parties will work hand in hand, deepen practical cooperation, strive to build a technology benchmark and talent cultivation hub, and continuously consolidate the foundation for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and deepening infrastructure connectivity and trade facilitation.
Gao Haibo Delivering a Speech
Tan Yiqiu, Director of the Joint Laboratory; Zhao Lianzhi, corporate representative; and Ignace Gatare, Rwandan lead, respectively introduced the laboratory's preparation plan, corporate cooperation advantages, and the foundation for local cooperation in Rwanda.
Tan Yiqiu Introducing the Joint Laboratory
Zhao Lianzhi Introducing CRBC
Ignace Gatare Introducing the University of Rwanda
During the inauguration ceremony, four specialized research centers were officially unveiled: the Research Center for Intelligent Construction and Green Low-Carbon Technologies of Transportation Infrastructure; the Research Center for Intelligent Operation, Maintenance and Safety Assurance Technologies of Transportation Infrastructure; the Research Center for Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure and Vehicle-Infrastructure Cooperation Technologies; and the Research Center for Air-Space-Ground-Sea and Integrated Multidimensional Transportation Technology Convergence and Innovation. These centers will integrate high-quality resources from universities, enterprises, and research institutions in both China and Rwanda, and carry out full-chain scientific research — from fundamental research to engineering implementation — focused on core technologies.
Inauguration Ceremony
Unveiling Ceremony
It is understood that the Joint Laboratory has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and will be jointly established by HIT, CRBC, and the University of Rwanda. With the intelligentization and greening of transportation infrastructure as its main development direction, and leveraging HIT's academic strength in transportation, CRBC's extensive engineering experience in Africa, and the University of Rwanda's regional influence, the laboratory will fully serve Africa's infrastructure development and contribute to building a China-Africa community with a shared future.
Representatives from the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Provincial Department of Transportation, delegates from leading transportation enterprises and research institutions in Heilongjiang Province — including Longjian Road and Bridge Co., Ltd. and Heilongjiang Provincial Transportation Investment Group — as well as relevant HIT department heads, faculty members, and students attended the event.
