On July 6, SUSTech’s “Belt and Road Initiative” Summer Social Practice Group (consisting of members from the Party branch of SUSTech, the Students’ Association Union and Student Union) arrived in Jiuquan, Gansu Province and started a two-week tour of summer social practice.

Taking Dunhuang and Guazhou, Jiuquan as the practice centers, the social practice group carried out in-depth study of local geopolitical environment and cultural economy; examined the new energy industry to promote “Industry-University-Research” collaboration; visited Hope Primary Schools and established social practice bases in those schools to carry out volunteer teaching programs; and learned the revolutionary history of the West-Route Red Army and experienced the red culture.

Research on the Development of New Energy Industry

On July 7, teachers and students in the social practice group carried out field research on the wind farms of “Guazhou Wind Power Co., Ltd. of HYDROCHINA and “Gansu Huineng New Energy Technology Development Co., Ltd.”. On July 14, they conducted research on “Dunhuang Photoelectric Industrial Park” and “Dunhuang New Energy Exhibition Center”.

In west Gansu, the desert area is exposed in the burning sun and strong wind all year round, bringing about abundant wind and solar resources. The teachers and students of the practice group were led by engineers to the control room and visited wind turbines of wind power and photovoltaic power plants. They got to know the daily work of the wind power and broadcast and television companies at present, the power generation system of power plants, the construction and planning cycle, maintenance cost, the power network planning and the treatment of employees of power plants in the west of Gansu Province. At the New Energy Exhibition Center, the teachers and students learned the methods of new energy production which had already been used in industrial production, enriching and consolidating what they had learned in school and gaining a more intuitive and profound understanding of the development of new energy.

Research on the Development of Elementary Education in West China

On July 8, the practice group together with Guazhou Communist Youth League successfully held the inauguration ceremony of “Guazhou Base for College Students Social Practice”. During the ceremony, the students of Zhuoyuan Elementary School in Guangzhi Town performed a wonderful folk dance. SUSTech practice group donated stationery kits to 50 needy students of Zhuoyuan Elementary School and carried out interactive teaching on “personal safety” and “mental health”.

Through the exchange with Guazhou Communist Youth League and the teachers and students of Zhuoyuan Elementary School, SUSTech teachers and students knew about the development of elementary education in west Gansu in recent years. They also understood that schools there are relatively dispersed; the proportion of minority students is high; and that many students are from immigrant households.

Research on Red Culture

On July 9, the teachers and students of the practice group visited the Chinese West-Route Red Army Anxi Battle Memorial Hall. In October 1936, the Red Route Army marched into the Hexi Corridor. Under extremely difficult conditions, they fought bravely against blockades and sieges. Though they failed, they wrote a heroic chapter of unyielding struggle in the revolution history. Looking back at history and focusing at the moment, the group undoubtedly received a vivid and comprehensive philosophical patriotic education.

Research on the Development of Small and Micro Enterprises

From July 11 to 13, SUSTech students investigated the development and financing situation of ten small and micro enterprises of Dunhuang. The small and micro enterprises they visited covered eight fields, including tourism, agricultural products, wholesale and retail trade, hotel and catering industry, leasing and business services.

Small and micro enterprises are an important component of the economy of west China. However, they have been troubled by financing difficulties, which is a bottleneck in the development and growth of small and micro enterprises. Through investigation, the practice group grasped the investment and financing situation and difficulties of small and micro enterprises. This year, through processing and reviewing data, SUSTech together with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League organized the research on the investment and financing situation of the small micro-enterprises along the route of the “Road and Belt Initiative”, which would promote relevant government departments to take effective measures so that small and micro enterprises could better participate in the “Road and Belt Initiative”.

Research on Traditional Culture

During the two-week social practice, the teachers and students not only visited traditional culture exhibition halls such as Guazhou County Museum, Dunhuang Museum, Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage for Buddhist Scripture Museum, but also carried out field trips to Gobi Buddhist caves and gained a comprehensive and multi-angle acquaintance and understanding of the Silk Road culture, Buddhist culture, Xuanzang culture, Zhangzhi cursive script and local culture and customs in west Gansu.

“A summer practice, a lifelong attachment. Though it’s not long, the experience will never be forgotten.” The social practice closely linked SUSTech students and the grassroots, leading students to know the grassroots; narrowed the gap of students and the front-line of production, promoting the “Industry-University-Research” collaboration and enriching classroom learning; and deepened the recognition and thought of college students in the new era of fine traditional cultures. The teachers and students had harvested a lot of hope through the practice tour in West China.