To share China’s experience and present well-rounded stories about China, 28 officials and technical personnel from Antigua and Barbuda participating in the national foreign aid training program Training Course on Road Construction and Maintenance for Antigua and Barbuda, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and undertaken by Fujian Foreign Economic Cooperation Center, visited the College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University for exchange activities on the afternoon of July 2, accompanied by leaders and staff of Fujian Foreign Economic Cooperation Center.
Professor Huang Ming, Vice Dean of the College, Researcher Yuan Huihui, Assistant to the Dean, together with faculty and students of relevant majors, gave a warm welcome to the visiting participants at the college lobby. Professor Huang Ming first delivered a brief introduction to the college’s historical evolution, faculty resources and talent training system. Afterwards, Researcher Yuan Huihui outlined the college’s international exchange cooperation and laboratory development. The participants spoke highly of the college’s remarkable development achievements over the past six decades and expressed great anticipation for this visit and exchange.
Afterwards, the visiting group proceeded to the Road Construction Materials Laboratory under the Research Center for Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, with a focused tour of the Asphalt Material Preparation and Performance Testing Laboratory. Researcher Xu Song introduced the complete set of asphalt research and development equipment housed in the laboratory, including sophisticated instruments such as dynamic shear rheometers, bending beam rheometers, pressure aging vessels, gel permeation chromatographs and a 30kN Universal Testing Machine (UTM). These facilities support the performance evaluation of asphalt materials in compliance with both Chinese national standards and the U.S. SHRP specification system. Trainees of the training course showed strong interest in the laboratory’s research programs. Under professional guidance and with full safety protection measures in place, they carried out simple test operations. They spoke highly of the standardized laboratory management and operational procedures as well as the cutting-edge nature of the research conducted here, and expressed the hope of receiving more technical guidance and securing cooperation opportunities in relevant fields in the future.
Later, led by Director Cheng Haode of the Experimental Center, the trainees also visited the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Civil Engineering. Founded in 1998, the center boasts a total laboratory area of over 17,000 square meters and is equipped with state-of-the-art large-scale instruments including the three-shaking-table seismic simulation vibration test (SVT) system, MTS electro-hydraulic servo loading system and light gas gun system. The total value of its experimental apparatus reaches 90 million RMB. It is recognized as a comprehensive civil engineering experimental teaching center featuring the widest range of disciplines, the most complete and advanced equipment and the strongest technical capacity in Fujian Province and neighboring regions. Director Cheng Haode, Senior Experimentalist Wang Qu, Experimentalist Yang Yilun and Doctoral Candidate Wen Yanbo gave the trainees detailed briefings on the equipment performance, technical parameters and representative research experiments of the light gas gun system, testing machine system, SVT system and MTS system. At the laboratory site, the trainees held in-depth discussions covering advanced experimental technologies, structural mechanical performance and practical engineering promotion and application.
This visit constitutes an important component of the national foreign aid training program. It not only showcased the research strength and teaching achievements of the College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University in road construction and maintenance to friends from Antigua and Barbuda, but also built a sound platform for deepening academic exchanges between China and Antigua and Barbuda and advancing international cooperation in infrastructure development. The College will continue to leverage its disciplinary strengths, actively engage in national foreign aid training initiatives, and contribute to telling well-rounded Chinese stories and sharing China’s development experience with the world.
