China’s overseas investment should not neglect education

Abstract

The authors argue that while China’s Belt and Road Initiative focuses heavily on physical infrastructure (e.g., roads, ports, railways), insufficient investment has been made in people-to-people exchanges and human capital development—particularly within education. To maximize long-term returns, they propose establishing mechanisms such as a Silk Road Scholarships program, vocational training exchanges, joint curricula, and a Silk Road Research Fund, modeled after initiatives like the Marshall Plan and Fulbright Program. These would support academic mobility and regional cooperation across Belt and Road countries.