From October 14 to 22, 2026, Professor Duan Jianqiang and his research team from our university's School of Architecture were invited by the Faculty of Architecture at Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Uzbekistan to participate in architectural heritage surveying practical teaching and conduct academic exchanges in Uzbekistan. This academic research activity on architectural heritage surveying was initiated by our university’s International Joint Laboratory for Human Settlements Science Innovation in the Eurasian Steppe Belt. It was a joint practical surveying teaching program collaboratively participated in by several Uzbek universities and academic research teams, including Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, and Bukhara Engineering-Technological Institute. The joint teaching team visited and surveyed several significant architectural heritage sites in Uzbekistan, including the Soviet modernist architectural ensemble in Tashkent (inscribed on the World Heritage Tentative List), national ancient architectural bathhouses of Uzbekistan, and vernacular residential buildings in the Bukhara region. This research and field study activity implemented the Joint Laboratory's annual work plan and marked a continuous deepening of joint teaching and scientific research cooperation with relevant universities and research institutes in Uzbekistan.
During the joint measured survey practical teaching, Professor Duan Jianqiang and his team from our university collaborated with Professor Dinara Nazarova and her team from Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, as well as Professor Said-Islom Usmanov and his team from Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent. Together, they carried out a joint educational activity for architectural heritage investigation and surveying on two national architectural heritage sites in Gijduvon, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which included an ancient Central Asian bathhouse dating back to the 16th century and traditional residential architecture of the Gijduvon region in Central Asia.
Joint Teaching on Measured Survey of Central Asian Traditional Residential Architecture
Group Photo after Surveying the Central Asian Traditional Residential Heritage Site
Integrating heritage value assessment, 3D laser scanning, and on-site architectural measurements, both parties concurrently collected data on architectural styles and structural systems. Through multiple approaches such as on-site heritage surveying, spatial data acquisition, and oral history interviews, they completed the foundational work for the digital archiving of the heritage sites. This cooperation is not only an important breakthrough in expanding practical teaching cases for our university’s graduate course Architectural Heritage of the Eurasian Steppe Belt, but also marks the first joint educational activity under the "Architectural Heritage Research Program" of the International Joint Laboratory for Human Settlements in the Eurasian Steppe Belt, particularly in architectural heritage conservation practice along the "Belt and Road" Silk Road. It establishes a long-term cooperation channel between Chinese and Uzbek universities and research teams, laying a solid foundation for subsequent heritage archiving, conservation and restoration, and joint research.
Measured Survey of the 16th-Century Central Asian Ancient Bathhouse
Group Photo after Surveying the 16th-Century Central Asian Ancient Bathhouse
Regarding the relevant academic exchange activities, our university team was invited to attend the GLOBAL FORUM 2026 and visited Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (TAQU) to participate in its 35th Anniversary Celebration. During the same period, the team visited Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent (TTPU) for academic exchanges and delivered specialized lectures to faculty and students.
Held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, the two-day forum themed "Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction and Engineering: In the Way to a Green Economy" focused on low-carbon cities, green architecture, and sustainable infrastructure. The international architectural forum was hosted by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Uzbekistan and organized by Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (TUACE). Professor Duan Jianqiang and his research and teaching team were invited to attend the forum, exchanging green building design practices and research experiences with local academic, industrial, and international peers, surveying Central Asian market demands, and discussing cooperation matters including collaborative technology R&D and joint talent cultivation.
Group Photo of the Invited Chinese Delegation at the Opening Ceremony
Professor Duan Jianqiang Delivering a Lecture at the 35th Anniversary Celebration of Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Bilateral Meeting on Deepening Inter-University Cooperation with Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Conferring "Honorary Professor" upon Professor Duan Jianqiang
Invited Visit to Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent and Meeting on Inter-University Cooperation
Mr. Bakhtiyor Yokubov, Vice Rector of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Giving a Guided Tour of the Campus Overview
Professor Duan Jianqiang Invited to Deliver an Academic Lecture at Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent
Group Photo Concluding the Visit to Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent
This visit to Uzbekistan—anchored by the survey of historic buildings, facilitated by academic exchanges, extended through university lectures, and aimed at mutual cooperation—successfully achieved all tasks of the Joint Laboratory regarding joint teaching practice and the deepening of academic collaboration, building a bridge for regular dialogue between the Chinese and Uzbek architectural communities. Looking ahead, both sides will continue to advance cooperation in diverse areas, including the digital preservation of architectural heritage, green human settlement construction technologies, sustainable regional architectural design, and the development of interdisciplinary international courses. By deepening industry-academia-research collaboration and bilateral talent exchanges, the architectural heritage along the Silk Road will be better preserved, inherited, and revitalized through transnational collaboration.
