Around 150 representatives from the political, business and academic communities of more than 20 Belt and Road partner countries gathered in Nanjing for the second Belt and Road Forum on People-to-People Connectivity, sharing personal stories of how exchanges across borders can bring people closer together.

Li Zhifan, an Iranian doctoral student at Nanjing University, talks about her experience studying Chagatai. [Photo/Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation]

Among them was Li Zhifan, an Iranian doctoral student in the School of Liberal Arts at Nanjing University. She spoke about her experience studying Chagatai, a historical language that once played an important role in connecting communities along the Silk Road.

"Our teacher is from Kazakhstan. Our class includes students from Iran and Uzbekistan, as well as Chinese students from different ethnic backgrounds," Li said. "We come from different countries and places, but together we are using modern technology to preserve history."

Another participant, Fan Nannan, a performance and environmental auditor with Namibia's Office of the Auditor-General and a student at Nanjing Audit University, was struck by the convenience of China's increasingly digital way of life.

Fan Nannan from Nanjing Audit University talks about the convenience of China's increasingly digital way of life. [Photo/Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation]

"China is a vast country, and many everyday services have gone digital. In Namibia, we don't yet have the same level of convenience," Fan said. "I hope to take what I've learned here back home, so people in Namibia can enjoy similarly convenient services."