The seventh "Maritime Silk Road Academy" talent development program was launched by Xiamen University on July 23 aboard the research vessel Tan Kah Kee in Fujian Province. 

More than 130 students and teachers from 17 universities in China and overseas will take part in four stages of marine field practice aboard the vessel, which departed from Xiamen for Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

The program extends undergraduate marine education from coastal areas to the deep ocean, aiming to cultivate top marine science talent with practical skills and international capabilities.

Since its launch in 2018, the "Maritime Silk Road Academy" program has completed 17 voyages covering more than 20,000 nautical miles, with more than 500 teachers and students from 22 universities in five countries and regions participating.