From 2015 to 2026, the SUN network has built an academic bridge between East and West. A look back at its journey:
2015 – Birth of the network. SUN is founded in Gyeongju (South Korea) by 50 universities and institutions from 22 countries, with the ambition of reviving “the spirit of the Silk Road”: dialogue, peace and cooperation among peoples.
2016-2019 – Building the structure. General assemblies follow in Seoul (2016), Ho Chi Minh City (2017), Venice (2018) and Almaty (2019). The network sets up its bodies (university presidents, researchers’ association, student network) and launches its contests and research projects.
2020-2021 – Carrying on remotely. Despite the pandemic, the 6th and 7th assemblies are held online.
2023 – Back to in-person meetings. The 8th assembly is hosted by UCD.
November 2024 – Tlemcen joins SUN. At the 9th assembly in Naples, our university is admitted, along with USTHB and Sétif 1.
2025 – The network turns 10. In Samarkand, SUN celebrates a decade of existence: 87 universities, 28 countries, 65 cities.
November 2026 – Tlemcen hosts the 11th General Assembly. Tlemcen will host the official proceedings, with USTHB, Béjaïa and Sétif 1 hosting part of the scientific programmes.
What this event means for the University of Tlemcen:
- International visibility among more than 80 universities, from Korea to Italy.
- Showcasing our heritage and expertise and our ability to organise major academic events.
- New partnership opportunities: agreements, mobility, joint PhD supervision, joint research projects.
- A showcase for our students, invited to take part in the network’s activities (photo and writing contests, festivals, exchanges).
A call to our teachers and researchers:
Belonging to SUN is an opportunity to seize! We invite all teachers and researchers of the University of Tlemcen to:
- Explore the member universities of the network (sun-silkroadia.org).
- Identify partners in their fields: languages, heritage, tourism, sciences, engineering, health, humanities and social sciences…
- Propose cooperation projects: co-publications, teacher and student exchanges, seminars, research projects.
- Get ready to take part in the General Assembly of November 2026: conferences, forums, bilateral meetings.
Together, let us make this General Assembly a springboard for the international reach of our university
