Suzhou's Soochow University, the City University of Macao and the University of Evora in Portugal sign a cooperation agreement in Suzhou to establish a laboratory for cultural heritage conservation science. [Photo/WeChat account: suzhoufabu365]

Suzhou's Soochow University, the City University of Macao and the University of Evora in Portugal signed a cooperation agreement in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Oct 22 to establish a laboratory for cultural heritage conservation science.

Under the agreement, the three universities will build an international research cooperation platform featuring coordinated management, collaborative innovation and shared research outcomes.

The partnership will focus on joint research projects, the application and commercialization of scientific and technological advances, young talent development, and exchanges of researchers.

The initiative aims to advance technological innovation in cultural heritage conservation and promote the application of research findings internationally.

Since 2020, the three universities have worked together on the creation of China's first World Heritage database dedicated to countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The database contains more than 1,000 cultural heritage cases and provides a digital foundation for new approaches to heritage conservation, research and communication.