This course, offered live over seven weeks in June and July 2026, accompanied Professor Jeffrey Sachs on the 43-day, 15,000-kilometer Marco Polo Drive of Peace, Culture and Sustainable Development, from Rome to China's Greater Bay Area. Across seven modules, learners followed the journey through video lectures filmed at key locations along the route, including Rome, Belgrade, Istanbul, Baku, Samarkand, Dunhuang, and Suzhou.
Through the lens of the Silk Road, the lectures explore the civilizations, empires, ideas, and technologies that connected Europe and Asia across centuries. Topics include the travels of Marco Polo, the history of the Silk Road, the Mongol Empire, the great dynasties of Central Asia, Chinese civilization, and the technological transformations shaping Eurasia and the world today.
By watching the videos, we travel together—virtually and intellectually—and gain a deeper understanding of how cultural exchange, cooperation, and innovation have shaped human history and can contribute to peace and sustainable development in the 21st century.
