Following the third international conference on "People and the Environment along the Silk Roads" at the University of Guilan, and the meeting between the Chancellor of the University of Guilan, and the Secretary General of the Silk Road Universities Network during the conference, University of Guilan  joined the Silk Road Universities

In 2015, the Silk Road Universities Network was founded by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, with 75 Universities from all over the world as its members. The purpose of the network is to expand the academic and cultural relations between the countries, and to promote peaceful coexistence and collective prosperity. This organization has 4 institutes: United Presidents of the Silk-Road Universities Network, International Association for Silk Road Studies, United Students of the Silk-Road Universities Network, Silkroadia Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Silk Road Universities Network (SUN) offers several activities and contests in which the students from member universities of SUN can enter. International contests like WRICOS (Writing Contest of SUN) and PHOCOS (Photo Contest of SUN & Exhibition). There will be prizes for the winners of the mentioned contests. There are also academic activities which SUN promotes such as conferences, collaborative projects, professor and student exchange programs, student festivals and etc.

Due to the scientific and economical changes in the east, SUN plays a crucial role in the economic development of Asian countries. Having European countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Russia as its members, the network has stepped further into promoting academic collaborations and cultural/economic exchanges between Iran and countries along the historical Silk Road.