11th International Young Scholars Forum of SYSU
From December 25th to 27th, 2020, the 11th International Young Scholars Forum of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) was held in Zhuhai both online and offline. Through the theme conference and the sub-forums of schools and departments (affiliated hospitals), the forum gathered 1,600 young scholars from home and abroad to conduct academic exploration and insight sharing and witness the rapid development of SYSU in the new era.
On the morning of December 26th, the theme conference was held at the S.T. Wu Center for Academic Exchange. Among the attendees were Li Chong, vice mayor of Zhuhai, and responsible personnel from the concerned government departments; Professor Luo Jun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and President of SYSU; Professor Zhang Peizhen, academician of the CAS; Lin Dongwei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of SYSU; Wang Xuehua, Lan Ping and Tai Zhongzhi, Vice Presidents of SYSU; Yang Donghua, Assistant President of SYSU; young scholars from home and abroad; heads of relevant school departments; heads of schools, departments and affiliated hospitals; and teacher and doctor representatives.
Vice President Wang Xuehua delivering the welcome speech
Vice President Wang Xuehua presided over the theme conference and delivered the welcome speech. On behalf of SYSU, he warmly welcomed the participants and expressed his gratitude to the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and Municipal Government for their support and concern over the years. He said that disciplines related to the space sector, the deep sea, the deep earth, information technologies and artificial intelligence have been developed on Zhuhai campus to form a discipline cluster of advanced marine science. In the future, the Zhuhai campus would become an international coastal campus of world-class education quality and international reputation with Chinese characteristics. He hoped that young scholars would join SYSU in its pursuit of becoming a world-class university with Chinese characteristics while China and Guangdong were implementing major strategies.
Vice mayor Li Chong delivering a speech
On behalf of the Municipal Committee and Government, vice mayor Li Chong congratulated on the successful holding of the forum and welcomed the young scholars attended. He said that a great number of outstanding scholars had been attracted to Zhuhai since the first forum, which showed SYSU’s boldness and inclusiveness to welcome global talents to work for it. He stressed that Zhuhai is open and inclusive, and values people of outstanding abilities. In 2018, Zhuhai launched the “Zhuhai Talent Program”, demonstrating its determination to introduce talents. According to the vice mayor, Zhuhai would be constructed into a modern international city featuring future-oriented, smart and environmentally-friendly. He also described Zhuhai’s development blueprint of quality development, high-level institutional opening-up and comfortable life. Zhuhai would do its best to provide numerous development opportunities, quality services and support for talents of various fields.
President Luo Jun delivering a keynote speech
President Luo Jun delivered a keynote speech entitled Join Hands for the Prosperous of China through Education in the New Era. In the speech, he reviewed the history of SYSU and comprehensively introduced its development in the new era, the blueprint of the Zhuhai campus and the policies of introducing and nurturing outstanding scholars.
The President mentioned that SYSU had profound academic foundation. It has developed into a comprehensive university with integrated development of liberal arts, science and engineering, medical science, agriculture and arts since reform and opening up. SYSU has been striving to be a world-class university and is committed to making due contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the development of society and higher education in China.
President Luo Jun said that during the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan, SYSU has worked tirelessly for a new era and entered into a new development stage in which it should bring out its full potential and pursue excellence to build a world-class university. He summarized the comprehensive strength and education level of SYSU from four perspectives: new orientation, new pattern, new trend and new situation. According to him, SYSU has witnessed steady and sound development in various aspects for the past few years, and its overall strength ranks in the forefront of domestic universities. Situated in Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, three core cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), it has shaped the university structure of “five campuses in three cities” and the disciplinary pattern of integrated development of liberal arts, science and engineering, medical science, agriculture and arts. In this way, SYSU has embarked on a new period and pattern of school development.
In the speech, the President introduced the orientation, scale, disciplines and construction of the Zhuhai campus. He said that the campus, with a focus on the national major strategies, has established discipline clusters of advanced marine science and high-level science and engineering. It has also actively engaged in the construction of the GBA to support the national strategies for the South China Sea and the development of marine economy of the GBA.
The President stressed that “the talents guarantee the success of a cause and will work together for it”. He said that SYSU would resolutely implement the strategy on strengthening the university through professionals and uphold the tradition of valuing outstanding scholars. He expected more young scholars to join SYSU for new splendor on the new journey to build a world-class university.
In the theme conference, dean representatives of some schools and president representatives of affiliated hospitals gave speeches to introduce in details the objectives and development prospects of their units respectively. The representatives included Professor Wang Dongxiao, Dean of School of Marine Sciences; Professor Wang Wei, Dean of Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology; Professor Cai Ming, Deputy Dean of School of Intelligent Systems Engineering; Professor Cheng Bin, President of the Hospital of Stomatology, SYSU; and Professor Zeng Jinsheng, Vice President of the First Affiliated Hospital.
During this forum, schools and departments (affiliated hospitals) of SYSU held sub-forums and academic seminars. Nearly 2,000 outstanding young scholars from the well-known universities and institutes around the world applied for participation, and over 1,600 scholars among them were invited to attend the events after selection. Some scholars have confirmed their intention to join SYSU after preliminary communication.
