On the afternoon of March 19, 2016, SUSTech convened the 7th Meeting of its 1^st Council, which was chaired by Shenzhen Mayor and Director-General Xu Qin of 1st SUSTech Council. The meeting was attended by Shenzhen Vice Mayor and Vice Director-General Wu Yihuan of SUSTech Council, SUSTech Chairman and Vice Director-General Li Ming of SUSTech Council, SUSTech President Chen Shiyi and other directors. The meeting announced change of some directors in 1^st SUSTech Council. It decided to recruit Mr. Wang Duoxiang as the SUSTech Vice President, Expansion. The participants also reviewed and passed in principle the SUSTech Report on 2015 Building and Development and on 2016 Work Plan, and SUSTech 2015 Financial Settlement and 2016 Budget.

Wang Duoxiang Recruited As SUSTech Vice President, Expansion

After SUSTech leadership made careful consideration, President Chen Shiyi nominated SUSTech Vice President, Expansion at the meeting, who was reviewed by the University Council. In accordance with Provisional Regulations of SUSTech Management and Provisional Constitution of SUSTech Council, the directors voted and decided to recruit Mr. Wang Duoxiang as the Vice President, Expansion.

Directors Reviewed Work Reports & Offered Proposed

President Chen Shiyi made the SUSTech Report on 2015 Building and Development and on 2016 Work Plan and Building SUSTech into A High-level University of science and engineering to the University Council.

According to President Chen, thanks to leadership, care and support from senior officials of Ministry of Education, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Guangdong Provincial Government, CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Shenzhen Municipal Government, in 2015 SUSTech attentively fulfilled decisions made by the University Council, worked hard to build world-class university rooted in Shenzhen with the Chinese characteristics, built modern university governance system, improved campus management and operations, sped up building of first-class disciplines, enhanced building of high-level faculty team and discipline platform, pushed forward cultivation of top innovative talents, gradually established international talent-cultivating system with evident features, gradually promoted construction of campus infrastructures with high standard, formed the leading system of campus service and logistics, actively engaged in cooperation and exchanges with its domestic and international counterparts, continued to expand influence in tertiary education community in and out of China, and evidently supported and steered regional economic and social development and high-tech industrial development in Shenzhen.

Talking about SUSTech work plan for 2016, President Chen Shiyi analyzed major challenges confronted by SUSTech for now, and proposed 4 major tasks and 9 specific tasks to be completed in 2016. The 4 major tasks refer to building SUSTech into the high-level university of science and engineering in Guangdong Province, working hard to introduce talents and improving quality of faculty team, continuing to build Campus Project I and II, and continuing to deepen reform and improve regulation structure in SUSTech. 

Entrusted by President Chen Shiyi, SUSTech Chief Financial Officer Ye Qin reported the SUSTech 2015 Financial Settlement and 2016 Budget to the University Council.

The participating directors reviewed the report. They recognized and praised what SUSTech achieved in 2015 before voicing their proposals and ideas on future development of the university, including discipline setup, postgraduate cultivation, campus building, talent introduction, industry-education-research partnership, reform and innovation, etc.

The meeting passed in principle the SUSTech Report on 2015 Building and Development and on 2016 Work Plan, and SUSTech 2015 Financial Settlement and 2016 Budget. Building SUSTech into A High-level University of science and engineering will be improved on the basis of opinions of relevant parties. 

The University Council Praised the Work of SUSTech in 2015

Director-General Xu Qin made the conclusion speech, who greatly praised SUSTech work in 2015 and highly appreciated the efforts made by SUSTech leadership, faculty and students. He said, “In 2015, SUSTech achieved mammoth results and made arduous efforts. The University Council fully recognized the work of SUSTech and the efforts made by the university teams.”

Xu Qin hoped SUSTech could implement what CPC Central Committee and Guangdong Province have decided and follow instructions made by Guangdong Vice Party Secretary and Shenzhen Party Secretary Ma Xingrui. He also hoped SUSTech could take the path cored on quality improvement and live up to expectations from the University Council. At the same time, SUSTech should establish the awareness of unexpected development and responsibility while keeping perseverance to build itself into the high-level university of science and engineering. It should also improve quality of education, teaching and R&D, develop “Shenzhen speed” and “Shenzhen quality” in tertiary education and work hard to build SUSTech into the first-class university of science and engineering ASAP.

On behalf of the University Council, Xu Qin raised 6 requirements. First, enhance positioning, highlight features, be selective in acting, push forward building of disciplines and teaching system, develop science and engineering while building medicine disciplines. Second, enhance building of high-level faculty team, continue to recruit first-class teachers from all parts of the world, and recruit part-time professors from famous bodies and enterprises. Third, Follow targets and requirements for first-class universities, focus on future development needs, establish and improve regulations. Fourth, increase input, push forward SUSTech planning and construction by taking first-class standards, and build the boutique century project. Fifth, keep emancipating mind, make reforms and innovations, be brave to break limits and identify a new path towards tertiary education development in the new era. Sixth, serve economic and social development and work hard to develop SUSTech into a major engine that helps Shenzhen build the center of sci-tech, industry and innovation in the world.

Xu Qin Spoke Highly of the Important Role of the 1^st SUSTech Council

In accordance with Provisional Constitution of SUSTech Council, term of this session of the Council will come to an end. At the meeting, Xu Qin fully recognized the important role played by the Council in pushing forward construction and development of SUSTech.

According to Xu Qin, since the 1^st SUSTech Council was established on July 16, 2011, the directors have been supporting SUSTech to be pioneering, thus making a number of breakthroughs and doing a lot of essential, pioneering and exploring work for the long-term development of the university. Till today, SUSTech has finalized the many tasks set up in its inception and made beneficial attempts for reform and development of tertiary education in China. SUSTech has not only contributed to developing and cultivating students, but also to the reform and development of Chinese education. Over the past 5 years, SUSTech has made a number of reforms and innovations in the field of tertiary education. For instance, it has made innovations in education philosophy to establish the target of high-level research university; it has made innovations in governance mechanism to found the modern university system cored on University Council; it has made innovations in recruitment approaches to gather a number of senior-level talents; it has made innovations in enrollment system to build the model of comprehensive evaluation and enrollment; and it has made innovations in cultivation means to build the solid system of cultivating top innovative talents. Reform and development of SUSTech have received full support from the University Council. In the process of preparing and pushing forward SUSTech development, the directors played very important role. The arduous efforts of directors will always be recorded in the annals of SUSTech. On behalf of CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Shenzhen Municipal Government, Xu Qin expressed thanks to the directors for their contributions while hoping they could continue to care for, support and help with SUSTech growth. 

On behalf of the 1^st SUSTech Council, Xu Qin expressed the heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Education, CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Guangdong Provincial Government, Guangdong Department of Education and related departments in Shenzhen as well as people from all walks of life that have been caring for, supporting and helping with development of SUSTech.