A total of 115 principals and education experts from 86 famous high schools nationwide gathered at SUSTech and attended the High School Principals Summit on February 23 2017. The summit was organized by the Southern Metropolis Daily and supported by SUSTech, National Training Center for Secondary School Principals of the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Examination and Evaluation of East China Normal University. The summit was moderated by Li Fengliang, Vice Chairman of SUSTech.

During the summit, principals and experts shared their ideas and wisdom on the reform of the National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) and comprehensive quality evaluation.

On the opening ceremony, Guo Yurong, Chairman of SUSTech, started her speech by expressing warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the guests present. She recognized the importance of this event, stressing that the reform of NCEE is a huge issue for China and how to foster high-calibre talents is a hot topic which concerns the entire education sector.

She pointed out that talents should be cultivated in a systematic way, so basic education and higher education should not be divided when it comes to talents cultivation. She suggested high schools and universities should strengthen their exchanges and cooperation.

She also mentioned that reform and innovation constituted the DNA of Shenzhen which has been making strenuous efforts to establish innovative universities. “Since the establishment of SUSTech, we have conducted a series of trials and innovation in schooling systems, enrollment evaluation, teaching and research, students cultivation and social practices,” she said.

In conclusion, Guo hoped that SUSTech could forge closer cooperation with more high schools.

Chen Shiyi, President of SUSTech also gave a keynote report entitled “The Reform and Innovation of SUSTech”. In the report, he analyzed the relationship between universities and cities, saying that “A city would be incomplete without a first-level university”. He further explained that a university would become a pillar underpinning the miraculous success of a modern city and a region. In his opinion, universities in China should undertake bigger missions in the world. “As a pilot university of the comprehensive reform of China’s higher education, SUSTech is striving to answer the question raised by Qian Xuesen, a top Chinese rocket scientist and physicist, through our actions. And we are committed to the goal of turning SUSTech into a high-level international research university.”

Chen also introduced the basic information of SUSTech including the mission, development strategy and faculty. To conclude his report, Chen hoped that SUSTech can live up to the expectations of all the Chinese people through its development.

Chen Yukun, Professor and Dean of the Institute of Examination and Evaluation of East China Normal University, also gave a keynote report entitled “The Reform of National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) and Comprehensive Quality Evaluation”. Chen elaborated on the necessity of the reform of NCEE and the comprehensive quality evaluation from three aspects including the diversity of education quality, decomposability of education quality and the evaluation of comprehensive quality in the digital age. He also introduced a concept of MOOS and demonstrated an open online learning course.

During the summit, the guests also visited the SUSTech campus and laboratory and thought highly of the university’s environment and high-end equipment facilities.