2020 was the 10th Anniversary of the founding of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), and also a year of prosperity and development of the campus culture. At the end of 2020, as SUSTech’s 10th Anniversary Celebration activities gradually reached a climax, a series of high-quality cultural activities followed, filling the campus with a vibrant artistic atmosphere. The works of famous artists such as Wenjin TENG and Weishan WU were displayed at the University’s sculpture exhibition. Lang LANG, Haochen ZHANG, and Siqing LU performed special concerts in the newly completed concert hall. There was also the annual gathering of alumni and various sporting events such as the second annual tennis tournament. In 2020, SUSTech’s campus was filled with laughter and inspired us to be better every day.

Building the urban culture through literary and artistic activities

On November 21, the 10^th Anniversary Sculpture Exhibition was held in Banyan Square of SUSTech. More than 120 sculptures with the themes of science, technology, and the future from 20 countries and regions were put on display on the campus for forty days.

On November 29, Lang LANG, an internationally renowned pianist and international ambassador for Shenzhen, was invited to the University to perform a special concert for the 10th Anniversary of SUSTech. He also had his masterclass session at the SUSTech Convention Center, where students performed on stage and received advice and recommendations from him.

On the night of SUSTech’s anniversary on December 20, the 10th Anniversary Celebration Party was held. Renowned artists such as Warren Mok and Guangfu LI appeared on the stage with SUSTech’s faculty members and students.

On the evening of December 23, at the concert hall of the SUSTech Convention Center, the internationally renowned violinist Siqing LU presented a feast of music to behold.

One after another, SUSTech put on a variety of artistic activities and performances to celebrate the 10th Anniversary. The University created a vibrant cultural scene at the foot of the Tanglang Mountain, becoming a cultural highland of the city.

The impact of Science, Technology and Humanities in developing a modern culture at SUSTech

Individuals from all walks of life have interacted with SUSTech. Through various forms of exchanges and discussions, SUSTech has shaped the artistic taste and cultural ideals of science and engineering students, and created a new model of “cultural education”. Cultural activities such as the creation market, the science and technology sports festival, the New Year’s Eve party, and other events have been carried out on campus throughout the year and have become the University’s annual “cultural menu”.

SUSTech actively promotes cultural heritage and innovation, wisely choosing campus cultural activities such as the launch of “Rongbaozhai Calligraphy Court enters SUSTech”, classical music festivals, regional cultural festivals, and a Spring Festival couplets presented by famous calligraphers. At present, SUSTech has established nearly a hundred high-level art societies including choirs, symphony orchestras, folk bands, drama clubs, dance troupes, and many high-quality arts and cultural activities. The cultural community established on the campus has become a spiritual home for students from all over the world.

After his concert, Lang LANG left a warm message for the concert hall at the newly opened SUSTech Convention Center. It was the first performance at the venue since its completion. The University continues to make strides to improve infrastructures on the campus. Several other new facilities have been put into use, such as the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Yidan Library. Projects such as the Cultural Museum Center are also under development.

On October 28, SUSTech’s identification plan for landscapes and roads on campus was officially announced. After many discussions, a naming scheme for six places was finally decided, including the naming of two parks, three lakes, nine mountains, six squares, sixteen roads, and twelve bridges. The use of these names gives distinct importance to the campus space, which the University hopes will facilitate the work, study, and life of the teachers and students on the campus, but also helps to further enhance the culture at SUSTech.

The development of SUSTech resonates with similar beliefs of developing Shenzhen

In a sense, the University is the spiritual height of the city and an important source of urban culture. SUSTech’s founding characteristics reflect the vibrant and innovative culture of the city. In terms of cultural construction, SUSTech actively integrates into the urban development landscape, applies the university’s cultural character, and uses the power of science and humanities to serve society. This culture not only affects the hearts of faculty members and students but also resonates around the entire city.

On September 19th, the first edition of a popular science series, “100,000 High-Tech Whys,” authored by a group of SUSTech professors, was published. Based on the latest scientific research results, the book is the latest achievement of SUSTech, undertaking the mission of scientific communication, promoting scientific and technological awareness, and fostering the scientific spirit. The book has become popular, with its entry into Shenzhen libraries, university libraries, as well as many primary and secondary schools.

There were also literary and artistic works from SUSTech that aroused people’s attention, such as “All the Way South” and “Waving under the Banyan Tree.”

SUSTech’s cultural and artistic collection is also growing. In October, Wenjin TENG and his wife Hong QIAO, a famous sculpture artist and the main creator of the bronze statue of Xiaoping DENG on the Lotus Mountain in Shenzhen, donated more than 500 works of art to SUSTech, making it the largest and most diverse collection since the University was founded. In the future, SUSTech will set up a “Wenjin TENG Art Museum” for people to observe, study his work, and gather more cultural and art knowledge.

Today, on the campus of SUSTech, “Celebrities” gather in the University campus sculpture exhibition. Statues such as Galileo, Lun CAI, Chongzhi ZU, Zhenning YANG, and Da Vinci, created by Chinese sculptural artists are scattered around the campus.

SUSTech has been attaching great importance to the belief of cultivation talents through morality by a series of high-level cultural and artistic activities. In the future, the University will continue to seek innovation and achieve further development in the new era.