The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) has officially joined the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), marking a significant step forward in the University’s international development and global collaboration efforts. Vice President Professor Li Jin represented SUSTech at the 2025 APRU Annual Presidents’ Meeting (APM), held from June 22 to 24 at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), where the University was formally inducted as a new member of the network.

During the membership ceremony, Professor Jin delivered a speech on behalf of SUSTech. In his remarks, he expressed sincere gratitude to APRU and the event organizers, and introduced SUSTech’s dynamic development and future vision to the assembled presidents and senior leaders of APRU institutions.

“It is a great honor for SUSTech to join APRU,” Professor Jin stated. “We look forward to contributing actively to this vibrant community and working together to address the global challenges facing higher education and society.”

Founded in 1997, the APRU is a leading alliance of 62 top research universities from 18 economies around the Pacific Rim. It serves as a platform for advancing research collaboration, fostering student and faculty mobility, and strengthening higher education’s role in addressing key regional and global challenges. Member institutions include the University of California, Los Angeles, the Australian National University, the National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and many others.

The 2025 APM brought together senior leaders from across APRU’s network under the theme “Human Longevity in a Changing World: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for a Resilient Future.” Discussions focused on AI and longevity, university innovation in biotechnology, public health, the role of higher education and social and economic policy in facing aging populations, and the engagement of the next generation of leaders and scholars to ensure sustainable, resilient, equitable solutions to aging.

As one of the youngest institutions in the network, SUSTech’s membership reflects its rising international profile and its growing reputation for academic excellence, innovation, and reform. The University brings to APRU its unique perspective as a new-generation research university committed to interdisciplinary development and global engagement.

APRU offers a wide range of thematic programs and activities for researchers, faculty, and students. These include research hubs on AI, climate change, global health, sustainable cities, and disaster risk reduction; student programs such as the Undergraduate Leaders’ Program (ULP), Virtual Student Exchange (VSE), and APRU Global Health Case Competition; and leadership initiatives including the APRU Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) program and various academic workshops and policy dialogues.

With its new membership in APRU, SUSTech will continue to build bridges across borders and contribute to collaborative solutions that benefit the city, the region, and the world.