The 2026 Graduate Mentor Training Meeting of “Mingde Mentor School” was held at the Dacheng Auditorium of the College of Business at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). More than 200 people attended, including Vice President and Provost Hongwei FANG, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuhong YU, newly recognized and rotating mentors from various departments, adjunct mentors from partner hospitals, and mentors from partner universities.

In his opening remarks, Fang Hongwei reflected on the remarkable progress SUSTech has made in graduate education over the past 11 years. He noted that in recent years, SUSTech’s graduate education has achieved rapid and high-quality development. Mentors play a vital role in shaping the success of our graduate students.

Mentors are the key force in the cultivation of graduate students, and it is hoped that newly appointed mentors will master guidance methods through training, while rotating mentors can use this opportunity to reflect on their experiences and address any gaps, working together to elevate SUSTech’s graduate education to new heights.

Academician Shuhong YU, the first keynote speaker, gave a talk titled “How to Be a Good Graduate Mentor,” sharing insights from his extensive experience in research and mentoring. He analyzed the core elements in cultivating top-tier talent, emphasizing that mentors and students should foster an interactive atmosphere of mutual learning and win-win progress, encouraging mentors to inspire students’ intrinsic motivation for research and focus on nurturing “interdisciplinary talents who possess both integrity and ability, and excel at collaboration.”

Professor Fan FANG from South China Normal University and Associate Professor Zhuoyu CHEN from the Department of Physics shared on “Psychological Care and Communication Between Mentors and Students” and “Four Years of Exploration by Young Mentors,” respectively. Zaiyong YANG, Deputy Director of the Student Affairs Office at SUSTech, and Fei YE, Vice Dean of the Graduate School, provided detailed introductions on “Mental Health and Services for SUSTech Students and Faculty” and “SUSTech Graduate Admissions Policies.”

This year’s “Mingde Mentor School” training features a diverse format, including on-site training sessions, online courses, and special lectures. The program aims to enhance graduate education by offering abundant content such as experience sharing, specialized training, and policy explanations.