Face to face between President Chen Shiyi and students

On the afternoon of October 20, 2015, sunshine covered the whole Zhiren College gently, melodious piano music was just like the language of life; as expected,students had the second phase of “President Afternoon Tea” of SUSTC. This“President Afternoon Tea” mainly orients the freshmen of 2015 grade. President Chen Shiyi expressed that he wants to clearly know the perspective, suggestion and expectation of freshmen for SUSTC by this. The participants in the“President Afternoon Tea” also had the Vice-President Qin Zheng, Wu Chuanyue,vice-president and academic dean, Han Wei, deputy director of Preparation Office, deans of each College, and principals of partial functional departments.

During the afternoon tea time of more than 2 hours, President Chen Shiyi told the high speed development of SUSTC, including the hot enrollment situation of SUSTC graduate students, doctoral students, the cooperation situationwith famous colleges and universities in the work, increasingly powerful faculty, the newly increased three departments – mechanics and aerospace department,marine science and engineering department, mechanical engineering and energy department,and the construction situation of SUSTC Phase II project. With regard to the life, study, safety and so on problems asked by students, President Chen Shiyi thought and discussed with students jointly, and came up with many unique understanding. He is humorous and full of witty remarks, which made the lakeside area full of talking and smiling at that time.

President Chen Shiyi talks out the development of SUSTC

Students eagerly ask questions to President Chen Shiyi

[SUSTC enters into a high development period]

President Chen Shiyi said: “Before asking questions and discussing I want to tell you the progress of our work. The first is the situation of SUSTC Phase II planning. The phase I planning of SUSTC is 260 thousand square meters, in which students center and gymnasium are not completed. Phase II is 370 thousand square meters, including 6 colleges, i.e., College of Science, Engineering College, Life and Health College, Business College, College of Humanities,Innovation and Entrepreneurship College. Now the basic framework of buildings of these six colleges has been completed. The second aspect is matters about graduate students. Yesterday, we held the startup meeting of Graduate School,established some cooperative colleges and universities in Hong Kong, Singapore, America, and in domestic. The Graduate School plans to enroll 160 doctors, 200 masters. When you graduate, SUSTC will provide you with more different chooses,students can choose to study abroad, or start a business as well as attend graduate school of SUSTC. The third one is that teacher team is expanded increasingly. Recently, several departments will be completed,including Department of Environment, Department of Mathematics. We have hired the deans of Department of Mechanics and Aerospace, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Energy, Department of Marine Science and Engineering. We will also employ the dean of the Department of Computer Science in the world. So, SUSTC develops rapidly in aspects of discipline construction and teacher team construction. Of course, we should make sure the quality at the time of rapid development. Our school will enter into a rapid development period, including campus construction, teaching staff construction, construction of Graduate School, etc.”

[Humanities& social sciences: development is imperative!]

Some students proposed that SUSTC should set courses or lectures of humanities and social sciences, to better cultivate the humanistic quality of students. President Chen Shiyi said, humanistic education is very important. Heagrees with the perspective of this student. The humanistic and social sciences, business study of SUSTC should develop as good as science and engineering. SUSTC should cultivate comprehensive talents. He guaranteed that “Do not worry; these questions are all in my mind, never put down.”

Some students even directly expressed that some certain professors of Department of Humanistic and Social Sciences should join in SUSTC, President Chen Shiyi laughed and said, “Hiring talents from the west does not conform to the policy, even hiring talents form Peking University is not easy, because Peking University is my alma mater.” All audience laughed. He said, SUSTC will invite professors to join in our school according to students’ reaction, and will recruit the most excellent professors from the world to make students have better developments!

[Lecture video problem: SUSTC TV station proposal was put forward for the first time!]

Some students proposed that they also missed many wonderful lectures for the reason of course time; they hope SUSTC should have its own video website.President Chen Shiyi said amazing words, “It is great that you say that, I give you an advice, we can build a SUSTC TV station; thus we can rebroadcast and report these wonderful lectures!” Students laughed with warm applause. President Chen Shiyi said, this is the first time that SUSTC TV station proposal is put forward. I hope you can show your innovation and talents for our TV station in the future. A school with more than ten thousand people should have its own TV station, and also can cultivate more elites in this aspect, to make students have comprehensive development.

[Downhill safety problem: solve it by wisdom!]

For students bicycle fall incident a few days ago, we are all still in a state of shock. Students concern about what measures SUSTC will take. Teachers in charge of school construction shows that all teachers in our school are very distressed for this incident, but no good solution is come up at present. So,we can only ask for students pushing the bicycle and walking in the dangerous downhill section temporarily, this is the most effective method until now.

President Chen Shiyi proposed an interesting advice after listening tothis problem with smile – we can cut the bush on the roadside, to build a pathsuitable for riding; or open up a path in the sideward grove. “Then you canride to the grove slowly, comfortably go to the downhill.” When proposing thisbold advice, President Chen also appealed students to think more and solve theproblem with wisdom.

[English teaching: you are required to speak standard American English]

As a whole English teaching school, students spontaneously ask questions about English. Chen Shiyi said the university would establish a language learning center to improve student’s English level. At present, the university is recruiting native English teachers. The five recruited English teachers would take position in November.

”We make endless efforts to invite the English teachers. We hope that your English level would be better that those of in Hong Kong. Hope you could speak standard American English. We are waiting for your efforts and your results!”The president’s words gave students enthusiasm. They are looking forward to abetter English teaching.

[President Chen’s talking of Three Semesters System]

As some students have asked questions of Three Semesters System, Chen Shiyi said that the Three Semesters System is designed to shorten spring and autumn semesters and prolong summer semester so that spring and autumn semesters are 18 weeks long and the interim period between spring semester and autumn semester is the third semester. In the third semester, we would encourage students to conduct experiments, go abroad or do pioneering work or internship work to increase students’ social experience, research experience and students’ understanding about the world. In addition, the university will also open some classes. I think that is the meaning of the third semester. The action has reflected our education concept that learning is not just from the class, but from society,enterprises and the world. The most important is not to teach students knowledge in books but the ability to learn, which is more important than teaching them knowledge and this also is the meaning of prolonging the third semester.

”President afternoon tea” also had a discussion on the operation period of the swimming pool, fruit supply, the university’s fitment and construction, WiFi signal and pipe blocking. Students in relevant departments gave patient answers which satisfied students.

At the end of the seminar, Chen Shiyi said, “SUSTC is out own university. We can put forward not only questions but suggestions”. He talked to students with a smile on his face that he is also a freshman to act as the president. He believed that the university would become better with endless efforts of students and teachers.On the meeting, every participant with a yearning smile has better expectation for the future of SUSTC.

Qin Zheng is answering the questions of students.

Wu Chuanyue is answering the questions of students.

Han Wei is answering the questions of students.