Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) has long had the goal of building a world-class research university, rooted in China. In 2017, SUSTech deepened its international education in numerous ways, including actively promoting international exchanges and cooperation, and further create a high-level research university with a global outlook.

Aiming at world-class, building global influence

In 2017, SUSTech created the International Advisory Council (IAC) to inject energy into the overall development of SUSTech with global wisdom and strength. 15 world-class university presidents and education experts from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, China, and Hong Kong were invited to serve as members of the International Advisory Council of SUSTech. Ten of them attended the first meeting in October. The members had their committee meeting and observed SUSTech first-hand. Their experience and understanding enabled them to provide a report that advised SUSTech on its future direction. Ten universities led by IAC members are listed in the top 100 of the 2017-2018 Times Higher Education World University, including the University of Oxford at number 1.

This is the first such council for a mainland Chinese college or university. It has far-reaching significance for SUSTech in improving its operations and global influence. The IAC will provide forward-looking advice on the strategic development of SUSTech and provide an international reference plan for the University to address current issues.

2018 Times Higher Education Asian University Summit

After nearly one year of preparations in 2017, SUSTech successfully held the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Summit before Chinese New Year. This is the first time the THE Summit series has held an event in mainland China. From February 5 to 7, 2018, nearly 400 Chinese and foreign university leaders, higher education experts, government representatives and business representatives from 33 countries and regions attended the summit. The summit was strongly supported by the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. Shenzhen Party Secretary Wang Weizhong, Shenzhen Mayor Chen Rugui, and Vice Mayor Gao Zimin attended both the summit opening ceremony and the Asian University Ranking Ceremony. They all spoke highly of the summit, arguing that it would promote SUSTech and that international education was of great significance to the development of Shenzhen as an international city. Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer of Times Higher Education, said that the summit coming to Shenzhen and SUSTech had borne witness to the innovation and vitality of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. SUSTech represents the ambition of Asian universities.

This summit released the latest ranking of the Times University of Higher Education in Asia. Because of its relative youth, SUSTech did not formally participate in this ranking. THE conducted a simulated analysis for SUSTech and shared the results of the analysis at the Asian University Rankings Gala. Their simulation indicated that SUSTech would rank among the top 30 universities in Asia and the top 40 universities in the world. The publication of papers, the ratio of teachers to students, and the proportion of international teachers are all the advantages of upgrading the ranking of SUSTech.

Global interactions indicate a new chapter in higher education

In 2017, SUSTech has developed a global footprint in the world, and representatives from world-class universities and government agencies have also visited SUSTech. In 2017, SUSTech accumulated 21 outbound visits and enrollment, with an average of 5 times per quarter, twice as much as in 2016. SUSTech also received delegations from 80 visiting universities from outside mainland China, an average of 7 visits per month, which is an increase of over 35% compared to last year.

SUSTech’s international cooperation has received the support of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. In May 2017, SUSTech University Council Chairperson Guo Yurong accompanied a Shenzhen Municipal Government delegation to the four partner universities such as Johns Hopkins University. The delegation introduced Shenzhen’s development to the international partners and promoted SUSTech to carry out more in-depth and extensive cooperation with world-class universities. In September 2017, SUSTech Vice President Lu Chun accompanied Shenzhen Deputy Mayor Wu Yihuan to visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) to meet with Chen Gang, a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering and Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT.

SUSTech has continued to deepen and expand its international circle of friends, and further promoted substantive cooperation with world-class universities and institutions to further improve the quality of cooperation. It signed a cooperation agreement with King’s College London to leverage the rapid development of the ​​Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to promote the development of education, health care, and life. In 2017, the school signed 16 new school-level cooperation agreements, covering student training, scientific research cooperation, academic exchanges, and other fields. The institutions of the agreement include world-renowned universities such as the University of Oxford.

In 2017, SUSTech also actively created opportunities to voice the world and contribute to the wisdom of the South Branch for the development of higher education in the world. SUSTech President Chen Shiyi has been invited to give keynote speeches and keynote lectures at high-profile institutions such as the University of Hong Kong and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. In September 2017, Chen Shiyi was invited to attend the World University Summit jointly organized by Times Higher Education and King’s College London, where he was the only Chinese university representative to speak in the “Multi-Leader” discussion group. He introduced Shenzhen as an immigrant city and SUSTech as a multi-innovative spirit of an international university. In December 2017, SUSTech appeared in the Times Higher Education magazine. The magazine published four full-page pictures of the school to introduce the school’s progress.

SUSTech continued to introduce outstanding talents from around the world. Three overseas academicians were introduced throughout the year with two Academicians of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in Xu Zhenghe and Wang Quan joining academician David Lerner, academician of the United Kingdom’s Royal Academy of Engineering. At present, foreign teachers in the school account for 22.8% of the entire school’s faculty.

SUSTech persisted in its development of world-class research platforms. In May, Shenzhen’s first research institute named after the Nobel Prize winner, Shenzhen Grubbs Research Institute, officially entered SUSTech. The University cooperated with the University of Queensland (UQ) and explored educational and scientific research cooperation in fields such as neuroscience, neuro-engineering, materials science, electronics, and environmental engineering. SUSTech strives to cooperate with UQ in running research platforms in Shenzhen. Currently, a joint neuroscience research center has been established. The first international cooperation research center of HKUST was successfully launched.

SUSTech has been active in promoting its scientific research quality, the level of teachers and students throughout the university by actively organizing, hosting and participating in large-scale international academic forums and lectures.

In 2017, SUSTech held a joint seminar with MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering to hold the Belt and Road International Music Symposium, the International Energy Materials Photonics Conference, the 11^th International Conference on Simulated Evolution and Learning (SEAL2017) and hosted the 9^th International Ecosystem Services Conference. More than 600 experts from more than 50 countries came to SUSTech to discuss cutting-edge academic developments. Nobel Laureate James Watson was invited by SUSTech to share his scientific insights. 17 overseas academicians made a special trip to SUSTech to participate in the Overseas Fellows Journey to the Sea. Representatives from universities, education ministries and related government departments from 11 countries in Asia and Africa visited SUSTech to talk about the development of higher education.

More than 30 large-scale international academic forums were held or hosted by SUSTech in 2017, with an average of 2-3 sessions per month. More than 250 famous experts were invited to come to SUSTech for more than 250 special lectures, with an average of 1.5 lectures every day. SUSTech professors went abroad to participate in more than 300 high-level international forums and academic conferences, where they actively shared scientific research.

Open the door to the world’s students and help students open the door to the world

SUSTech University draws on and absorbs advanced management models and innovative talent training programs. From the end of November to the beginning of December 2017, Director Han Wei led a school delegation to visit Cambridge University, the University of Oxford, Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, Columbia University, to learn about the development of research institutes, undergraduate teaching methods, and different enrollment modes. University leaders, faculty members, and students took part in active, in-depth discussions with the delegation.

In 2017, SUSTech continued to open its doors to the world’s students, recruiting more international students and strengthening the training of international students. On September, 18 international students enrolled at SUSTech, nearly tripling SUSTech’s international enrolment the year before, and increasing the global coverage to 8 countries. In November, the Guangdong Province held the Foreign Student Lingnan Cultural Card Competition. SUSTech’s International Student Team finished third prize. Malaysian student Chinchin Tan won the prize for most eloquent.

SUSTech continued to build bridges of communication with the world, helping the mechanics to enter the world’s top universities for exchange, and further study. A total of 309 SUSTech students traveled to North America and Europe to enter 10 famous universities such as the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and participated in 11 overseas exchanges. More than half of our 2017 graduates have continued onto to famous universities, such as Cambridge University, the University of Oxford, and the University of Chicago.

In 2017, SUSTech encouraged the world to come in, inviting the world’s most wise and most resourceful, and SUSTech actively went out to embrace the world. In 2018, SUSTech will continue to invite the world in, while continuing to make progress toward building a world-class research university, rooted in China.