From August 27 to 28, 2016, just days before the beginning of a new term, SUSTech held the Seminar on Strategic Planning & Development for 2016 Autumn Term. In order to offer more guidance from its strategic planning and improve the mechanism of democratic decision making, SUSTech has decided to hold the strategic planning and development symposium twice every year since 2015, respectively in spring and autumn term.

Guo Yurong, Chairwoman of University Council of SUSTech, and President Chen Shiyi hosted the seminar and addressed the audience. 90 people attended the symposium in total, including leaders of SUSTech, academicians, heads of all schools, departments and the secretaries of all Party branches.

This seminar was the third one since its first convening in the September of 2015, during which specific strategies concerning SUSTech’s major issues were discussed. Attendees of the symposium heard and discussed in detail 10 special reports, namely, ICT and the innovative development of research-oriented university, industry-university-research cooperation, safety, student affairs, enrollment, finance, teaching management, “2+2” model of undergraduate education, the team-building of research-oriented professors and the postgraduate education. 

The seminar

Guo Yurong delivers a speech

Chen Shiyi delivers a speech

The seminar on August 27 was hosted by President Chen Shiyi and 10 theme reports were presented. Before hearing the reports, President Chen firstly introduced the recent progress SUSTech had made: 

1. Significant achievements have been achieved in enrollment and 1,003 undergraduates (9 of whom are international students) and 277 postgraduates have been enrolled. In September 2016, the number of students on campus would exceed 3,000 for the first time.
2. More than 60 percent of the graduates in 2016 would further their study in prestigious universities, both home and abroad.
3. A number of professors such as Academician Yu Dapeng joined SUSTech and the number of academicians reached 14 (5 of them are full-time academicians).
4. The building of SUSTech as a high-level university of science and engineering in Guangdong Province went smoothly.
5. SUSTech has obtained qualifications to grant bachelor’s degree and is eligible to confer bachelor’s degree in 10 undergraduate majors.
6. New progress has been made in the collaborative training of postgraduates.
7. The funding sources have been increased. In the first half of 2016, over 200 million yuan has been donated to SUSTech from personages of all social sectors.
8. The preparation for the foundation of Medical School has entered a substantial phase and the internationalized school-running has education has moved forward.
9. Shenzhen City won the bid for secondary institutions of UNESCO with SUSTech as its basis.

Zhao Jianhua, Wang Jixiang, Qin Zheng and Han Wei address the audience.

Professor Zhao Jianhua delivered a report entitled ICT Promotes the Creative Development of Research-oriented University: Challenges and Opportunities. The report pointed out that against the backdrop that information technology has a great influence on higher education; SUSTech should seize the opportunity and promote the application of digital learning by sharing education resources and developing close cooperation with international ICT enterprises. 

Vice President Wang Jixiang gave a speech on the cooperation of industry, education and research. He elaborated the strategic plan of the cooperation of industry, education and research from 10 perspectives such as technology transfer center. He also pointed out that the cooperation of industry, education and research was an important mission of universities and was of great significance in many aspects from regional development to student cultivation. At last, he put forward some plans for the future work in this field.

Vice President Qin Zheng gave a special report on campus safety. He introduced the current situation of SUSTech’s campus safety and required further improvements in regulations, team building and coordinated actions.

Han Wei, Vice Director of the Preparation Office and the Director of the HR Department, reported on the student affairs. She introduced the overall situation of student affairs in SUSTech and put forward some suggestions on related issues.

She also gave a report entitled Research on the Talent Training Models of Undergraduates in SUSTech with the “2+2” model as its focus. In the report, she firstly introduced the survey results on related models, and then compared different talent training models of prestigious universities. Finally she suggested that a more flexible teaching model should be adopted on the basis of “2+2” model and the curriculum design should be improved.

Wu Chuanyue, Ye Qin, Zhao Yusheng and Tang Tao give speeches

In his Report on the status quo of SUSTech enrollment and strategic development, Provost and Vice President Wu Chuanyue pointed out that in the future, the University should focus on policy support and promotion campaigns, promote specialization and normalization in enrollment, increase enrollment areas and enhance its presence in middle schools.

Wu also made another report on the status quo, challenges and opportunities of SUSTech teaching. He indicated that the highlights of undergraduate teaching should lie in motivating the teachers, improving curriculum system, improving teaching capability, enhancing students’ learning ability and so on.

As for the University’s financial operation, Chief Accountant Ye Qin reported the current situation, put forward existing problems, and suggested ways of dealing with the problems.

Director Zhao Yusheng of Office of Research gave a report on the team-building of research-oriented professors, which Zhao believed is a good method to attract talents and retain outstanding post-doctors. He also raised the idea of building an institute specialized in leading-edge subjects and interdisciplinary study.

Tang Tao, Vice President and Dean of Graduate School, introduced the overall situation of Graduate School, analyzed how to build a graduate education system, and put forward his plan for graduate enrollment in the coming five years.

Panel discussions

On the morning of August 28, all participants of the symposium had panel discussions over above-mentioned topics. After the leaders of the four panels reported their discussions, Chen Shiyi and Guo Yurong summarized the symposium respectively.  

Chen fully recognized the results of the symposium. He said that in the period of rapid development, the University should rise to the challenges, size up the situation with dialectical thinking, and take the difficulties in reform as the opportunities to improve or leap forward. For a time from now on, the University should focus on the following core strategic priorities, including advancing the construction of graduate education system with joint training programs and independent training programs, constructing a support system of university resources centered on school-running space, building the brand of SUSTech as an internationalized university with a high starting point and worldwide influence, highlighting the cultivation of undergraduates with the emphasis on the academic atmosphere and quality, building a high level medical school with the objective of strengthening discipline development and serving regional social development, and building an institute specialized in interdisciplinary study. Combing the results of the symposium, Chen arranged the recent tasks to be done and required all departments and offices to do their best to cultivate students, promote scientific research and industry-university-research cooperation, etc. He also stressed that SUSTech should take root in China, build itself into a world class university, and contribute the development of Shenzhen and China.

Then Chairman of University Council Guo Yu Rong made concluding remarks titled Seize the Opportunity and Work Conscientiously to Build SUSTech into a World-class University in Shenzhen. Combining the recent policies released by Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Central Government to encourage technological innovations and promote prioritized development of talents, Guo highlighted three things: seize the opportunity to engage in a new round of technological innovations; forge ahead in unity to build leading teams with SUSTech spirit; and take root in Shenzhen to build SUSTech into a world class University. Guo Yu Rong pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress; governments at national, provincial and municipal levels have been attaching great importance to scientific and technological innovations, and implementing the strategic layout with unprecedented strength and practical initiatives. This kind of background poses a rare historical opportunity for SUSTech, which is now at a critical development period. It is greatly advantageous for SUSTech to carry out its core tasks, such as realizing its development goals and promoting its teaching and scientific research. Therefore, our current mission is to gather human resources to accelerate development and engage in a new round of technological innovation. Guo also hoped the participants could seriously learn, research and use relevant policies formulated by governments at national, provincial and municipal levels, and transform the policies into the motivation and energy for SUSTech development. She called on the faculty to be daring, innovative, pragmatic, enterprising, united, honest and efficient, take hold in Shenzhen, and try to succeed in building SUSTech into a world top-notch University as early as possible.

The topics were fully discussed in the strategic symposium. The reports of the main speakers were closely related with the present situation of higher education and the reality of SUSTech, with many constructive suggestions put forward. The symposium required that after the new semester begins, relevant departments and offices should elaborate the results of the symposium and further implement them.

Group photo