Source: Office for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs
Written by: Office for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

The 5th Shan Hai Forum was held in Xiamen University on November 16-18, 2015. Professor Zhu Chongshi, President of Xiamen University, Professor Hung-Duen Yang, President of Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung (NSYSU), Professor Luo Jun, President of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), and nearly two hundred scholars and experts gathered together to discuss academic issues in the nine fields of marine environment, economic management, materials chemistry, physics and energy, biomedicine and medical equipment, Taiwan studies, higher education research, literature and culture, mathematics and scientific computing.


At the opening ceremony, President Luo Jun pointed out that Shan Hai Forum, as a grand gathering for academic exchange among NSYSU, Xiamen University and SYSU, is a mature platform of cooperation. The three universities, interlinked in history and close in geographical location, are all striving to become world-class universities. Through previous forums, the fruits of cooperation are emerging. He hoped that the three universities would deepen cooperation and exchange by forming big research teams and building big platforms to jointly apply for and complete major projects.

In the parallel sessions, scholars and experts from the three universities had heated discussions, sharing their latest research results and exploring possibilities of cooperation. More than 40 professors and scholars from SYSU, including Secretary of SYSU Party Committee Professor Chen Chunsheng (in the field of literature and culture), and Vice President of SYSU Professor Zhu Xiping (in the field of mathematics and scientific computing), attended the parallel sessions.

This year’s forum also included the topic of university governance. The administration teams from the three universities explained the principles and methods of their respective governance. According to the practical situation of SYSU, President Luo Jun said that we must continuously deepen comprehensive reforms in higher education, adjust and optimize internal governance structure, stimulate the vitality of the university and work together to build a world-class university.


At the closing ceremony, Professor Huang Daren, Member of the National Education Advisory Committee and Former President of SYSU, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Some Thoughts on Talent Cultivation”. Secretary Chen Chunsheng reviewed the outcomes of the previous forums, and hoped that the three universities would keep close ties and expand cooperation in faculty exchange, research collaboration and talent cultivation.

The Shan Hai Forum is an academic forum jointly initiated and participated by Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung (NSYSU), Xiamen University and Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). It is hosted by the three universities in turn annually. SYSU will host the 6th Shan Hai Forum next year.