Source: Office of Scientific Research and Development
Written by: Yuan Xuyang
Photo by: Cai Shanshan, Zhong Haolun
Proofread by: Ian J. Heuer
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

The 2015 SYSU Work Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences was held on September 8 on South Campus. The university leadership, heads of departments and schools as well as distinguished professors in the humanities and social sciences attended the conference.

Prof. Luo Jun, President of SYSU, delivered the keynote speech. He pointed out that the humanities and social sciences shape and safeguard the university’s culture, values and spirit. SYSU has long tradition, remarkable academic achievements and outstanding scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Our goal is to “generate ideas”, and our development strategy is to “enter the mainstream, lead the trend and go global”. The humanities and social sciences at SYSU should “enter the mainstream”, i.e., meet national major strategic needs and study frontier academic issues; “lead the trend”, i.e., making innovations and striving to be the best; and “go global”, i.e., promoting outstanding achievements and scholars to raise our international influence.

Prof. Chen Chunsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President of SYSU, analyzed the development of the humanities and social sciences at SYSU from the aspects of discipline construction, talent cultivation, faculty development, academic research and social services.

Prof. Ju Shier, Head of Department of Philosophy, Prof. Li Zhongfei, Executive Dean of Sun Yat-sen Business School, and Prof. Zhang Yingqiang, Dean of School of Sociology and Anthropology, gave a speech on the their achievements and challenges, and presented the development planning for the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan.

In the group discussions in the afternoon, participants voiced their opinions on the university’s development plan for the humanities and social sciences during the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan.

Prof. Chen Chunsheng made a concluding speech. He pointed out that the departments and schools in the humanities and social sciences should set up clear goals and formulate feasible measures, and the functional departments should offer relevant support.