The SYSU Advisory Board was established in accordance with the regulation in Sun Yat-sen University Statute approved by the Ministry of Education. At the second meeting, Prof. Li Ping announced the list of additional members of the Advisory Board. Prof. Luo Jun, President of SYSU and Chairperson of SYSU Advisory Board, presented certificates of appointment to the additional members.
President Luo Jun presented a report consisting of three parts: a review of the University’s development during the Twelfth Five Year Plan, an outlook on the University’s development in the Thirteenth Five Year Plan, and deepening comprehensive reforms in the University. He pointed out that SYSU has made considerable progress during the Twelfth Five Year Plan: the educational philosophy has been updated to focus on academic pursuit and educational quality; the quality of talent cultivation has been improved; 17 disciplines of SYSU have entered the ESI global top 1%, ranked the third nationwide; the research competitiveness has been raised; and the international influence has been increased.
President Luo Jun emphasized that our country will implement the construction of world-class universities and world-class disciplines. SYSU should take this opportunity to formulate our development plans for the Thirteenth Five Year Plan period. The University is striving to foster an academic environment where all disciplines develop distinctively yet systematically, thus blossoming into an institution with influence and impact on a global scale. Our recent goal is to enter the first matrix among universities nationwide. The University is oriented toward academic frontiers, oriented toward national major strategic needs, and oriented toward national and regional economic and social development (“Three Orientations”). The University is constructing big platforms, big research teams and big projects (“Three Big Constructions”) to raise the overall level of discipline construction. In talent cultivation, we will nurture talents who have both ability and moral integrity, able to cultivate charisma and eager serve their country. In scientific research, we will focus on the fields including marine research on the South China Sea, precision medicine, supercomputing and big data, microelectronics and national think tank. In campus development, we shall enhance overall planning for Guangzhou Campuses (South Campus, North Campus and East Campus), Zhuhai Campus and Shenzhen Campus. All campuses, with their own academic strengths and distinctive characteristics, will jointly support SYSU in the construction of world-class university.
President Luo Jun said that to ensure the implementation of the Thirteenth Five Year Plan, SYSU will deepen comprehensive reforms. Through reforming the personnel system, adjusting the layout of disciplines, improving internal governance and the management of multiple campuses, SYSU will explore a modern university system with Chinese characteristics, and provide institutional guarantee for entering the first tier among universities nationwide and building a world-class university. President Luo Jun hoped that the board members would offer more suggestions and advice on the development of the University.
At the meeting, the board members expressed their opinions on the development of SYSU. They hoped that the University would enhance industry-university research collaborations; recruit innovative faculty and nurture innovative students; make good use of the alumni resources; take the opportunity of multi-campus development to make overall planning; strengthen the combination of Chinese and Western medicine; pay attention to the application of patents and intellectual property rights; make arrangements in line with the national Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong’s Maritime Silk Road construction, and increase the international influence of the University.
In his concluding remarks, President Luo Jun thanked the board members for offering suggestions on the development of the University. He said that as the president of SYSU, he will safeguard the university spirit, safeguard the rules, and safeguard the interests of the majority.
In the afternoon, some board members visited Zhuhai Campus of SYSU. Mr. Liu Xiaolong, Executive Vice Mayor of Zhuhai, met with the board members.
