Source: Office of Talent Development, Publicity Department
Written by: Chen Yu, Liu Tiangang
Photo by: Li Jinfeng, Yu Yinxuan
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On December 28-29, the 9th International Young Scholars Forum and the 2019 International Young Scholars Shenzhen Forum of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) was held in Shenzhen. Through the plenary meeting, visit to the “Great Tides Surge along the Pearl River” exhibition, sub-forums and academic exchanges, the forum attracted young scholars from home and abroad to focus on academic issues and explore academic frontiers, and meanwhile displayed the development prospect of SYSU to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics as well as the historic development opportunity of Shenzhen as a demonstration pilot zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics and one of the central cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

On December 28, SYSU held the 9th International Young Scholars Forum and the 2019 International Young Scholars Shenzhen Forum in Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. Mr. Yang Hong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Member of the CPC Leading Group of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government; leaders from relevant bureaus and committees of Shenzhen and Guangming District; SYSU President Luo Jun; Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Xu Guanhua, Gao Rui, Chen Dake and Song Erwei; SYSU Vice Presidents Yang Qinghua, Wang Xuehua, Lan Ping and Tai Zhongzhi; young scholars from home and abroad; heads of SYSU’s relevant departments, schools and affiliated hospitals; as well as representatives of teachers and doctors attended the forum.

Vice President Wang Xuehua presided over the plenary meeting and delivered a speech. He extended a warm welcome to the participants on behalf of the University, and expressed sincere gratitude to Shenzhen city for its strong support for SYSU over the years. He said that the International Young Scholars Shenzhen Forum has become a brand of SYSU, an important drive for the construction of SYSU’s Shenzhen Campus, and an important measure for SYSU to implement the strategy of strengthening the university with talents and the talent doubling plan. He hoped that the young scholars would enjoy the academic seminars, promote exchange and cooperation, and learn about SYSU and Shenzhen in person. He expected the young scholars to grasp the historic opportunity of the construction of a demonstration pilot zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics as well as the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and participate in SYSU’s cause of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.

Mr. Yang Hong extended sincere congratulations on the forum and warm welcome to the young scholars on behalf of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government. He mentioned that Shenzhen is the first special economic zone in China, a window of reform and opening up, a key node in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Maritime Silk Road, and a metropolitan city full of charm, vitality, impetus and innovation. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen city, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the guideline to support Shenzhen in building a demonstration pilot zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is a great event of epoch-making significance in the development history of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Shenzhen will strive to become a highland of high quality development, a model city of rule of law, a model of civilized city, a benchmark for people’s livelihood and happiness, and a pioneer in sustainable development. He sincerely invited outstanding young scholars around the globe to come to Shenzhen and create miracles together, and to come to SYSU and write new chapters of legends together.

President Luo Jun delivered a keynote report entitled “Gather Talents to Realize Dreams, Join Hands to Become World-Class”. He expounded SYSU’s current status, future outlook and expectation for talents.
President Luo Jun pointed out that SYSU has always been striving to be first-class. In recent years SYSU has set the goal of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, adhered to the socialist orientation of education, implemented the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, adhered to the “Three Orientations” (oriented toward academic frontiers, oriented toward national major strategic needs, and oriented toward national and regional economic and social development), and nurtured talents who have both ability and moral integrity, possess leadership charisma, are eager to serve the country, and are capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation. With the strong support from the Ministry of Education and the local governments, various causes of the University have made steady progress, various educational indicators have tripled in three years, and the University has been ranked among top 8 in various internationally acknowledged university rankings. In the new era of development, SYSU has formed the geographical layout of “five campuses in three cities” with coordinated planning, complementary development and distinct characteristics, and formed the comprehensive, research-oriented and open disciplinary layout of integrated development of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, agriculture and art. SYSU has cultivated a large number of academic elites, management elites and professional leaders for the country and the society, opening up new prospects for the University cause.

President Luo Jun introduced the educational orientation, disciplinary layout, talent cultivation, research platforms and campus construction of Shenzhen Campus. He pointed out that Shenzhen Campus will serve national major strategies, mainly focus on medical sciences and engineering, and aim at integrated education of young elites from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. Driven by the construction of major science and technology innovation platforms, Shenzhen Campus will assist SYSU to enter the forefront of world-class universities.

President Luo Jun also said that in recent years SYSU has implemented talent introduction policies in terms of confidence, career, platform and treatment. On the one hand, the University provides high level development platforms and create clear routes for promotion; on the other hand, in combination with the favorable policies by local governments, the University provides talents with good salaries, comfortable offices and apartments, good enrollment conditions for their children’s schooling, and high quality medical and healthcare services. President Luo Jun sent sincere invitations to young scholars around the globe and welcome them to join SYSU and realize their dreams.

Mr. Zhang Lin, Director of the Bureau of Talent Work of the Organization Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, introduced the talent policies of Shenzhen to the participants at the forum. Representatives from SYSU’s schools and affiliated hospitals gave speeches. Professor Wen Weiping, President of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital; Professor Cheng Xiao, Dean of the Geospatial Engineering and Science; Professor Cai Ming, Deputy Dean of the School of Intelligent Systems Engineering; Professor He Yulong, Dean of the Seventh Affiliated Hospital; and Professor Tan Jinfang, Dean of the School of Agriculture, presented detailed introduction to the development goals and prospects of their schools or hospitals respectively.

During the Shenzhen Forum, SYSU’s schools, departments and affiliated hospitals also held sub-forums and academic seminars. Nearly 2,000 young scholars from around the world applied for the forum, after selection nearly 1,000 young scholars were invited to attend the forum, and many of them have expressed their intention to join SYSU before the forum.