Source: Publicity Department
Written by: Bi Xiaotong, Chen Runxin
Photo by: Xiao Yao, Qiu Meichen, Li Jinfeng
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

The 2019 Autumn Work Conference of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) opened in Guangming District of Shenzhen on September 21. Centering on the theme of “upholding ‘three orientations’ (oriented toward academic frontiers, oriented toward national major strategic needs, and oriented toward national and regional economic and social development), improving ‘three big constructions’  (construction of big platforms, big research teams and big projects), building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics”, the conference was geared toward gathering wisdom and building consensus on “three big constructions” among faculty members and students, pushing forward research to scale new heights, and striving to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics. Members of the university leadership, Party secretaries, heads of schools, functional departments and affiliated hospitals, teacher representatives including various leading academics and researchers and committee members, as well as administrative staff of departments and schools attended the conference. The conference was live broadcasted to Guangzhou South Campus and Zhuhai Campus. The conference was presided over by Secretary Chen Chunsheng.

In the morning, President Luo Jun delivered a keynote report entitled “Upholding ‘Three Orientations’, Improving ‘Three Big Constructions’, Building A World-Class University with Chinese Characteristics”. The report analyzed the university’s development in the recent five years, expounded the “Three Big Constructions”, and made clear the main paths and directions of the “Three Big Constructions” in the new era.

President Luo Jun said that in the past five years we study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to the socialist orientation of education, meet the fundamental requirements of the “Four Services”, foster virtue through education, focus on internal development, free our minds, carry out reform and innovation, and the university cause has achieved rapid development. In the past five years, various work at the university have shown a good momentum of steady progress. We have strengthened overall Party leadership, formed the outstanding talent cultivation system of the “Five Integrations”, promoted the comprehensive development of humanities, natural sciences, medical sciences, engineering, agricultural sciences and art, and improved our research innovation capabilities. We have summarized three important points in our development in the past five years: uphold overall Party leadership, transform ideas, and carry out reform and innovation. With these three points and through the efforts of all faculty and students, the university has made all-round, deep and systematic achievements in reform and development.

President Luo Jun emphasized that we must see clearly the new challenges for the university in the new era. One of the challenges is that compared with world-class universities and first-tier universities nationwide, SYSU is weaker in the construction of big projects, big teams and big platforms. He stressed that this is a key factor for the university’s development at present and in the future. We should build big platforms with core competitiveness, form big research teams, and undertake big projects in more important fields, giving full play to its supporting role for talent cultivation, disciplinary construction, scientific research and social services. We should improve the “Three Big Constructions” and understand it from the three aspects of “why, what and how”. He pointed out that improving educational level through the “Three Big Constructions” is a basic rule in the development history of world-class universities, as well as a comprehensive, strategic and fundamental measure for us to promote the world-class university construction; serving national strategic needs is the basic implication of the “Three Big Constructions”; combining disciplinary features in choosing development routes is the basic mode of the “Three Big Constructions”.

President Luo Jun pointed out that in order to promote the “Three Big Constructions” in the new era, we should make efforts in three aspects: quality and quantity, things and people, short-term and long-term. First, strengthen the coordination between quality and quantity. While ensuring the total quantity of research, we should improve the quality of research through guidance, personnel system and faculty training. Second, strengthen the coordination between things and people. We should be clear about the national strategies, the weak points in basic research and the key technologies, coordinate national strategies and university resources allocation through grasping key areas and improving management mechanism. Third, strengthen the coordination between short-term and long-term. We should implement the short-term projects under the support of the national and regional programs, and formulate plans for long-term projects; by realizing short-term tasks, the long-term tasks will turn into short-term ones, thus forming a good development mechanism for the “Three Big Constructions”.

President Luo Jun stated that guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we are marching forward on a great journey in the new era, and striving toward the great goal of national rejuvenation. Building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics is the common goal of all SYSUers and also the glorious mission entrusted to us by the era. We should move with the times, strive forward, make unremitting efforts to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, and create a better tomorrow for SYSU together!

This is the first time for the university to hold a work conference in the Guangming District of Shenzhen. The conference would organize the participants to visit the Shenzhen Campus construction site. At present, the Shenzhen Campus construction has made progress, and the various projects are going smoothly according to the schedule.