Message from the President

Since its foundation in 1924, Sun Yat-sen University has achieved a prestigious record in its history of 81 years.

Sun Yat-sen University was founded as a national university by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who foresaw the demands of the Chinese revolution and the later national construction. Since its early days, the University has very solidly borne the great expectation of Dr. Sun to rejuvenate China, and to “to lay a solid foundation for the country through education.”

In its first 80 years, Sun Yat-sen University has grown into a prestigious university for numerous celebrated specialists and scholars who have achieved much in their later careers for both China and the rest of the world, and its campus has developed into a major centre for culture and academic excellence in South China. Edified by the spirit of Sun Yat-sen’s motto of, “Studying extensively, enquiring accurately, reflecting carefully, discriminating clearly, and practicing earnestly,” our scholars from one generation to another continue to work hard in exploring at the cutting edge of research in the fields of science and technology. Our dedicated professors and lecturers by example have, with energy and resolve, taught students academically and nurtured them morally, so that many thousands upon thousands of students, who are now working in different parts of country and the world, are making positive contributions in their own careers to social development and human progress.

In the course of the reforms in recent years, the University has been continuously extended both in its size and disciplines to meet national demands. The establishment of the Zhuhai campus in 1999 is just one example as to how the university is laying a solid foundation for the future. With the amalgamation and reorganization of the University with the Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, the new-look Sun Yat-sen University has been subsumed into key state development programs, and has now reached an unprecedented challenging and exciting new turning point of development.

The duty of a university is closely tied to the fate of the nation. The effect of the University has so far been deeply rooted in different aspects of society, and its status has been proven decisive in society, which has enabled it to become a dynamic force to accelerate the development of society. The trend of a university, therefore, should not only relate to the interests of students themselves, but also closely relate to society. The alignment of university development should have a foothold in the social reality of the needs of the people it serves.Thus, an intrinsic mission of any university, as well as a permanently unchanged theme of academic excellence and scholarly discipline, is to carry out scientific research and service to society in a way that confronts the realistic demands of society. In this we believe all universities should bear more social responsibility. We are fully aware that the fulfillment of these responsibilities will depend on the cultivation of outstanding personnel and the progress of science and technology. Therefore, Sun Yat-sen University should simultaneously and actively participate in the development of the state and regional economy, and try its best to maintain its solemnity and sacredness of being a distinctively prestigious university.

Thus it can be seen, alongside the rapid economic development of China with changes occurring everyday, that Sun Yat-sen University has also been re-geared to meet the challenges of this new and exciting period of high-development. It is a prestigious university with a glorious and proud past, and it will surely add further laurels to its already high achievements in the future. It carries with great pride as its name, Sun Yat-sen, in memory of its founder, and it continues to serve as one of the great accomplishments of China’s higher education.

(updated on December 7, 2005)