Source: Yangcheng Evening News 2014-03-11 Page A8
Written by: Xia Yang
Translated by: Wang Chun, Yang Qing, Zhang Chentao, Liang Wenjie, Zhang Saijia
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

When “whether to help the elderly up from a fall” has become a social topic, when doctor-patient relationship has strained to taking precautions against each other, when migrant workers asking for unpaid wages has occurred at the end of every year…At present, these social problems cannot be neglected, but how to guide and reconstruct the social integrity system? Yesterday, in the exclusive interview with Yangcheng Evening News, Xu Ningsheng, NPC Deputy, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Sun Yat-sen University, indicated that the university should play a leading role in social conduct, “we should educate every student and let them become the seeds of social integrity”.

In front of the temporary calligraphy desk in the deputy’s room, Xu Ningsheng sat quietly opposite the reporter, speaking slowly but clearly. He also talked about the development of students’ quality and potential, the construction of strategic and new type of engineering, research in marine sciences and the “maritime silk road” strategy in the 21st century.

University has an obligation to guide social conduct

Yangcheng Evening News: As economic development and the pace of life speed up, people are busy rushing forward and become impetuous. The issues of social integrity are prominent, such as the heated topic of “help or not help” and the strained doctor-patient relationship. The university has always played a leading role in guiding social conduct, what difference will the university make regarding this kind of issues?

Xu Ningsheng: At the forums in the university, I said many times to the students that they must improve themselves morally, both in mind and in action. I quite agree with what General Secretary Xi Jinping has said, a person’s abilities include knowledge accumulation, innovative practical ability and psychological quality. Quality is most important. Many things look small but reflect one’s quality.

Yangcheng Evening News: It is easier to destroy than to build social integrity. How big is the role of the university?

Xu Ningsheng: Society has expectations for the university, and the university can exert a subtle influence. In this open era, though students live on campus, they are “exposed to” the society and the Internet. The Internet has a great guiding role. The campus is also a small society. The university should teach every student to be honest. Once they enter the society, they are a seed of integrity!

Cope with impetuousness, promote “dedication to learning”

Yangcheng Evening News: Nowadays the society appears to be a bit impetuous. You once put forward the concept of “dedication to learning” and how about its effect?

Xu Ningsheng: Sun Yat-sen University has many ideas. Former president Huang Daren put forward the idea of “be kind to students” and "professors constitute the university". We have been sticking to this. I think the university has four major tasks: talent cultivation, scientific research, social service, cultural inheritance and innovation. What is the innermost core? One is talent cultivation, the other is academic pursuit, and they both require “dedication to learning”.

From the perspective of the students, they should keep studies as their top priority. Dr. Sun Yat-sen wrote the school motto “Study Extensively, Enquire Accurately, Reflect Carefully, Discriminate Clearly, Practice Earnestly”. His intention was to encourage young students to study, practice and innovate.

I think students are the brand of a university. In addition to scientific research and academic study, the university must educate students. SYSU allocates its funds, human resources and index assessment according to this requirement.

Attach importance to quality education, lay emphasis on development potential

Yangcheng Evening News: “General education” was carried out earlier in SYSU. What was the initial intention?

Xu Ningsheng: A person’s competitiveness lies in his or her comprehensive quality, which is also the responsibility of university education. "General education" enables students to acquire comprehensive knowledge and improve their overall quality, so that they will have great potential, though it may not been seen right away. For instance, when a student takes a managerial position after graduation, he needs to consider a lot of problems, and his basic knowledge will show its potential. "General education" can cultivate the humanistic spirit in medical students. Another example is the IT industry. A really great IT company depends not on technology, but on design; what designers need are cultural accomplishment, broad vision and innovative spirit!

Yangcheng Evening News: The “pilot program” has been implemented for several years, what is the result?

Xu Ningsheng: “General education” was launched in SYSU in 2009. It has become a system that involves every student. We are designing ways to evaluate its effectiveness. SYSU has implemented the system well among universities nationwide. We will be invited to make a keynote speech in a national conference this September. This has also drawn attention from abroad, and an American higher education journal has made a special interview.

Last year, a group of SYSU students won the first prize in an international competition held in Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They are from different schools, and after talking about it in the canteen, they formed a team to join the competition. Through spreading different knowledge, the university has improved students’ understanding of various disciplines, which encourages them to create and innovate.

Yangcheng Evening News: “General education” originated in Western universities. What are the features of general education in SYSU?

Xu Ningsheng: SYSU integrates general education into disciplinary structure, and each school pays attention to the complementarity of curriculum design. For example, students of medicine, science and engineering take some courses in liberal arts; while students of the humanities take some courses in science.

Construct new type of engineering, support emerging industries

Yangcheng Evening News: With the rapid development of technology in modern society, how can traditional universities keep in step with the times?

Xu Ningsheng: Our vision is building SYSU into a world-class modern comprehensive university. What is “modern”? It means we must have our own characteristics in humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering and medical sciences. Besides, as a leading university in southern China, SYSU must take part in Guangdong’s decision making and planning, which also requires corresponding engineering disciplines. Furthermore, Guangdong’s demand for recruiting engineering talents from outside the province and its insufficient technological research in newly emerging strategic industries are considerations for SYSU to develop engineering disciplines.

Yangcheng Evening News: There are many engineering colleges in China. How can SYSU’s newly developed engineering disciplines stand out?

Xu Ningsheng: SYSU’s engineering disciplines focus on emerging industries which are strategically needed, especially strategic emerging industries and new industry patterns. For instance, Guangdong intended to build a nuclear power industrial chain, so SYSU cooperated with France to establish the Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology. This is unique in China. Students in this institute can receive a certificate accredited by France after a 6-year undergraduate and postgraduate program. They can participate in nuclear power projects both at home and abroad after graduation.

Take intelligence as another example, it is a combination of electronics and computer, different from traditional engineering disciplines. Also, we are building School of Advanced Computing and Institute of Supercomputing. These applications will create new industry patterns, which will lead new industrial research and development.

After a few years of endeavor, the engineering disciplines at SYSU have begun to take shape. At present, over 40% of new undergraduate students major in engineering disciplines and applied disciplines.

Focus on marine economy, promote “maritime silk road”

Yangcheng Evening News: The Chinese culture is rooted in an agricultural civilization and Lingnan area has been facing the ocean since ancient times. Located in Lingnan area, Sun Yat-sen University also bears such characteristics. Our country has put forward the initiative to build “maritime silk road” in the 21st century, what role will SYSU play?

Xu Ningsheng: The discipline of oceanography includes science and technology. From the perspective of research results and projects, the discipline of oceanography at SYSU is among the top in the country with some world-leading achievements. Academician Lin Haoran is our leading figure whose research in marine fisheries ranks among the top nationwide. Professor He Jianguo, Dean of School of Marine Sciences, has expanded his research to marine biology, and the school led by him is conducting research in marine environment, estuary and coast, and marine-related models. The missing plane of Malaysia Airlines would be difficult to find due to its unclear location. If we had a complete marine model, it would be easier to find it! Now a special team at SYSU is working on this model.

At present, our country has initiated three major research projects in marine science and technology, two of which are led by SYSU: one is a project under the State Oceanic Administration aiming at establishing a national marine specimen bank; and the other is China-ASEAN Center for Joint Research and Promotion of Marine Aquaculture Technology funded by the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund, which was officially announced by Premier Li Keqiang.

Many professors at SYSU are participating in the strategic research of the 21st century “maritime silk road”. SYSU will carry out strategic planning with experts from home and abroad. The program has started and substantive measures will be launched in the first half of this year.