Source: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Written by: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Proofread by: Yang Dan
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On the morning of October 24, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, visited Sun Yat-sen University to attend the Forum on Innovation in Life Sciences and delivered a keynote speech. Professor Xu Ningsheng, President of Sun Yat-sen University, had a brief meeting with Governor General David Johnston before the forum. Mr. Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China; Mr. Zhang Junsai, Chinese Ambassador to Canada; Mr. Fu Lang, Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province; Mr. Weldon Epp, Consul-General of the Consulate General of Canada in Guangzhou; and Dr. Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice President (Academic) at the University of Alberta, accompanied Governor General on the visit.

During the meeting, President Xu Ningsheng warmly welcomed Governor General David Johnston on behalf of SYSU. He introduced SYSU’s history, campus construction, university development and international cooperation and exchange, and hoped to enhance collaborations with Canadian universities in the future.
Governor General David Johnston expressed that Canada and China are friendly partners and the two countries should strengthen cultural and educational exchanges. He pointed out that SYSU is very successful in providing opportunities of education and high-quality education to the public, and conducting extensive and fruitful international cooperation and exchange. He hoped that SYSU will deepen cooperation with Canadian universities in various forms. He also humorously shared his secret of success.

Witnessed by Governor General David Johnston and President Xu Ningsheng, Professor Zhu Xiping, Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University, and Dr. Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice President (Academic) at the University of Alberta, signed the Memorandum of Understanding, the agreement of joint PhD program and the agreement of student exchange between Sun Yat-sen University and the University of Alberta. Governor General David Johnston and President Xu Ningsheng also unveiled the plaque of SYSU-Alberta Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation. This event marks that the cooperation between the two universities has entered a substantive stage.

The Forum on Innovation in Life Sciences was held in the Swasey Hall of SYSU. President Xu Ningsheng delivered the opening address. The forum was presided over by Professor Songyang Zhou, Dean of School of Life Sciences of SYSU.

Governor General David Johnston delivered a keynote speech. He reviewed the changes brought by cultural exchanges to the peoples in the world and pointed out the significance of the diplomacy of knowledge and the approach to innovation. He also expressed love and pursuit for truth and encouraged more student exchanges between universities in China and Canada. The speech won warm applause from the teachers and students present at the forum. Professor Li Mengfeng, Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University; Professor He Fangliang from School of Life Sciences; Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Dr. Gilles G. Patry, President and CEO of Canada Foundation for Innovation, served as the panelists and gave their ideas on "innovation in life sciences: key trends that will shape the future" and “the future of S&T collaborations and partnerships, with an eye on Canada-China cooperation”. The Chinese and Canadian panelists discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by life sciences from their own research and practice. Their broad visions and novel ideas impressed the audience. In the Q&A session, Governor General and the four panelists had active interactions with the teachers, students and guests on the employment of life sciences students, funding of environmental protection, input and output of research funding.

Sworn in on October 1, 2010, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston is the 28th governor general since Confederation. He has been a university educator and administrator for nearly 45 years. He served as a professor of law and a dean. In 1979, he was named principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University. In 1999, he became the fifth president of the University of Waterloo. He has served on many provincial and federal task forces and committees, and has also served on the boards of a number of public companies.