Source: School of International Studies
Written by: Li Zhuofu
Proofread by: Sam Papa
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the School of International Studies (SIS) at Sun Yat-sen University, a series of activities themed with “Building a Bridge to the World” were held at Zhuhai Campus on November 14th and 15th, 2015. Consul Generals to Guangzhou from Israel, Ecuador, Mexico, and Russia attended the opening meeting. University leaders, headed by Secretary of SYSU Party Committee Chen Chunsheng, and SIS’s current and former leaders were present at the meeting where SIS’s graduate students majoring in Translation and Interpreting provided these international guests with high-quality simultaneous interpreting. SIS’s faculty members, alumni, and its 500 students participated in the two-day celebration activities.

In his opening speech, Secretary Chen Chunsheng praised SIS’s outstanding achievement in developing a teaching pattern of "multilingual education and extensive international exchanges” while adhering to the mission of cultivating students with “bilingual proficiency, practical skills and global thinking” in the past ten years. This accomplishment is largely thanks to SIS leaders’ firm faith and efforts and the University will continuously support the development of SIS. He further extends his expectations for SIS: developing modern projects, building cooperative teams and supportive platform, reorganizing current teaching resources, advancing research ability, and nurturing elite leaders with charisma as well as patriotism. He also encourages SIS to further strengthen its degree programs and boost international cooperation to meet the need of economic development in the Pearl River Delta Region and the country.

Professor Huang Guowen, Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages and International Studies, and Dean of SIS, said that to meet the requirement of the 13th Five Year Plan, SIS’s future development will center on “international culture” and “multilingual translation”, with the aims of educating top-notch translators and interpreters in fields of “translation practice” and “translation studies” as well as cultivating think tank resources specializing in regional culture studies and international issues studies.

Professor Wang Bin, former Dean of SIS, looked back on the hardships of establishing the School of International Studies.

Dr. Luo Xuejuan, representative of SIS’s teaching staff, shared her story of working in SIS since 2005, extended her gratitude to the development opportunities provided by SIS, and expressed her will to make SIS’s future brighter.


Afterwards, the Alumni Association of SIS, SYSU held its founding ceremony. Professor Huang Guowen and Professor Wang Bin granted letters of appointment to Alumni Association’s council members. Wu Chenceng, the 1st President of the Alumni Association and presenter at Phoenix Satellite Television, gave a speech in which she expressed her thanks for SIS’s guidance and wished a grand future for SIS and all of its students.

Dr. Xu Dongli, Party Secretary at the Faculty of Foreign Languages and International Studies, released six new books. Based on the efforts of nearly 100 alumni for one year, the two books Building a Bridge to the World: In Celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of SIS, SYSU and Life by the Suiyue Lake: Memories of Alumni and Faculty Members of SIS, SYSU finally came out at the opening meeting. These two books collected numerous precious historic pictures of SIS.

Furthermore, SIS’s official publicity video “Building a Bridge to the World,” which was directed and produced by SIS News Center, was released at the meeting. Besides reviewing SIS’s history, the video also introduced SIS’s modern education concept as well as its dynamic student life and bright student achievement.

The opening meeting was a prelude to a series of celebration activities, which included Alumni Forum “Growing Up along with SIS”, International Food Carnival, the Photo Exhibition of SIS’s 10-Year History, the SIS Sports Meeting for Staff & Alumni, and the Closing Ceremony of SIS International Culture Festival.