Setting New Goals, Taking New Opportunities, Starting A New Journey to Build A World-Class University

SYSU held 2020 Autumn Work Conference on Zhuhai Campus (photo by Xiao Yao
 

On November 28, the 2020 Autumn Work Conference of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) opened on Zhuhai Campus. With the theme on the 14th Five-Year Plan, President Luo Jun delivered a keynote report entitled “Setting New Goals, Taking New Opportunities, Starting A New Journey to Build A World-Class University”. From the perspective of strategic planning, the report was geared toward reviewing the university’s development characteristics in the new period, making clear the development objectives and routes in the next five years, pointing out the directions for the university’s development in the 14th Five-Year Plan period and putting forward specific requirements. Members of the university leadership, assistant presidents, heads of schools, functional departments and affiliated hospitals, representatives of various leading academics and researchers attended the conference. Deputy Secretary Yu Minbin presided over the meeting in the morning. The conference was live broadcasted to 16 parallel venues on Guangzhou South Campus, Guangzhou North Campus, Guangzhou East Campus, Zhuhai Campus, Shenzhen Campus, and affiliated hospitals.
 

Deputy Secretary Yu Minbin presiding over the conference (photo by Wang Ruiyuan)
 

In the report, President Luo Jun expounded the university’s development characteristics in the new period, making clear the development objectives and routes in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and putting forward the principles and requirements of scientific planning.
 

President Luo Jun delivering the keynote report (photo by Xu Liya)
 

President Luo Jun mentioned that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the university has improved substantially in terms of comprehensive strengths and educational level. To boost the innovation development of SYSU at a higher starting point with a higher goal, it is essential to grasp the university’s characteristics of development in the new period. President Luo Jun stressed “four new characteristics”. The first is the new position. The university has maintained steady development in recent years, and its overall strengths have been ranked among the top in universities nationwide. SYSU has entered the new stage of “pursuing excellence, advancing into world-class”. The second is the new layout. The university has set up the coordinated development of five campuses in three cities, and the comprehensive disciplinary development of the humanities, social sciences, sciences, medical sciences, engineering, agriculture and art. The third is the new situation. To fulfill the urgent national need for high-quality talents and original research achievements, SYSU must make full use of its geographical location in the three core cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and grasp the national major strategic opportunities including the Maritime Power Strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the International Innovation and Technology Hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At the same time, the university should continually implement the talent strategy and build the talent pool. The fourth is the new challenge. The “Double First-Class” construction, which is based on disciplines and has a dynamic competition mechanism, provides both challenges and opportunities for the university.

President Luo Jun pointed out that SYSU’s overall goal for the 14th Five-Year Plan period is to stay steadily in the first tier of universities nationwide. To realize this goal, “five persistences” should be observed. Firstly, on team construction, we should persist with both scale expansion and structural improvement. For newly set up disciplines, schools and departments, it is still a priority to introduce talents and enlarge the basic scale. At the same time, all schools should optimize the structure of talent teams, focusing on the introduction of promising middle-aged and young scholars. Secondly, on disciplinary construction, we should persist with comprehensive improvement as well as outstanding characteristics. Make up for the short board in work and keep consolidating the plateaus to realize overall improvement. Climb the heights, and highlight SYSU’s characteristics as well as first-class advantages. Thirdly, on scientific research, we should persist with “three orientations” and “three major constructions”. The overall planning of research should be firmly oriented towards national major strategic needs; in research management, we should formulate rules to implement the evaluation criteria of “three orientations”, and guide the researchers to serve national strategies in selecting research projects. Continue to focus on major national strategic fields and further promote “three major constructions” with greater resolve. Fourthly, on talent cultivation, we should persist with “five integrations” and “course improvement” to form a more scientific, comprehensive and competitive talent cultivation system. We should strive to produce “golden courses”, nurture “star teachers”, and develop excellent textbooks which are deeply integrated with the courses. Fifthly, on management and service, we should persist with the rule of law as well as reform and innovation. Accelerate the construction of complete regulation system, improve the governance structure and the legal risk control system to safeguard SYSU’s development into a world-class university. At the same time, we should transform our minds and further promote the comprehensive reform of developing the university through strengthening schools and departments.

President Luo Jun pointed out that the following four principles should be observed in formulating plans for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Firstly, strengthen overall Party leadership in political building, theory and organizations. Secondly, implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. Thirdly, nurture excellent university culture, and make new educational ideas such as “three orientations”, “three first considerations”, “twelve-word talent cultivation goal”, “study at SYSU and pursue excellence” widespread consensus among students and teachers. At the same time, we hope that the new requirement of disciplinary construction, which is “stay in top five and forge ahead to lead the trend”, can also become part of the new university culture. Fourthly, strengthen the planning of strategic development, build on the achievement and scale new heights.

President Luo Jun stressed that four clarifications should be made in formulating plans for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Firstly, make clear the first person responsible for formulating the plan. Secondly, make clear the main framework of planning, including the theme, main line and objective. Grasp the main line of disciplinary construction, including disciplinary direction, disciplinary team, research and talent cultivation, and explore the development path with SYSU characteristics. Thirdly, make clear the procedures of formulating the plan. According to real situation, various units can organize experts from SYSU or other universities for panel discussions. Fourthly, make clear the road map for implementing the plan, and work out a plausible implementation scheme and timetable. The functional units should meet the following three requirements: First, perfect the internal governance structure, implement the president responsibility system under the leadership of the Party committee, accelerate the reform of developing the university through strengthening schools and departments, and complete the comprehensive reform of functional units. Second, perfect the internal management system, strengthen the awareness of rules, review regulations, and implement the accountability system. Third, perfect the management team, optimize the structure, and improve the quality of personnel and the effect of management.

President Luo Jun said in the summary that we have made remarkable achievements in the 13th Five-Year Plan period; looking forward into the 14th Five-Year period, we shall have a bright future. Let us unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Let us strengthen our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and uphold the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. Let us unite and forge ahead, set our goals and grasp the opportunities, and strive to build SYSU into a world-class university with Chinese characteristics!
 

The participants listening to the theme report (photo by Xu Liya)
 

In the afternoon, Vice President Wang Xuehua, Vice President Tai Zhongzhi, Assistant President Liu Jike, as well as 10 representatives from the Department of History, School of Management, School of Atmospheric Sciences, School of Physics, School of Electronics and Communication Engineering, School of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, presented special reports on the 14th Five-Year Plan. The special reports session was presided over by Secretary Chen Chunsheng.
 

Secretary Chen Chunsheng presiding over the special report session (photo by Xiao Yao)
 

In the evening, the participants held heated discussions on the theme report, offering suggestions for the construction and the development of the university.