Source: Publicity Department
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

News Center (Reported by Hao Jun, Jin Feng) On June 13, the 2020 Spring Work Conference of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) opened on Zhuhai Campus. Centering on the theme of “Perfecting University Governance System, Discussing Intensive Development Planning, and Promoting Construction of A World-Class University”, the conference was geared toward reviewing the university’s development during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, making clear the development routes in the next five years, and gaining the initiative to realize the goal of building a world-class university. Members of the university leadership, assistant presidents, heads of schools, functional departments and affiliated hospitals, as well as representatives of various leading academics and researchers attended the conference. Secretary Chen Chunsheng presided over the conference. The conference was live broadcasted to Guangzhou South Campus and Zhuhai Campus.

In the morning, President Luo Jun delivered a keynote report entitled “Perfecting University Governance System, Discussing Intensive Development Planning, Promoting Construction of A World-Class University”. The report analyzed the university’s development in the past five years, summarized the university’s historic reform and breakthrough achievements, listed the existing problems, set up the main tasks in the next five years, and discussed the principles of planning. President Luo Jun said that over the past five years, following the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, with the support of the Ministry of Education and the local governments, and with the concerted efforts of all faculty, staff and students, we have adhered to the socialist orientation of education, fostered virtue through education, advanced reform and innovation, realized the goals set in the 13th Five-Year Plan, and solved the problems that have long restricted the university’s development. The comparable educational indices including educational funding, research funding, faculty team and campus space have doubled, the university’s status has been steadily rising, and historic reform and development has been achieved.

By breaking the four ceilings of “inadequate educational resources per student, obvious weakness in engineering disciplines, inadequate input in research resources, and thin basis in talent cultivation”, the university has set up a new development layout: 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. Based on national needs, we have formed the new educational philosophy, i.e., the idea of “three orientations”, the standard of “three first considerations”, the characteristics of "comprehensive, research-oriented, open”, and the goal of “nurturing students who have both ability and moral integrity, able to cultivate charisma and eager to serve the country”.

Through striving to become first-class, we have opened up new prospects for education, with the Party’s overall leadership strengthened, the talent cultivation system reconstructed, the disciplinary construction improved, the research ability enhanced, the effect of talent team construction achieved, the social service capability improved, and the university cultural construction has taken on a new look.

President Luo Jun mentioned that of the numerous changes in the university’s development over the past five years, the biggest change is manifested in the person, with ideas and opinions of the faculty and staff transformed, the spirit and temperament of the students sublimed, the collective awareness and responsibility awareness enhanced in the pursuit from excellent to outstanding, from staying among the top to taking the lead, and from ordinary to first-class.

President Luo Jun emphasized that we must be aware of the fact that building a world-class university is a long-term, arduous and complex historical task. The process from learning to surpassing and from following to taking the lead requires not only improvement of extensive indices but also intensive development and a leap forward in quality. Although we have made remarkable progress during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, some problems still need to be effectively solved.

At present, compared with the high quality intensive development goal, the internal governance system of the university is not sound, the innovation development mechanism is not perfect, and the vitality of intensive development has not been fully stimulated in talent cultivation, scientific research, social service and cultural inheritance.


In order to face and solve these problems and break through the new bottleneck and new barriers that hinder our steps toward building a world-class university, in the next five years, we shall make greater efforts, achieve greater progress, formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan, accelerate the construction of a first-class university and first-class disciplines, and realize intensive development of higher education.

First, we should study the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks on higher education, adhere to the educational idea of “three orientations”, grasp the national strategic opportunity of strengthening higher education in a new era and promoting the development of the Guangdong- Hong Kong- Macao Greater Bay Area, and strive forward toward the goal of building a world-class university.

Second, we should analyze the problems of the existing mechanism and system, take a long-term view, make plans in advance, and introduce new changes to the university governance system and governance ability.

Third, we should accelerate our steps of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, improve the educational level through system construction, realize intensive high quality development, and lay a solid foundation for SYSU’s steady development in the new centenary.

Fourth, we should build a higher level talent cultivation system, higher quality disciplinary development system, higher quality faculty development system, more competitive academic research system, more efficient management system, and more complete university cultural system. We should uphold and consolidate the Party’s overall leadership, coordinate planning and construct intensive development system, promote further improvement of the comparable educational indices that showcase the university’s comprehensive strengths, strive to advance into the first tier of universities nationwide, and reach or be close to the level of a world-class university.

President Luo Jun pointed out that three guidances should be observed in making and implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan. Firstly, be problem-oriented and goal-oriented. Before making the plan, both management units and talent cultivation units such as schools and departments should review the problems and contradictions in the development, have clear knowledge, and seek solutions in a scientific way. The university’s development goal in the 14th Five-Year Plan period is “advancing into the first tier of universities nationwide with comparable educational indices entering global top 100”. The schools and departments should serve this goal and set up various tasks in formulating their plans.

Secondly, be clear about main responsibilities, main themes and main threads. In formulating plans, the management units should refer to their responsibilities while the schools and departments should center on first-level disciplinary construction. Fostering virtue through education and talent cultivation is the fundamental task of the university. The design of objectives, tasks and routes in planning should serve the university’s talent cultivation goal. Disciplinary construction is the basis for a world-class university, the main thread of development, and the pursuit of the schools and developments in making the plans.

Thirdly, observe four principles: follow the mass line, seek truth from facts, be self-reliant and keep pace with the times. In making plans, we should extensively solicit opinions from faculty and students to gather consensuses. The planned goals should not be out of touch with the realities of the schools and disciplines. We should take an active part in applying for resource input from the country, the province and the city. We should plan the tasks according to high standards and high requirements, and scale new heights for the development of the schools and disciplines.

President Luo Jun stated that SYSU will embark on a new centenary journey. Standing at a new historical starting point, we are closer than any time in the history to achieve the goal of building a world-class university. We march forward with bright prospect, firm confidence, and solid steps! Let us unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, strengthen our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment; have full confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; firmly safeguard General Secretary Xi Jinping's status as the core of the CPC Central Committee and his core position of the whole Party, and firmly safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. Let us seize the day and live it to the full, unite and forge ahead, accelerate our steps to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, and work tirelessly to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation!

In the afternoon and evening, the participants held discussions about the theme of the conference, making suggestions on the construction and development of the university.

On June 14, the 2020 Spring Work Conference continued according to the agenda. Secretary Chen Chunsheng and President Luo Jun presided over the meeting respectively. Members of the university leadership, assistant presidents, Party secretaries, heads of schools, functional departments and affiliated hospitals, teacher representatives including various leading academics and researchers and committee members attended the conference. On the basis of studying the keynote report delivered by President Luo Jun on June 13, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President Ma Jun, Vice President Wang Xuehua, Vice President Tai Zhongzhi and Assistant President Liu Jike gave special reports respectively on disciplinary construction, faculty development, academic research and talent cultivation. Deputy Secretary Lin Dongwei delivered a report on disciplinary inspection.

On behalf of the humanities and social sciences, sciences, medical sciences, and engineering, Professor Wang Fan, Dean of School of Business, Professor Dong Wenjie, Dean of School of Atmospheric Sciences, Professor Xu Ruihua, Director of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, and Professor Wu Zhigang, Dean of School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, presented reports on the development and the 14th Five-Year Plan of their respective unit.

During the conference, six groups held two discussion sessions respectively on six topics including disciplinary construction, faculty development, academic research, talent cultivation, administration and management, and cultural construction. The group conveners reported their discussions at the plenary meeting. 

Secondly, be down-to-earth, keep pace with the times, and pursue excellence in a reasonable and dialectic way. Various units at the university should take their real situations into consideration, set up new tasks, and pursue excellence. Focus on the development goals, make up for the short board in work, solve real problems to ensure effectiveness, and strive to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.

Thirdly, aim high and assume responsibility. Adhere to the “three orientations”, especially the orientation toward national major strategic needs, be brave to meet challenges, grasp opportunities and shoulder responsibilities.

Finally, take timely measures and attend to details in various work. We should combine planning with implementation, study carefully, coordinate timely, and promote efficiently to ensure steady and long-term development of the university cause.