Source: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Written by: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Proofread by: Ding Ling
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From November 26 to December 5, 2018, Professor Sun Dongbai, Executive Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), visited France, Austria and Germany to consolidate SYSU’s cooperative partnership with relevant universities and research institutions, promote cooperation in building SYSU into a world-class university, and gain international resources to construct major science and technology infrastructure.
On November 26-28, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai attended the France-China Forum. The attendees of the forum also included Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French Prime Minister; Mr. David Kimelfeld, Président of the Métropole de Lyon; Mr. Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon; and representatives from universities and companies in China and France. At the invitation of the host, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. The French side invited SYSU to be one of the hosts of the forum in the future, and Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai accepted the invitation on behalf of SYSU.

On the afternoon of November 26, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai met with Mr. Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, President du Nouvel Institut Franco-Chinois, and Prof. Jacques Comby, President of University Lyon 3. They reached consensus on the joint construction plan of Sun Yat-sen - Jean Moulin Sino-French Academic Center and SYSU-Lyon Sino-French Academic Exchange Center, and discussed research collaborations, academic exchanges and cultural activities for the next year.

On November 27, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai visited École Centrale de Lyon and met with Prof. Jean Pierre Bertoglio, Vice President (Research) of École Centrale de Lyon. The two sides discussed strengthening faculty and student exchange, conducting cooperative research in fluid mechanics, physics and materials science, as well as signing cooperation agreement in the future.

On November 28, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai visited the Chinese Consulate General in Lyon. He introduced SYSU’s current collaborations and future cooperation plan with France and Lyon to Ms. Lu Qingjiang, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Lyon. Consul General Lu Qingjiang pointed out that 2019 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, and the Chinese Consulate General in Lyon will support SYSU’s cooperation with the French side to hold the 2019 France-China Forum. On November 29, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai visited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Liang Qu, Director of Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, warmly received the SYSU delegation. Director Liang Qu introduced the principles of IAEA and the applications of the nuclear technology, and reviewed the cooperation achievements in using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for mosquito control between IAEA and SYSU in the last five years.

On November 30, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai met with Mr. Aldo Malavasi, Deputy Director General, Head of Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, and Mr. Dazhu Yang, Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the cooperation of using the SIT for mosquito control as well as the establishment of an international demonstration and training base at SYSU, and formulated an initial plan and path for cooperation. The two sides also reached consensus on cooperation in nuclear science, nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, nuclear agriculture and nuclear safety. The SYSU delegation was also invited to visit the joint FAO/IAEA laboratories at Seibersdorf.
On December 1-4, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai visited the neutrino physics group at the University of Hamburg. He met with Prof. Caren Hagner, Head of the group, visited the high-energy physics labs, and discussed future cooperation in in education and research, especially experiences in taking the advantage of nearby national and international big science facilities. Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai also met with Professor Franz X. Kaeterner from the Physics Department of the University of Hamburg and Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), and Professor Ulf Karlsson from Linköping University, and discussed construction of big science facilities.

On December 3, Executive Vice President Sun Dongbai visited DESY, and met with Prof. Helmut Dosch, Director of DESY, Dr. Frederic Le Pimpec, Executive Management Board Assistant for the European XFEL and other experts. The SYSU delegation visited PETRA-III and XFEL. The two sides discussed the construction and management of big science facilities as part of the new efforts of building up the scientific and technological infrastructure for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Representatives from SYSU’s Zhongshan School of Medicine, School of Geography and Planning, School of Physics, Office of Scientific Research, and Office of International Cooperation and Exchange attended the above visits in three countries respectively.