On August 19, the inauguration of SJTU’s Institute of Future Technology was held. Wu Yan, director of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MOE), delivered a formal speech. Other guests attending the event are: Ni Yaoming, secretary of the CPC Minhang District Committee; Chen Yujian, head of Minhang District; Mao Lijuan, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission; Zeng Yuqun, chairman and CEO of CATL and board member of SJTU; Cheng Minghe, vice president of Mindray and board member of SJTU; Wu Kai, chief scientist of CATL; Yang Zhenbin, Secretary of the CPC SJTU Committee; Lin Zhongqin, president of SJTU; Ding Kuiling, executive vice president of SJTU; Gu Feng, executive deputy secretary of the CPC SJTU Committee; Fan Xianqun, vice president of SJTU and dean of the School of Medicine; and other leaders including Zhang Ansheng, Xu Xuemin, Xi Lifeng, Zhou Cheng, and Wang Weiming from SJTU, other representatives from relevant departments of Minhang District, relevant departments and affiliated hospitals of SJTU, as well as experts and scholars in related fields.
Yang Zhenbin said in his speech that it has always been the mission of higher education to aim at emerging industries of the future, to explore the frontiers of transformative technologies, to seize the opportunities of scientific and technological development, and to cultivate scientific and technological leaders with interdisciplinary vision. SJTU, as one of the 12 higher education institutions establishing Institutes of Future Technology initiated by Ministry of Education, should further strengthen its foundation, give full play to institutional advantages, establish an outstanding faculty team, and build the Institute into a temple of science, a paradise for innovation of cross-disciplinary and cutting-edge technology, and a cradle for innovative talents in future technology. He expressed hope that all the faculty and staff of the Institute will adhere to the fundamental task of cultivating virtues and morality, adhere to the original aspiration of nurturing talents for the Party and the country, adhere to the mission of serving our country’s major strategic needs and economic and social development, work together to scale new heights in the research of key areas, advance China to become a scientific, technological and talent powerhouse, and contribute to the construction of Shanghai as a city of education-industry integration and Minhang as a district of innovation.
Wu Yan, on behalf of the Department of Higher Education of MOE, sent warm regards for the inauguration of SJTU’s Institute of Future Technology and delivered an official speech at the event. He stressed that the first twelve institutes of future technology were decided through a strict selection process, and therefore can be considered an important symbol of high-level universities and a pioneering force of higher education to cope with the future and lead the future. He pointed out that taking the initiative to establish institutes of future technology is a strategic move to deal with future international competition and an innovative exploration to promote high-quality development of higher education. Correct positioning, a shift in the way of thinking, and an innovative approach is required to construct institutes of future technology. He expressed expectations that Shanghai Jiao Tong University would focus on fields, such as future energy and health, and turn the Institute into a cradle for future leaders, an incubator for future industries, and an engine for technological revolution, thus making greater contributions to the construction of a modern and powerful socialist country.
Mao Lijuan expressed her sincere congratulations on behalf of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. She pointed out that the construction of the Institute of Future Technology is a requirement for the in-depth implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on higher education, science and technology innovation and his important speech during his visit to Tsinghua University. As the only Shanghai-based university to be selected, Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s mission is glorious, and its responsibilities are enormous. She expressed hope that by exploring new approaches, the Institute will succeed in cultivating pioneers in the field of science and technology to meet the needs of Shanghai's industrial upgrading; gather high-end talents, focus on forward-looking and frontier science, strengthen interdisciplinary integration, and achieve groundbreaking and influential results; pave a new path with adventurous spirit, and offer experience that is replicable.
After the inauguration ceremony, Zeng Yuqun was appointed honorary dean of the Institute, and Ni Jun as its first dean. The appointment contracts were conferred by Yang Zhenbin and Lin Zhongqin.
Later, Ni Jun introduced the building and planning of the Institute.Shanghai Jiao Tong University will build the Institute into an interdisciplinary platform and an international community by integrating support of high-quality resources on and off campus and relying on disciplinary strengths in relevant fields of science, engineering, and medicine. The Institute is committed to establishing an international faculty team with great impact, building up several cutting-edge interdisciplinary platforms of teaching and research, nurturing innovative scientific and technological leaders in line with global changes and future development, developing collaboration with the international scientific and research community, and building an international and intelligent management system supported by information technology. Focusing on the fields of energy and health, the Institute will offer majors in sustainable energy, health science and technology, and extreme manufacturing; carry out experiential engineering education; establish a consistent system of education from undergraduate to doctoral training, with the aim of cultivating future leaders in scientific and technological innovation.
Lin Zhongqin, on behalf of SJTU, sent his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and contributed to the development of SJTU. He stressed that the establishment of the Institute is of great significance, especially in the context of a new round of industrial revolution and fierce global competition in the field of science and technology innovation; it is an important move of reform and exploration for SJTU, not only in building an innovation-driven university in the new era, but also in supporting national strategies. The University values the layout and construction of the Institute, having convened several seminars and coordinated all available resources to come up with a final development scheme. He also highlighted that the establishment of the Institute is intended to satisfy the need of having more Chinese universities on world’s top lists; it is also an important basis for furthering cooperation with Shanghai and Minhang. As SJTU follows Shanghai Municipality’s steps in signing collaboration agreements with CATL, it becomes SJTU’s duty to cultivate talents for CATL and other enterprises. He hopes that all parties could work together to make continuous efforts in producing independent high-level technology, to empower our national strategies with SJTU contributions.
