The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) warmly received UM President Santa Ono and his delegation on February 3, marking the president’s inaugural on-site visit to the SJTU campus since assuming office in October 2022.
In his opening speech welcoming the UM delegation at the Long Bin Building, JI Dean Chien-Pin Chen provided an overview of the institute’s development, international collaborations, talent cultivation, alumni engagement, faculty development, and research achievements. The partnership and collaborations between JI and UM have been valuable and successful. JI looks forward to deepening connections, strengthening cooperation and creating the future with UM, as it is spending painstaking efforts to offer excellent and focused engineering education to the most outstanding students from China and around the world, said Chen.
Speaking of his first visit to SJTU and Long Bin Building, Santa Ono conveyed a sense of gratitude and excitement, “I have to say the tour of my expectations have been exceeded by one order of magnitude.” The president, who is expected to pay an official visit to SJTU in May, said he attaches great importance to the partnership and the joint efforts of cultivating talents and promoting cultural exchanges. He expressed optimism for deepening collaboration in academic exchanges, faculty and student visits, and mutual development.
In the following roundtable discussion with JI faculty members, students and alumni, Ono praised the institute’s achievements in talent cultivation and encouraged students to explore paths that resonate with their aspirations, emphasizing the importance of leadership development alongside academic success.
Prior to the official meeting, the UM delegation visited the JI exhibitions on innovation and entrepreneurship, and academic achievements of alumni, the Tang Junyuan Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and the Yu Liming Student Center.
In another development, the UM delegation also met with SJTU President Kuilin Ding and Vice President Xuemin Xu. While discussing about international exchanges, collaborative talent development, and research cooperation, both parties agreed to establish a multi-level cooperative relationship for mutual benefit and shared success in the future.