Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) recently launched the “SJTU Global Virtual Classroom” initiative in a bid to provide better courses, enhance its students' global competence, improve its international presence and create an online platform with Chinese characteristics for overseas spread of its high-quality courses . On May 18th, the “SJTU Global Virtual Classroom” initiative commenced at SJTU's Minhang Campus. Present at the opening ceremony were: Mr. Wang Yaguang, Dean of the SJTU Graduate School Ms. Huang Dan, Deputy Director of the Office of Academic Affairs, Ms.Zhang Rui, Deputy Director of SJTU Center for Teaching and Learning Development, and Mr. Shen Hongxing, Director of SJTU Education Technology Center. The instructional team for pilot programs, instructors for international courses from various schools and departments, foreign affairs secretaries, and educational administrators also attended the ceremony. Luo Peng, Director of SJTU International Affairs Division took the chair.
Director of SJTU International Affairs Division Luo Peng presiding over the event
In his speech, Wang Guangya underscored that the initiative under new circumstances could contribute to the talent development of SJTU by providing SJTU faculty members and students with a novel way and a new platform in international cooperation and exchanges and thereby further raise SJTU’s international presence.
Chen Ke, Deputy Director of the International Affairs Division gave a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the initiative, saying that it would enable SJTU to develop and share courses with its partner universities abroad, which would provide SJTU students with access to courses by world’s leading universities without the bother to go abroad. Meanwhile, it would offering more students abroad virtual access to SJTU classrooms in which to exchange ideas.
Mr. Zhang Zhaoyang, a teacher from SJTU School of Humanities, shared his personal experience as a participant in the pilot programs. Mr. Peng Chongsheng, a teacher from SJTU School of Pharmacy, shared his teaching experience in curriculum co-developed by SJTU ans the University of California, Davis. And another teacher, Mr. Wang Jun, also from SJTU School of Humanities, shared his challenges and inspiration in live streaming instruction. Teachers involved in pilot programs concurred that new technology application and instructional innovation would help provide online courses as substantive and efficient as offline ones. It was expected that such courses would offer better learning experiences and achieve better instructional outcomes.
Zhang Rui and Shen Hongxing also delivered speeches. Ms. Zhang shared her experience in preparing for full-English courses and in coping with challenges; Mr. Shen introduced the latest developments in SJTU’s move to build smart classrooms and the proposal for implementing the “SJTU Global Virtual Classroom” initiative.
The “SJTU Global Virtual Classroom” initiative is dedicated to building a platform for high-quality full-English courses, on which SJTU could share premium instructional resources with its high-level strategic partners across the globe for virtually exchanged students, with students' online course credits recognizedby each side., That will allow students in different corners of the world, regardless of cultural backgrounds, to communicate with and inspire one another online and give them access to courses by leading universities at home.