On May 28th, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) held a meeting for global competence development at the Center for Academic Activities at the SJTU Minhang Campus. The meeting was held in response to the requirement of building a comprehensive, innovative and international university, proposed at the 11th SJTU Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. The goal would be achieved through the efforts to introduce a new model in producing talents with international perspective, and start programs for exchange/visiting students in in China, thus facilitating the implementation of SJTU’s international strategy. Present at the meeting were Yang Zhenbin, Secretary of the CPC SJTU Committee, Xu Xuemin, SJTU Vice President, and Li Huaxin, former Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Xu Xuemin presided over the meeting.
Xu Xuemin stressed collective commitment of all SJTU faculty members and students in its initiative to incorporate global awareness multicultural awareness into the development philopsophy.
In his speech, Yang Zhenbin underlined the need to build SJTU into a hub of outstanding young talents from all over the world and an important constituent of the global higher education system and the global innovation network. That necessitates a high-level management and service team with a good knowledge of international education practices and patterns, domestic and international circumstances and international policies of SJTU, in addition to international communication and cooperation skills. Such an effort, Yang said, would not only help SJTU develop a modern governance system and governance capacity but also help tell stories about China, make China’s voice heard, and present a real image of China on all dimensions.
Li Huaxin, invited as the guest lecturer in the first session of the global competence training, expounded his views on how to tell stories about China to the outside world. He explained the importance of presenting China's stories from the perspectives of international promotion, international communication, and public diplomacy. He also provided an input into what is expected to be told and how we can do it.
His lecture was followed by interactions with the audience. They exchanged ideas over the following topics:diplomatic considerations in cultural exchanges; opportunities and challenges brought by the changes in instructional, cooperation, and communication patterns of universities in the current international context; higher education around the world; cooperation with Middle East universities;and the future of the Confucius Institute.
At the parallel meeting for international student research projects, the International Affairs Division reported on admissions and project outcomes and provided recommendations on the development direction for research practice bases. Mr. Yang Jian, Mr. Ren Ruibao and Mr. Chen Junsong shared their project experience. The international student research project not only presents the positive image of SJTU to the outside world, but functions as a platform for SJTU to engage with students from all over the word. SJTU will build on it to provide better and more effective international education.