With economic and educational globalization, China has been forging increasingly closer ties with the rest of the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to “build a new type of international relations” and “push forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind”.
The world today is confronted with a range of daunting challenges such as a shortage of resources, environmental pollution, climate crisis, recurring disasters and epidemics, and unequal access to education. In response to such challenges, we must step up coordination and collaboration between disciplines and promote synergy among the international community.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) has put forward the Global Challenge Program, spearheading the effort as a leading university to nuruture more high-calibre talents.
The program is designed to develop students' awareness of responsibility and patriotism in helping build a community with a shared future for mankind, enriching their international experiences, and broadening their global vision. And during the program, students are offered access to field research and on-site practice in tough yet safe places. Through such experiences, they will appreciate and promote fine achievements of other civilizations, and have their imagination ignited, their potential unlocked. Moreover, the participants will be encouraged to make serious analysis of the challenges confronting the humanity and try to provide their input on resolving them, thus building up their global competence.
The Global Challenge Program consists of several projects. For each project, SJTU (international) students will form a team with students from other parts of the world, and conduct 2- to 8-week field study in underdeveloped regions in China or underdeveloped countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to tackle common challenges with universal significance, such as water scarcity, food security, and sorted treatment of waste.
The research will be conducted in the forms of survey, policy analysis, and application of research proposals. It is expected that researchers will bring forward feasible proposals and try to ensure they are really acted upon.
