SUSTech President leads delegation to Japan, signs cooperation agreements

From Nov 20 to 23, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) President Chen Shiyi led a delegation to Japan to visit top universities in order to further expand cooperation agreements. The delegation went to the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagoya University and Tohoku University. He was joined by Acting Vice President (Academics) Zhang Dongxiao, Vice Provost (Global Strategies) Zheng Chunmiao, College of Engineering Dean Xu Zhenghe, Shenzhen Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering (SIQSE) Dean Yu Dapeng and College of Science Deputy Dean Zhang Xumu.

On Nov 20, the SUSTech delegation went to the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), where they met with Executive Vice President Aihara Hiroaki, Vice President Sekimura Naoto, and Chinese Government Friendship Award winner, Professor Ryosuke Shibasaki.

Executive Vice President Aihara Hiroaki welcomed President Chen Shiyi and the SUSTech delegation before providing a briefing about the University of Tokyo. He said he looked forward to developing comprehensive multi-disciplinary cooperation with SUSTech. President Chen Shiyi supported his statement, saying that as a top university, UTokyo offers significant learning opportunities for SUSTech and there are many ways SUSTech can cooperate with UTokyo.

Following the meeting, College of Engineering Dean Xu Zhenghe signed a cooperation agreement with Professor Ryosuke Shibasaki from the Center for Spatial Information Science (CSIS). The agreement formalizes the establishment of the SUSTech-UTokyo Super Smart City Joint Research Center. The SUSTech delegation then visited the robotics laboratory.

Later that day, the SUSTech delegation visited the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech). They met with Vice President for International Affairs Takada Jun-Ichi. He welcomed the SUSTech delegation to Tokyo Tech and spoke about different aspects of his institution. Vice President Takada Jun-Ichi said he was looking forward to developing various ways of cooperating with SUSTech, including establishing joint research centers, joint postgraduate training schemes and different exchange programs.

President Chen Shiyi introduced SUSTech to Takada Jun-Ichi, saying that there are many similarities between the two universities and he was confident that their future cooperation would be very fruitful. Following the meeting, the SUSTech delegation visited the Environmental Energy Innovation Building and the Global Scientific Information & Computing Center, accompanied by Tokyo Tech Professor Xiao Feng.

Nov 21 saw the SUSTech delegation head west to Nagoya University. They met with Vice President (International Affairs, Legal Affairs, Risk Management, and Internal Control) Masafumi Nakahigashi, School of Science Dean Kunio Awaga and School of Engineering Dean Norimi Mizutani. They were also joined by faculty members of various institutes across Nagoya University. Vice President Masafumi Nakahigashi welcomed the SUSTech delegation and spoke at length about Nagoya University’s features. He praised SUSTech for its rapid development and many achievements in its short history. Both sides anticipated further exchanges and collaborations in the future, before the SUSTech delegation was taken on a campus tour, including the 2008 Nobel Physics and Chemistry Award Display.

On Nov 22, President Chen Shiyi and the SUSTech delegation were in the city of Sendai to meet with Tohoku University. Executive Vice President for Research Tadahiro Hayasaka, Vice President for Education Reform and Global Engagement Masahiro Yamaguchi, School of Engineering Dean Tetsuya Nagasaka and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering Dean Tsunemoto Kuriyagawa all attended the meeting.

Following the meeting, the SUSTech delegation was taken on a campus tour that included the Lu Xun Lecture Hall and the laboratories of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation in a variety of related disciplines.

As part of the meeting, both universities signed an academic exchange agreement that seeks to promote academic exchanges, support biomedical engineering cooperation and explore the establishment of joint research platforms.

The evening of Nov 22 saw the SUSTech delegation return to UTokyo for a talent exchange event. More than 60 experts, scholars and students from UTokyo received a briefing from the delegation and were impressed by what they heard. Many expressed interest in learning more about various aspects of SUSTech.