Dear all students, faculty and staff,
On behalf of the International Campus, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and best wishes to all our students, faculty and staff as we bid farewell to the bumpy year of 2020 and embrace 2021 with high hopes.
2020 has seen the Covid-19 pandemic reshape the global political and economic landscape, international cooperation now faces an increasingly complex environment, and the difficulties and challenges experienced by the International Campus this year have been the most formidable it has ever faced. However, we march firmly forward, “In the face of all blows, not bending low, it still stands fast. Whether from east, west, south or north the wind doth blast”, as the Chinese saying goes. The International Campus, always as one with the country and the people, has the resolution and determination to innovate and forge ahead even under these difficult circumstances.
We had many remarkable achievements this year. We successfully completed “Project 2020” with 70% of our graduate students receiving offers from the world’s top 20 universities and 58% receiving offers of fully-funded PhDs. The Campus continues to expand, with the number of students increasing to 1953, including 357 international exchange students from Cornell University and UIUC who were unable to study abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 saw the establishment of the Yangtze River Delta International Graduate School, Zhejiang University, and several international research centers were set up on the Campus. The international online teaching system is providing a high-quality learning environment for more than 1,000 students in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. The “Hainshire” International Talents Community, and the Eco Campus Platinum Certification awarded to the Campus Operation Management, have added greatly to our Campus development. In addition in December, the first Annual Academic Conference was successfully held.
As we look back at 2020, we are proud of our efforts and achievements, while also being aware that more efforts are going to be needed in many areas in these difficult and challenging times. In 2021, we will continue to maintain a pragmatic attitude to further improve the standards of international education teaching management, cultivate the students with the characteristics of “national passion, global competitiveness, international vision and worldwide responsibility”, and promote the construction of an interdisciplinary research and talent cultivation system, to increase the Campus’ academic influence. We will keep in mind the spirit of exploration and innovation in order to build a new pattern of international cooperative education in wider fields. We will further strengthen our contribution to the region, and enhance the reputation and influence of the International Campus.
And so, I wish you all a happy new year.
HE Lianzhen
Secretary of the Communist Party Committee and Dean of the International Campus, ZJU
January, 1, 2021