On January 5th to 6th, 2022 Annual Academic Conference & International Conference on Integrated Science-Education-Industry for World-Class Universities was held successfully. This event was organized by International Campus, Zhejiang University, with the participation of 28 prestigious universities, including University of Edinburg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and NUS. 7 academicians and more than 120 experts and scholars from worldwide delivered presentations at this year’s conference, sharing frontier academic achievements and advancing exchange and cooperation. More than 6,000 participants watched the live stream in both Chinese and English channels of the event.
The Annual Academic Conference 2022, with the theme of “Embracing the World, Shaping the Future” and around the topic of “science-education-industry integration” , focusing on three directions “BioMed-X” “Engineering + ” “Business+”, aims to bring together leading innovation talents, sharing cutting-edge academic achievements, creating cross-innovation ecology, strengthening international collaboration, and exploring the future of cross innovation trends. The conference included one main forum and eight sub-forums, which announced the International Campus Annual Academic Report of 2022, as well as the Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards of 2022.
Regional Collaboration and Linking the World
Professor HE Lianzhen, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC ZJU Committee, Vice President of ZJU and Secretary of the Communist Party Committee of the International Campus extended a warm welcome to the guests and participants of the conference. Professor HE pointed out that in 2022, the 20th National Congress of the CPC was successfully held, and it has discussed education, science and technology and talents in a coherent manner. Moreover, the understanding and grasp of the law of innovation development, science and technology management and the law of talent growth has reached a new height. Innovative universities, being the main force for basic research and the new force of scientific and technological innovations, are duty bound to explore the frontiers of world science and technology, serve national strategies, and benefit the progress of human society. Last September, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the construction Plan of International Collaborative Education Models of International Campus, Zhejiang University (Haining). At the new development stage, the International Campus is exploring to build a science-education-industry integrated development model. Professor HE hoped that this Annual Academic Conference would serve as a bridge to the diverse world, to promote innovation and development through open cooperations, reshape research through academic sharing, and profoundly promote the integrated development of science, education and industry through scientific and technological innovation and model innovation. She also extended an invitation to innovative talents worldwide to join the International Campus, and to work together to create a better future.
ZHANG Jinguo, Division Chief of the Hi-Tech Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology also delivered an address. He highlighted the series of new tasks and requirements for science and technology reform put forward in the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which fully showcased the CPC Central Committee highly valued the science and technology work. As an international collaborative education model supported by three national ministries and commissions, International Campus had converged a range of science and education resources, and had a strong capability for innovation and scientific research and technology transfer. At present, as science and technology, as well as industries, are evolving quickly, and challenges and opportunities co-exist. He hoped that all young talents would shoulder the historical mission of realizing the country’s self-reliance in high-level science and technology, proactively apply and undertake major national science and technology research tasks, and leverage their potential to contribute to the country.
LYU Zhongfei, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Organization Department of CPC Haining Municipal Committee pointed out that Haining and Zhejiang University had carried out pragmatic and effective cooperation in development, science and technology, talents, medical care and university-industry collaboration in the past decade and yielded fruitful results. He urged that the two sides should work together to make sound plans for projects, to accelerate scientific research and technology transfer, improve the exchange and cooperation system and create another new chapter for the university-city collaboration.
WU Yongjun, Vice Dean of the Sci-Tech Academy of Zhejiang University stated that the year 2022 witnessed the rapid development of the research work of the International Campus. He hoped that in the new year, International Campus would closely center around the objective of building the international collaborative education model, and make new breakthroughs in constructing high-energy platforms, recruiting and nurturing top talents, and pursuing integrated science-education-industry development.
The East and The West Integrated
Professor WU Jian, Vice Dean of International Campus chaired the main forum of the conference and gave a report on the academic achievements of International Campus in 2022. In the past year, International Campus has advanced both discipline development and talent recruitment, and strived to build a high-level internationalized interdisciplinary innovation ecology. The construction of Zhejiang University Yangtze River Delta Future Technology Academy was launched; 2 new provincial-level international sci-tech cooperation bases on sustainable livable cities, and micro-nano optical electronics were established; the large scale frontier platforms had their quality enhanced and capacity expanded; the number of NSFC General Projects and Youth Projects hit a historical high; 2 PIs published papers at Nature and Science. 2 international Fellows and 9 young PIs joined the International Campus, increasing the number of faculty members to 69. Among them, 40.3% were international faculty members, and 11 were elected into the World’s Top 2% Scientists 2022. The amount of scientific research and technology transfer totaled RMB 22.2 million.
During the conference, Outstanding Academic Achievements Awards of International Campus in 2022 were honored. 11 young PIs from various academic institutions and research centers received the award, and their academic achievements were published in top academic journals in relevant disciplines.
△Outstanding Academic Achievements Awards of International Campus in 2022
Discuss the Future
Professor XU Zongben, a mathematician, signal and information processing expert, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor of the School of Mathematics and Statistics of Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Professor XU Haoxin, Qiushi Chair Professor and Dean of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University and Adjunct Professor of the Department of MCD Biology, the University of Michigan, both presented the frontiers of engineering and medicine, “Artificial Intelligence and Big Data for Medical Sciences” and “Molecular Physiology of Lysosomes”.
XIE Li, a founding partner and President of Zhejiang Haibang Investment; LI Xiang, Founder of Hangzhou Rejoin Tech Co., Ltd.; ZHU Yuying, Director of the Management Committee of Haining Juanhu International Science Park; and Professor YANG Qiang, Vice Director of the Institute of Electrical Automation and the International Research Center for Advanced Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang University, engaged in a panel discussion themed around “Curiosity Convergence Cross-discipline Integration”. The panelists explored the ideas and measures for the International Campus to implement major national and regional development strategies and build the international collaborative education model. Professor WANG Hongwei, Vice Dean of ZJU-UIUC Institute chaired the panel discussion.
Top Experts Meet
The Conference consisted of 8 sub-forums on BioMed-X, Engineering+, Business+, Emerging Optoelectronic and Energy Devices, Musculoskeletal System, Smart City, and Information Electronics. A postdoctoral academic forum was staged for the first time. A total of 112 academic presentations were delivered. The event attracted the participation of worldwide scholars. They focused on people’s health, environment and sustainable development, digital business, and other common issues faced by humanity in the future. It ignited academic sparks and made meaningful explorations on the future directions of academic development.
2022 Postdoctoral Academic Forum
The academic sharing of 12 outstanding postdocs showcased the academic tension and vitality of cross-collaboration. Over the past year, the postdoctoral team at International Campus has grown rapidly, with a more balanced distribution of disciplines and a significant increase in recruitment quality. The campus will continue to optimize the postdoctoral growth pathway of the “Surge Program ", provide more resources for the young research teams, and invite young talents from all over the world to join us.
In the future, the International Campus will unswervingly adhere to the strategy of pursuing high-quality development to its full potential, and embark on a new journey of building the international collaborative education model at a new starting point. Through innovation, it will build a high-energy science and innovation hub，and set a benchmark for the new model of a university driving regional integrated economic and social development.
（Article and Photography: XUE Qian, SUN Xiaolei; Editor: Sun Xiaolei; Managing Editor: XUE Qian ）