On the morning of June 12, the 1st ICFC was held in the Multi-functional Hall. 42 deputies, including Chinese and foreign faculty and staff, attended the Congress. Professor Lou Chengli, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Zhejiang University, chairman of the Trade Union, and minister of the United Front Work Department, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.
Professor Fu Qiang, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Vice Dean of the International Campus, pointed out in his opening statement that this, the 1st Faculty Congress of the International Campus, was a major event in the political life of the Campus, and he hoped that all deputies would exercise their rights seriously. Professor Fu emphasized that the International Campus is an “unindependent” institution with high-level goals. We need to promote internationalization and ZJU’s spirit of seeking truth, carry forward the Red Boat Spirit, strengthen confidence, and gradually build a model of international cooperation education. Also, we need to focus on pursuing innovative ideas in cooperation, research and education, the service model and governance system, and continue to develop the International Campus to a new level. He also emphasized that we must adhere to the teacher-student orientation, strengthen the basic foundations of the Campus, keep pace with the times, and promote the participation of faculty and staff in democratic management.
Professor He Lianzhen, Vice President of Zhejiang University and Dean of the International Campus, gave a work report on behalf of the Campus. She summarized the achievements made since the foundation of the Campus, including being a model of international cooperation education, the successful initial formation of institutional mechanisms, promoting the development of ZJU, and grasping opportunities in regional development. Professor He also reviewed areas where the Campus could improve, such as high-level education provision, high-quality local development cooperation, and the forming of sustainable development mechanisms. She also mentioned the challenges we met during the COVID-19 epidemic and the ensuing global changes. Professor He then outlined future plans on achieving the International Campus 2020 goals and minimizing the losses caused by COVID-19. She said that we need to adhere to ZJU’s strategy of building a world-class university and to the distinctive features of “unindependent institution, high-level and 1+x”.
On behalf of ZJU’s Trade Union, Professor Lou Chengli congratulated the 1st ICFC. He said that “internationalization” is an important element in ZJU’s “first-class” strategy. The deputies of the 1st ICFC, which include both Chinese and non-Chinese, cover a wide range, ensuring broad representation. This is an initiative of some significance for ZJU. He hoped that under the leadership of ZJU’s Party Working Committee, the Faculty Congress and the Trade Union of the International Campus would be true to ZJU’s “Double First-class” initiative and fully implement the decision-making and arrangements of the 14th ZJU Party Congress, fulfill the rights and obligations of the Faculty Congress, protect the legal rights of the faculty and staff, and further promote the democratic management of the Campus.
In the Congress, the financial report was given, and the Regulations on Application for Purchasing Talents’ Commodity Housing (Hainshire) were approved. The Executive Committee of the 1st ICFC was then elected. The conference called on all faculty and staff of the Campus to pursue innovation, create a high-quality model of international cooperation education , and contribute to the achievement of the “Double First-class” initiative of ZJU, as well as the advancement and development of the local region.
The Faculty Congress is also a “window” for many foreigners on the Campus to better understand China’s consensus democracy. In this ICFC, the number of foreign deputies account for 11.36% of the total. In the preliminary preparations, the background information on the Faculty Congress was given through a variety of publicity channels such as the official websites and building bilingual displays. Some of the materials were provided in both Chinese and English versions. Meanwhile, simultaneous translation was available to ensure that foreign deputies could participate normally.
Dr Chen Wenchao, assistant professor in ZJUI, was one of the first batch of faculty at the International Campus. He said he was really honored at having been elected as a deputy of the 1st ICFC, and he felt a strong sense of responsibility. “We have witnessed the ongoing development of the Campus from the very beginning. The Campus is developing rapidly - in its early stages it mainly focused on teaching, and now it pays more attention to scientific research, the lab, and equipment construction as well. We believe that the International Campus will have a bright future.”
Article：Ping Xia
Photography: Chuan Zheng, Ping Xia