This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) (hereinafter referred to as "CUHK [Shenzhen]") and the fifth anniversary of the release and implementation of the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area".
The vigorous construction of the Greater Bay Area has further boosted the rapid development of CUHK-Shenzhen.
How do the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which aims to build a world-class bay area, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), which aims to build a world-class research university, work in both directions and achieve each other's achievements?
Our reporter recently conducted an exclusive interview with Xu Yangsheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).
Reporter: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) has become a model for higher education cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. As the first president, you put forward the founding spirit and school philosophy of "a passion, a century-old university, a thousand-year brand, and an eternal conscience". Please talk about your original intention to run a school at CUHK-Shenzhen.
Xu Yangsheng:
In 2011, when I attended a conference in Hong Kong, I heard a financial professional who had returned from studying abroad say that since modern times, a large number of young people in China have studied abroad. After learning advanced scientific knowledge overseas, they then Come back and serve the country.
His words touched me.
If we cannot independently cultivate world-class talents, our future development will be greatly restricted.
I was admitted to university after the reform and opening up, and then went to study abroad in North America.
The situation of several other school-level leaders in our school is similar. We have achieved some results abroad.
If you want to do something for the country in your lifetime, it is to build a first-class research university based in China and facing the world, to help independently cultivate top innovative talents, and to firmly control scientific and technological innovation in your own hands.
It was with this passion that we started our hard work in Longgang, Shenzhen ten years ago.
I still remember the scene when the chef from the Longgang District Government Canteen came to set up a canteen for us with stoves and tableware.
I also remember the words that came to my mind when I was guarding the intersection late at night and escorting the students back to their dormitories - "People are not afraid of walking in the dark, they are just afraid that there is no sunshine in their hearts."
Reporter: The calligraphy work "Greater Bay Area, Great Development" you wrote on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 2022 is very impressive. How does CUHK-Shenzhen participate in the development of the Greater Bay Area?
Xu Yangsheng:
I firmly believe that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will have great development.
In April 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during an inspection in Guangdong that “the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has an important strategic position in the country’s new development pattern” and “makes the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area the strategic fulcrum of the new development pattern and the key to high-quality development.” A demonstration place and a leading place for Chinese-style modernization."
The new strategic positioning and historical mission of "one point, two places" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has pointed out the direction and injected strong impetus into the construction of the Greater Bay Area.
The construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is related to China’s future.
As a university located in the Greater Bay Area, we carry the innovative genes of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and grew up in Shenzhen, a fertile ground for reform and opening up.
CUHK-Shenzhen can promote the construction of the Greater Bay Area in three aspects: talent training, technological innovation and legal construction, and help the country develop high-quality development.
First of all, talent cultivation is the foundation.
It is hoped that through cooperation between universities in the mainland and Hong Kong, we can promote the reform of higher education in the mainland and independently cultivate first-class talents for building the country.
Secondly, scientific and technological innovation needs to be led by excellent research universities.
I believe that the mechanism itself of a university that can lead technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area should be innovative and flexible, and be able to bring together the power of young people, the power of capital, as well as the power of the technology community and universities.
CUHK-Shenzhen should work towards such a goal.
Finally, whether it is economic construction or technological innovation, they all need to be guaranteed by the rule of law.
Shenzhen is building a pioneering demonstration city of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. As a university rooted in Shenzhen, we can undertake corresponding work in theoretical research, practical innovation and other aspects.
Reporter: How does CUHK-Shenzhen conduct scientific research and research institute layout based on the development and application needs of the country and region?
Xu Yangsheng:
We have innovated systems and mechanisms in the construction of scientific research systems, talent introduction and assessment policies, layout and cultivation of major achievements, and optimization of scientific research environment, and promoted the deep integration of the "four chains" of industrial chain, innovation chain, talent chain, and education chain.
Thanks to the "9+3" salary system implemented by the school, teachers in our school have three months of free time every year to undertake scientific research projects and provide consulting services to the society, enhance exchanges with society and industry, and guide the development direction of scientific research.
At the same time, our school also strengthens exchanges and cooperation with internationally renowned universities, establishes an international joint innovation platform, and improves the teacher exchange and sharing mechanism.
At present, a whole-process innovation ecological chain of "basic research + technological research + industrialization of results + technology finance + talent support" has been built. International-level research institutes and key laboratories have been established in key research areas such as robotics and artificial intelligence, and future intelligent networks. .
The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Research Institute and the Big Data Research Institute were selected into the top ten basic research institutions in Shenzhen.
Reporter: In 2023, the Chinese University of Hong Kong celebrated its 60th anniversary. This year, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) celebrates its tenth anniversary. How do these two universities collaborate in running schools?
Xu Yangsheng:
We adopt the academic standards of CUHK, issue CUHK degree certificates to graduates who meet the standards, and help each other and collaborate closely in the practice of running schools.
We have launched a number of cooperative courses, such as the 2+2 dual major course. This interdisciplinary course provides students with more diverse learning opportunities, allowing them to experience life and broaden their horizons in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Such course cooperation will become more popular in the future.
Adhering to the concept of "one brand, two campuses", we will further promote the smooth sharing of people, logistics, and information flow between the two campuses.
(Our reporter Yan Shenghe and Dang Wenting) (Source: Guangming Daily)