On December 9, the third meeting of the International Advisory Council (IAC) of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) was held.

This year's IAC was hosted virtually, and took the form of two sessions: one for the Asia Pacific region held from 09:00-10:05, and one for the Eurasian region held from 17:00-18:05. In total, 17 senior leaders from the global higher education sector were in attendance. Professor Chunmiao ZHENG, Vice Provost (Global Strategies) & Director, SUSTech Global facilitated the meeting.

IAC Chair, Henry T. YANG, Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara gave the opening remarks in the Asia-Pacific session while Max LU, President & Vice Chancellor of the University of Surrey gave them for the Eurasia session which he welcomed the new IAC members, introduced President Qikun XUE, and paid tribute to previous SUSTech President, Shiyi CHEN.

President Qikun XUE delivered a report to the IAC members titled “State of the University: A Presidential Report 2018-2021” which explored SUSTech's highlights since the 2018 IAC meeting, the progress made over the past three years, new opportunities and initiatives, and the university's vision and goals for the future. He specifically outlined the new strategic plan for scientific breakthroughs in fundamental research and the key applied technology development plan.

IAC members commended SUSTech on its progress over the past three years, commented on the significant work that has taken place and praised the transformative initiatives to push forward further development. Participants discussed the university governance structure, faculty recruitment, reform in teaching methods, technology transfer, the expansion of international partnerships and more. IAC members pledged their continued support to SUSTech as it enters the second decade of its development and expressed their wish to see the university become world class.

In his closing remarks, after thanking the members for their participation and support, President XUE expressed his wholehearted wish that the next IAC meeting could take place on the SUSTech campus in Shenzhen. He hoped that future cooperation between SUSTech and its partner institutions may continue to be as fruitful as possible.

The IAC is an esteemed group of prestigious and influential presidents and academic leaders across the globe. For the 2021 meeting, 17 of 19 members were present across the two sessions, including Henry T. YANG (IAC Chair), Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara; Xinhe BAO, President of the University of Science and Technology of China; Jean-Lou CHAMEAU, President Emeritus of California Institute of Technology (CALTECH); Tony F. CHAN, President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); David W. LEEBRON, President of Rice University; Jianhua LIN, Former President of Peking University; Zhongqin LIN, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; David RICHARDSON, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia; Louise RICHARDSON, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Choon Fong SHIH, University Professor of the National University of Singapore; Samuel L. STANLEY Jr., President of Michigan State University; and TAN Eng Chye, President of the National University of Singapore.

New members joining the IAC for 2021 were Binglin GU, Former President of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China; Moo Hwan KIM, President of Pohang University of Science and Technology, in Pohang, South Korea; Hideo OHNO, President of Tohoku University in Japan; Eloïc PEYRACHE, Dean & Professor of HEC Paris, France; and Max LU, President & Vice Chancellor of the University of Surrey, also in the UK, who chaired the second Eurasian session. Shitij KAPUR, Vice-Chancellor of King's College, London, and Deborah TERRY, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Queensland are also new IAC members.

Fengliang LI, University Council Chair, Qikun XUE, University President and University Council Vice-Chair, Chun LU, Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer, Dongxiao ZHANG, Provost & Vice-President (Academic Affairs), and other university leaders attended the meeting.

By SUSTech Global, Christopher Clarke

Proofread By Adrian Cremin, Yingying XIA