“2018 Overseas Young Scholars Forum” was convened at Sipailou Campus of Southeast University on December 25. Near 150assistant professors and postdoctoral fellows from renowned overseas universities in 22 countries and regions including the United States, Britain, Germany and Australia, etc. participated in the forum, covering more than 80 disciplines and 23 departments of Southeast University. The majority participants came from world-top universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University, Cambridge University and Sydney University, etc.. The forum lasted for 3 days and was composed 1 one main forum and 22 sub-forums to exchange academic ideas and discuss cooperation on the basis of fellowshipand sharing.
Zhang Guangjun, President of Southeast University, Wang Baoping,Managing Vice President, Professor Miao Changwen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Wang Zhengping, Academician of American Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, principals of various functional departments and colleges attended the opening ceremony. Managing Vice President Wang Baoping presided over the opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, President Zhang Guangjun delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the school to express his welcome and appreciations to all leaders, experts and overseas young scholars present. In his speech, President Zhang elaborated the golden opportunities and missionsconfronted by contemporary youth in the new era, and introduced the long history, profound culture background and development status of Southeast University. In addition, he pointed out that in the new era, talents shall not only be the first resource but also the strategic resource, representing and determining the success or failure of the “double first-class” construction and the future of a university. Southeast University, which has inherited the fine traditions and been always ranked among the first-class universities, has been always desiring for talents and innovation. To this end, President Zhang shared the reasons why the first-rate young scholarspreferred Southeast University from three aspects. First of all, Southeast University can provide a higher platform and stage for talents. As an excellent university, Southeast University’s comprehensive strength has continuouslyleaped upwards in recent years. Moreover, our university has achieved remarkable progress in its “double-first class” construction, highlights the first-class discipline platform and the capacity for cultivating the first-class talents, scientific and technological innovation. It has established the “1-10-100” Southeast University’s Dream Blueprint and theschool-running idea of “focusing on the frontier, service strategy, teachers-and-students oriented, and talent first”; secondly, Southeast University can provide better treatment and conditions to talents, especially in the process of in-depth implementation ofthe strategy of “strengthening the school by talents” and the continuous promotion of “high-end teacher multiplication plan” so as to constructa relatively complete talent introduction system and continue to createsound environment and eco-system of talent introduction, gathering and cultivation with all efforts; thirdly, Nanjing can provide better environment and resources for talents. Nanjing, where the Southeast University is located, is a treasure place of long-term culture, flourishing science and education, beautiful and livable. In recent years,great efforts have been devoted to promoting the construction of a renowned innovative city and the innovative ecosystem to enable Nanjing to be a yearning and gathering place of innovative talents while providing a better external environment for talents. President Zhang said that the teacher, as a sacredoccupation,shall enjoyboth honor and happiness, even love and dedication to “cultivate talents in the world”. He delivered invitations and expectations to young scholars who were interested in joining Southeast University, and expected all of us could be engaged in the great cause of strengthening moral education, cultivating people and rejuvenating the country by means of science and education so as to jointly cultivate leading talentshighlighting patriotism and internationalview, lead the future and benefit the people, and write a new chapter in the Chinese dream of the nation’s great rejuvenation with joint efforts.
Director Wang Jingquan of the Personnel Department introduced the policy on talent introduction and the remuneration system of Southeast University, and said that the school would provide services and guarantees for the talents from many perspectives in addition to providing a sound scientific research platform and remuneration.
After the opening ceremony, distinguished guests delivered wonderful speeches in the main forum. Professor Miao Changwen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Academic Committee of Southeast University, gave a keynote speech on “I’m at Southeast University”, sharing his personal growth history from enrollment by Southeast University in 1977 to the Academician; Professor Wang Zhengping, American Academy of Engineering and Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered a keynote speech at the theme of “Environment-friendly Energy Harvesting Technology”, which introduced his researches on polymer materials, electronic packaging, nano-interconnect and MEMS packaging, etc.; Cui Tiejun, Distinguished Professor of “Yangtze River ScholarAward Program” delivered the keynote speech titled as “Joining Southeast University—ToCreate A New Glory of Electronic Information. He introduced his 17-year history at Southeast University fromabandoning tenured facultyoverseas and return to China to the current winner of Yangtze River Scholar andthe second-prize winner of National Prize for Natural Sciences for twice. Professor Yao Honghong delivered the keynote report on “Building A Dream at Southeast University • Pursing Dream of Youth” and shared her 6-year history at Southeast University. She was selected as an outstanding national youth, amember of “1,000 Talents Plan”, leading young talent. Her scientific researches have been sponsored by many national and local funds of Jiangsu Province.
After the main forum, relevant departments invited young talents from the corresponding disciplines to hold sub-forums and academic seminars; where they discussed ardently and visited the laboratory to further develop academic exchanges and cooperation negotiations. During the forum, overseas young scholars also visited Sipailou Campus and the School’s History Museum.
The forum was hosted by the Personnel Department of Southeast University and co-organized by the International Cooperation Office. The sub-forums were organized by various colleges so as to set up a stage for young talents to display their academic achievements, enhance the overseas scholars’ understanding of Southeast University, inspire each other, broaden their field of view, enhance international exchanges and cooperation, promote common development of both sides, and thus facilitate the introduction, gathering and cultivation of talents at Southeast University. It is reported that on the day of the opening ceremony, 32 overseas outstanding young scholars have signed up to join in Southeast University through the “Green Channel”, among which, 18 scholars from Harvard University and Cambridge University, etc. have been employedfor Class A Perfection Posts ofSoutheast University, 12scholars from the world-renowned universities were selected for Class B Perfection Scholar Posts of Southeastern University. In addition, more than 60 outstanding young scholars from overseas have signed the intent contract based on the Southeast University's application for talents