Several days ago, the periodical summary and evaluation meeting on the "Double First-class" construction of Southeast University was held on Jiulonghu Campus. The experts attending the meeting carefully reviewed the materials prepared by SEU regarding its "Double First-class" construction, listened to the construction report, and highly acclaimed the achievements made by SEU in the "Double First-class" construction. They unanimously agreed that SEU's "Double First-class" construction highlighted advanced concept, clear thinking, accurate positioning and creative reform and innovation. The benchmarking construction programs featured high conformity and sound achievements. SEU has fully accomplished the assignments of building itself into a first-class university with 15 first-rate disciplines (groups) in an all-round way with high quality, making visible contributions with cases of distinctive features. Given the realization of the first objective in the "three-step development" strategy, SEU has rendered itself a strong momentum to develop a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.
The panel of experts believed that, SEU has been persisting in the educational philosophy of "Being Renowned for Science and Serving the Country with Talents", aiming at top-notch science and technology in the world, taking initiatives to serve national major demands and serving regional economic development to obtain outstanding achievements in personnel cultivation, faculty construction, scientific research, social services, cultural inheritance and innovation, international cooperation and exchanges, etc. By doing so, the university has made remarkable contributions in preparing leading talents for national rejuvenation, promoting the innovation-driven development of the country, boosting Chinese education of higher learning and enhancing international competitiveness.
The panel of experts composed of Academician Zheng Youdou from Nanjing University, Academician Liu Zhihong from General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command and School of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Academician Yu Aibing, Vice President of Monash University, Academician Lu Jun from China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Ge Daokai, Director-general of the Education Department of Jiangsu Province, Prof. Zhou Xian from Nanjing University, Academician Cheng Taining and Academician Miao Changwen from Southeast University and other well-known domestic and overseas experts and scholars, examined and commented on the SEU's "Double First-class" construction. School leaders including Zuo Wei, Zhang Guangjun, Wang Baoping, Zheng Jiamao, Ding Hui and Jin Baosheng, President Assistants Ren Zuping and Zhong Wenqi, members of the leading team and the working team of "Double First-class" construction, and relevant school and department personnel engaged in the first-class discipline construction attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by President Zhang Guangjun.
Zuo Wei, Secretary of CPC SEU Party Committee, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the university, expressing his warm welcome to the panel of experts attending this appraisal meeting and extending his sincere gratitude to the experts for their concern, support and assistance for the construction and development of SEU over the years. As he indicated, thanks to this phase of "Double First-class" construction, SEU has achieved new breakthroughs in discipline construction, talent cultivation, faculty construction, scientific research and social services, international cooperation and exchanges, etc. With notable achievements made in the course of construction, the university has greatly enhanced the comprehensive strength, significantly improved its level of school management, and increasingly raised its international influences. Besides, he invited the experts to analyze the "Double First-class" construction of the school, and give valuable comments and suggestions for the school's future development as many as possible.
The appraisal session was presided over by Zheng Youdou, head of the panel of experts. Wang Baoping, head of the "Double First-class" construction working team and Executive Vice President, has reported to the panel of experts on the progress made by the school in the "Double First-class" construction.
The panel of experts believed that SEU, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, carried out the spirits of the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities, the National Symposium for Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory, the National Education Conference and the National Conference on Graduate Education; persisted in the socialist educational orientation and focused on creating first-rate prestige with Chinese characteristics worldwide to fully implement the fundamental assignments of moral cultivation and quality education. In addition, as led by thoughts and cultures and driven by innovative systems and mechanisms for intensive development, SEU has greatly advanced the modernization of its governance system and capacity. As a result, SEU has accomplished the assignments of building a "Double First-class" university for the period from 2016 to 2020 with high quality in terms of deepening reform, serving demands and expanding cooperation.
Through the "Double First-class" construction, SEU has not only boosted its integrated strength, but also perfected its internal management system and measurement. To be specific, firstly, forming a top-notch pattern of undergraduate and graduate education, the quality of talent cultivation has been highly recognized by the society. Secondly, based on visible improvements in quality and morality of teachers, the scale of top-ranking scientists, academic leaders and innovation teams is steadily expanded. Thirdly, prominent results can be seen in terms of original innovations, social service, cultural inheritance and innovation. Finally, the connotations of internationalized education have been notably enhanced to exert greater international influences.
The penal of experts considered that according to the discipline layout of "Powerful Engineering, Advantaged Science, Competitive Literal Art and Characteristic Medicine", SEU has further deepened the connotations of its 15 top-notch disciplines (groups) and greatly improved the discipline levels. Such basic, cutting-edge, newly-emerging, inter-disciplinary and characteristic subjects as Cyberspace Science and Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Information, Integrated Circuit and Critical Care Medicine, developed quickly. Engineering Science, Computer Science and other disciplines are ranked top in the world. A number of disciplines are listed among the world's first-rate disciplines. All these have constituted a disciplinary ecosystem characterized by multidisciplinary integration and coordinated development.
The panel of experts has offered opinions and suggestions from different perspectives for accelerating the construction, and unanimously agreed to pass the appraisal on the construction cycle of SEU from 2016 to 2020. They also recommended that Southeast University should further promote its prospective thinking, strategic layout and overall progress for the next cycle of "Double First-class" construction so as to build itself into a world-class university with Chinese characteristics as soon as possible and deliver more contributions to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and facilitating the development and advance of human civilization.
Zhang Guangjun made a conclusion and thanked for the appraisal work and long-term concern and support of all the experts. He said that based on the opinions and suggestions given by the panel of experts, SEU shall further summarize and refine the cycle of "Double First-class" construction, and integrate the summarized lessons and development orientation into the "14th Five-Year Plan", so as to better promote and deepen the "Double First-class" construction. Apart from this, he also expected continued concern and support from all the experts. SEU will never let them down and make its due contributions to building China into an education power and a world's scientific power.
In recent years, concentrating on the "1-10-100 SEU Dream", SEU has made continuous efforts in promoting its transformation and development. SEU insists on deepening the theme of "Year of Talents" and innovating systems and mechanisms for the intensive development so as to promote the comprehensive reform in an all-round way. Based on the overall planning of "A General Goal, Three Development Principles, Three Strategic Focuses and Four Important Guarantees", vigorous efforts shall be made to implement the "Six Supporting Plans". Meanwhile, by virtue of major measures such as developing discussion on educational thoughts, arranging meetings for school's scientific and technological works and personnel, and promoting the construction of a "Beautiful Southeast University", SEU shall strive to shatter all institutional obstacles to launch a set of modern governance system with Chinese characteristics and highlighting SEU features that can greatly match with world's best universities.
The university has redefined its development goals, orientation and targets of talent cultivation to implement the basic assignment of "Morality Establishment and Talent Cultivation", and set a goal of nurturing patriotic talents with global vision to lead the future and benefit the mankind. With fruitful achievements in talent cultivation, SEU has won 9 National Teaching Achievement Awards, ranking the third domestically. At the same time, the university adheres to the "Four Orientations" in scientific and technological innovations to support the national innovation-driven development strategy and serve the economic and social development. Therefore, abundant successful scientific researches have been conducted, with 16 State Science and Technology Prizes from 2016 to 2019, ranking the eighth domestically. According to the latest global ESI statistics as released on September 11, SEU's preferential discipline of engineering was ranked among Top 10,000 in ESI Global Discipline Ranking, ranking the 15th globally. This is the first time for disciplines of Jiangsu universities to enter Top 10,000 in the world. Up to now, there are only nine universities having disciplines ranked Top 10,000 in ESI global ranking.
Photos by Zhang Min, Hang Tian, Pang Kangbo
Written by Dong Xuan
Revised by Shu Yuan
Proofread by Eric Song, Melody Zhang
Edited by Sha Lu
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