On the morning of June 1, UM-SJTU Strategic Partnership Agreement (2012-2022) Signing Ceremony was held in Lecture Hall, Chen Ruiqiu Building on Minhang Campus.
Present at the ceremony were Philip J. Hanlon, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs of University of Michigan (UM), Ma Dexiu, Chairperson of SJTU Council, Zhang Jie, SJTU President, and Vice Presidents Lin Zhongqin, Zhang Wenjun and Huang Zhen, and Ni Jun, Dean of UM-SJTU Joint Institute (JI). Zhang Wenjun moderated the ceremony.
On behalf of SJTU, Zhang Jie congratulated the agreement signing. He pointed out that SJTU’s top mission is to cultivate high-caliber talents and the JI jointly set up by SJTU and UM in 2006 is a major step taken towards internationalization. For over six years, JI has seen breakthroughs in faculty building, innovative talent training, educational system and administrative mode. “The special educational region” has generated positive radiation effects and spillover effects, listed among national 17 reference cases for educational reform in institutes of higher learning and rated “Shanghai Model Chinese-foreign Cooperatively-run School”. Zhang Jie stressed the leading mode and concepts and successful cooperation experience promote the long-term partnership and initiate leap-forward development in the next decade.
UM fully affirmed the existing cooperation results between the two sides and placed high hopes on the future cooperation. In his speech, Philip J. Hanlon appreciated contributions made by SJTU and sectors of the society in constructing JI and said JI is a great creation for UM’s international strategies and the combined advantages of the two universities have achieved remarkable progress. He also said, the ten-year strategic partnership agreement means an all-round cooperation in terms of depth, breadth and height. The exploring experience of JI as an exchange bridge for international education resources would become “Chinese Sample” for the next decade.
JI Dean Ni Jun summed up the educational achievements in brief and interpreted cooperation highlights in the ten years to come.
In warm applause, SJTU Vice President Lin Zhongqin and UM Provost Philip J. Hanlon signed the strategic partnership agreement. Chairperson Ma Dexiu and President Zhang Jie exchanged gifts with Philip J. Hanlon.
According to the agreement, a joint administration committee will be formed of executives of both sides, to provide a high-level dialogue and strategic planning platform. The cooperative areas will be expanded from Mechanics, Electronics to Management, Public Policy, Medicine, Pharmacy, Energy, Environment and Humanities. The partnership in scientific research area will also be strengthened.
