Southern University of Science and Technology

Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)
南方科技大学
Former names
 South University of Science and Technology of China (SUSTC)
Motto Research, Innovation, Entrepreneurship
Type Public
Established 2009 (opened 2011)
Endowment ¥195,570,000 (2017)[1]
Chancellor Guo Yurong
President Chen Shiyi
Vice-president Wu Chuanyue, Tang Tao, Wang Duoxiang
Vice-Chancellor Li Fengliang
Provost Tang Tao
Academic staff
 430
Students 4374 (2017)
Undergraduates 3596 (2017)
Postgraduates 778 (2017)
130 (2016)
Location Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
22°36′02″N 113°59′41″E / 22.600556°N 113.994722°E / 22.600556; 113.994722Coordinates: 22°36′02″N 113°59′41″E / 22.600556°N 113.994722°E / 22.600556; 113.994722
Campus Urban, 480 acres (194.2 ha)
Website www.sustc.edu.cn
Main gate of the South University of Science and Technology of China
Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)
Traditional Chinese 南方科技大學
Simplified Chinese 南方科技大学

Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech, simplified Chinese: 南方科技大学; traditional Chinese: 南方科技大學; pinyin: Nánfāng Kējì Dàxué) is a public research university in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, SUSTech is a platform to experiment Chinese higher education reform. The governments of the city of Shenzhen and Guangdong province are investing heavily in the university. In the Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars rankings, SUSTech was ranked 62nd among the global top 100 institutions with most significant growth in high quality research publications; it ranked as the third fastest growing institution in the world.[2]

It changed its English name from South University of Science and Technology of China (SUSTC) to Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) after 2016.

Despite being a public university, SUSTech is administered and partly funded by the Shenzhen Municipal Government instead of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.

History

SUSTech is a very young university, with Shenzhen Government taking the decision to create it in March 2007. The first president, Zhu Qingshi, was selected in June 2009 and planning commenced. In 2011, it admitted its first 45 students without considering their Gaokao scores, and the SUSTech ordinance was passed by Shenzhen municipal government.

In April 2012, a significant milestone was reached when the university was approved by the Ministry of Education and the following September the first 188 Gaokao students were enrolled. A year later, in July 2013, SUSTech moved to its new campus in Nanshan District, Shenzhen. In January 2015 the current president, Chen Shiyi, was appointed.

Academics

Teaching model

SUSTech differs from the majority of mainland Chinese universities in that the core curriculum is delivered in English. All course materials, lectures, exams, and coursework are completed in English, with Mandarin Chinese taught separately to international students as an additional course. SUSTech applies the innovative 2+2 system, allowing undergraduates to study a varied STEM curriculum during their first two years and selecting their major at the end of their second year.

The faculty-student ratio is currently 1:12, and there is an emphasis on lab time placed throughout the curriculum from the first year onwards.

Over 90% of the teaching and research staff are overseas returnees and more than 60% have education or work experience at the world’s top 100 universities.

Schools and academic departments

SUSTech has two schools and 12 departments:

The university also has a Center for Language Education, which provides English and Mandarin Chinese courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Student life

Residential college system

View of Residential Colleges and Lake

The residential college (RC) system is a core part of the comprehensive education at SUSTech. The diverse college culture aims to help students grow responsibly, emotionally and socially, and provide them with a full range of extracurricular learning and life activities. Residential colleges spare no efforts in building a tight-knit professor-student community and provides the opportunity for peer communication across subjects as well as peer learning support.

The RC centers comprise student apartment blocks and related support facilities including sports grounds and convenience stores. Each residential college has its own name, culture, tradition, activities and non-official education program, as well as tutoring, consultation, and interest clubs.

Newly recruited students can join any residential college and make their choice based on the characteristics of each one. After entering, the residential college assigns a tutor to each student. The tutor is a full-time SUSTech professor who will guide the student in their new life at college as well as beyond the four years of study.

The dean responsibility system is applied in each residential college. Each one invites a respected professor to act as dean of the residential college, and he/she is affiliated with residential college offices to manage daily affairs.

Student associations

A variety of student-created and run organizations are on campus such as the Literature Club, Hip Hop Club, Reading Club, Sit-Com Society, Guitar Club, Calligraphy Society and Voice-Dubbing Society. Currently, there are 116 clubs and societies: 18 academic skills, 76 art and sports, 5 innovation and entrepreneurship, 6 volunteer social work and 11 others.

Lecture series

SUSTech students communicate face to face with Nobel laureates, experts, and scholars, and attend seminars, lectures and forums, which are frequently organized on campus.

SUSTech strongly advocates the interaction between theory and practice and support undergraduates’ participation in research. In the past year, the following have been held: 830 lectures (2.3 per day), 80+ academicians/fellows shared their research findings, 50 high-level forums and academic conferences, and 4 Nobel laureates visits.

Campus

SUSTech is on a scenic stretch of land with winding creeks and tree-lined hills in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen, covering an area of 1,943,800m2. The total construction area is more than 640,000m2 and will be completed in two phases. Phase I, which comprises 32 buildings and complementary facilities, is 202,600 m2, a capacity sufficient for 4,000 students with functions for teaching, research, administration, recreation and residential life. Phase II and Phase I extension is about 438,000m2, projected to be completed by 2019.

Upon completion, the campus will meet the needs of 8,000 students. The new campus enjoys convenient transportation in a natural, tranquil environment. The buildings are practical in use and modern in style. The architecture accommodates requirements of teaching, research, and management, and conveys notions of energy conservation and eco-friendliness.

View of the Lynn Library

Lynn Library

The Lynn Library is one of the newest of most sophisticated libraries in southern China. By the end of December 2016, the library’s print collection included 210,170 books (166,165 in Chinese and 44,005 in foreign languages), 123 newspapers and magazines (79 Chinese and 44 foreign), and 100 databases which hold 433,264 electronic books and 52,885 electronic journals. Moreover, by using CALIS, NSTL and Shenzhen Document Network, faculty and students can have access to resources hosted by other institutions across China and in the city of Shenzhen.

People

Professor Jiankui He and Direct Genomics Co.

In 2012, Prof. He Jiankui started the Direct Genomic company to commercialize his single molecule sequencing technology. Since then, the company has grown to 90 employees, had 4 rounds of VC fundraising and is now valued at 1.5 billion RMB.

Shenzhen Grubbs Research Institute

On May 31, 2017, the Shenzhen Grubbs Research Institute was officially inaugurated at its opening ceremony in SUSTech. Shenzhen's first research institute was named after the 2005 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Professor Robert H. Grubbs and is at SUSTech. It aims to become one of the world's leading new medicine, new materials and new energy research centers.

Times Higher Education Asian Universities Summit 2018

On February 5-7, 2018, the Times Higher Education Asian Universities Summit 2018 was held at SUSTech, the first Times Higher Education to be held in Mainland China and the largest T.H.E. summit held in Asia. The theme of the summit was 'Connecting cities, changing the world: research universities building Asia'. Over 300 delegates attended with over 20 current or former university presidents speaking at the event. The summit saw the launch of the Times Higher Education 2018 Asian University rankings.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.sustc.edu.cn/about_0 About SUSTC, Retrieved on July 19, 2016

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