“I feel refreshed, happy and excited here at SISU,” said China’s Minister of Education Chen Baosheng. Also visiting were Song Demin, director of the general office, Liu Changya, head of the department of development planning and Hong Dayong, head of the department of degree management and postgraduate education of the MOE, Chen Qun, vice mayor of Shanghai, Yu Lijuan, deputy secretary general of Shanghai, Lu Jing, director of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Cheng Xiangmin, party secretary of Songjiang District.

Observing SISU’s innovative platform @ Honors College

Chen first arrived at Honors College, SISU’s platform for elite undergraduate development. The college aims at producing high-end talents who have patriotism, a global mindset and the skills and compentences needed to be competitive in an international job market. After observing the classes of History of Chinese Civilization (taught bilingually), Ancient Greek and English Debating, the delegation praised SISU’s innovative teaching methods and student-friendly environment.

The delegation also sat through a model class, where they watched videos produced by SISU students, who shared their on perspective on China’s achievements in the past 70 years. The visitors were all impressed by the richness of the content and the diversity of the forms

Experiencing diversity @ Museum of Language

The Museum of Language is SISU’s multi-purpose platform combining academic exploration, disciplinary education with public knowledge service, featuring a multimedia display of the diversity of world language.

After a guided tour, Chen pointed out it was the first time he visited a language-themed museum and that “there are four dimensions of integrity education: the dimension of life, knowledge, language and the other. Language is surely an essential part.” He also found how the halls are themed inspiring. The three themes are speaking, recording and translating, which presents three functions of language, i.e. connecting, documenting and  interpreting.

Communicating with staff and students @ the Activity Center and the Library

The delegation then went to the exhibition of calligraphy works by SISU staff and students at the Student Activity Room in the Activity Center. These works were created in honor of SISUers who served their country by joining the army. Chen chatted with the postgraduate students, the counsellors of ethnic minority students and the staff at the Students’ Affairs Office.

In the library hall, Chen paid a visit to the Multi-lingual Shared Learning Space and learned about the university’s book collection, including the Jiyu Collection, which was recently launched in honor of former SISU President the late Wang Jiyu. The delegation also saw the documentation of SISU’s contribution to China International Import Exposition in the past two years.

Learning about policy consultation @ China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development

The China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development, which was established in response to the calling of President Xi Jinping, has been functioning as a platform for idea-sharing between China and Arabic countries over Reform and Opening up and country governance. Chen considered the Center “an opening cause” and complimented SISU scholars’ translation of Classical Words Quoted by Xi Jinping into Arabic.

In his address to the delegation and the SISU staff, Chen acknowledged the university’s achievements, “I would like to thank SISU for its accomplishments over the years, its open spirit, its contribution and the devotion to the future.”

Promoting the quality of higher education @ the University Forum

At the University Forum held that afternoon, Jiang Feng, university council chair, and Li Yansong, president of SISU, briefed the delegation on SISU’s development and plans.

Chen spoke highly of the progress that SISU and other universities made in terms of reform and development, and urged university leaders to think deeply about the direction and focus of higher education, especially in terms of quality boost and substance enrichment. Chen named four areas that university leaders should concentrate their effort on, namely the roles of higher education institutes as an incubator of talents, a hub of think tanks, the foundation of development and the need to create more high-quality substance.

SISU has always been committed to the cultivation of students’ integrity and educational innovation, as evidenced by its proposition of the “Multilingual+” initiative. By bringing the strengths of individual disciplines together, the university has found a way to overcome many shortcomings of traditional higher education, such as a lack of competence-building and of exposure to a wider range of knowledge. It is through the university’s reformed system that SISU students can equip themselves with what they need to find a place of their own in facilitating future global affairs, from trades to diplomacy, and to policy consultation.