1. education
2. alumni and reunions

SYSU WORLD
JANUARY 2015 | ISSUE 4
2014: The Year in Review
• SYSU Featured in Nature Index 2014
• SYSU-JHU Collaboration Program launches its Third
Round of Local Clinical Research Courses and Related
Activities on North Campus
• SYSU Held Sum-up Meeting of 90th Anniversary
Celebrations Activities on North Campus
• SYSU Teams Gain Good Results in the 11th “Huawei
Cup” National Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in
Modeling
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
EDITOR'S NOTE
Thank you for reading this issue of SYSU World,
the official English language newsletter for Sun
Yat-sen University. Students, faculty, and staff
2
2014: The Year in Review
4
SYSU Holds Summary Meeting of
90th Anniversary Celebrations
5
Academics
have turned their calendars to 2015 as the entire
University community prepares for an exciting year
on campus. Before we get in to what the New Year
has in store, we invite you to take a moment to
review the year that was. 2014 at SYSU was a year
marked by development, progress and celebration.
In this issue you can find review of just what made
• Opening Ceremony of 2014 International Conference
on Entrepreneurship for College Students held in SYSU
the past year so special, from advancements in
research and teaching to the recently celebrated
90th anniversary of the University’s founding.
Also included in this issue are closer looks at the
7
Research
• SYSU Researchers Find that Sprite is the Best Hangover
Cure
• SYSU Featured in Nature Index 2014
University’s ongoing international collaborations,
as well as some insights into activities on campus
for international students. We appreciate your
continued interest in SYSU World and we hope you
will stay tuned for future editions of the newsletter.
8
International Cooperation
• SYSU-JHU Collaboration Program launches its third round
of local clinical research courses and related activities on
North Campus
• Sino-French Symposium on Thoracic Oncology held
10 Student Activities
• SYSU teams make their mark in the 11th “Huawei
Cup” National Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in
Modeling
• SYSU students volunteer at the World Family
Summit+10
• SYSU Students Volunteer for The 2nd Guangzhou
Award Ceremony and Two International Conferences
• Voluntary Cultural Tour, Teaching You & Me Together
• SYSU team wins first prize in the 1st Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Competition of University Students
of Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 1
2014 REVIEW
2014: The Year in Review
2014 has been an exceptional year for Sun Yat-sen University, from celebrating the 90th anniversary
of the University’s founding, to conducting comprehensive reforms; it has been a year worth
remembering, a year in which Sun Yat-sen University has made abundant new achievements on the
foundation of past progress.
Comprehensive reforms
In the past year, the University put great effort
into deepening comprehensive reforms in a
variety of aspects, including personnel training,
internal management mechanisms, personnel
systems, academic research management
systems, and discipline structuring. The “Sun
Yat-sen University Statute” formulated by the
University has been approved by the Ministry
of Education. It provides stipulations on major
and fundamental issues of the University such
as the educational objectives, external relations,
internal management mechanisms and various
university affairs. On the other hand the University
has also established the First SYSU Advisory
Board as a senior consultative body providing
advice and counsel for the University’s decision
making. It acts as a bridge and liaison that closely
and comprehensively connects the University
with all walks of the society, and gathers wisdom
and guidance to promote the development of the
University.
Party Secretary Zheng Detao and Prof. Roger David
Kornbergat at the first Advisory Board Inaugural Meeting
2 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
90th Anniversary Celebration
90th Anniversary Celebration at South Campus
Last year, SYSU celebrated the 90th anniversary
of the founding of the University. Centered on
the theme of “academic study and alumni”, the
celebration enjoyed popular acclaim among
the entire SYSU community. The distinguished
scholars’ lecture series featured several Nobel
Laureates and world-class scholars, and offered
a feast of knowledge and culture to the students.
The alumni events gathered SYSU alumni from
around the world and demonstrated the joy of
homecoming. The 90th Anniversary has to a great
extent raised the prestige and influence of the
University at home and abroad.
International Collaboration
In the past year, SYSU continued to blossom in its
international collaborations, with the number of its
global institutional partners exceeding 230. On the
2014 REVIEW
basis of the achievements of the first phase of collaboration with John Hopkins University Medical
School, SYSU signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Phase II collaboration, and extended
collaboration to medical education, residency training, and medical services, aiming to construct an
international joint research center. Another achievement worth noting is SYSU’s collaboration with
Carnegie Mellon University. Last year, SYSU became a founding partner in CMU’s brain research
initiative. SYSU will integrate its cutting edge resources in supercomputing, medical science,
information science and technology as well as neuroscience to participate in CMU’s interdisciplinary
research and talent training.
SYSU-JHU Signing Ceremony of MOU on Phase II Collaboration
Research breakthrough: Novel Oncolytic Virus identified
A significant research breakthrough was made by SYSU in the past year. Prof. Guangmei Yan and
his research group at SYSU discovered that a novel oncolytic alphavirus, M1, isolated in China’s
Hainan Island, can selectively kill various cultured cancer cells without affecting the primary normal
ones. They have proven the molecular genetic mechanism of the selectivity of M1, and the deficiency
of Zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP) in certain tumors is correlated with the oncolytic efficacy of M1.
These findings have profound significance in the development of new targeted anti-cancer drugs for
personalized therapy. The research result was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America on October 7th, 2014.
The year of 2015 has arrived, and the University has entered a new era of its development. With
the continued joint effort of SYSU leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the entire SYSU
community, the University will continue to strive toward achieving its goal of blossoming into a worldclass comprehensive university with international impact.
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 3
90th ANNIVERSARY
SYSU Holds Summary Meeting for 90th
Anniversary Celebrations
On the afternoon of December 31, 2014, the summary
meeting for SYSU’s 90th anniversary celebrations was
held in Swasey Hall on South Campus. Prof. Zheng
Detao, Secretary of SYSU Party Committee; Prof. Chen
Chunsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice
President of SYSU; Prof. Yu Minbin, Vice President of
SYSU; Mr. Chen Shaobin, Assistant President of SYSU;
and representatives of relevant departments, schools and
departments, affiliated hospitals, logistics group, security
office, student volunteers, and alumni attended the event.
The meeting was presided over by Prof. Li Ping, Deputy
Secretary of SYSU Party Committee.
Alumni representative Fang Shizhuang making a speech
Ji Liangnian affirmed the success of the series of
anniversary activities; Prof. Zhang Rongfang thanked the
various departments for their efforts; Huge Jile, Manager
of the First Student Cafeteria, and Lei Xinhua, Head of
the Campus Security Team, made useful suggestions. Liu
Zhanpeng from the School of Sociology and Anthropology,
Fu Jianshu from the School of Education, and Liu Xu from
the School of Nursing, shared their stories and feelings on
behalf of student volunteers.
Academician Ji Liangnian making a speech
Prof. Zheng Detao thanked the faculty, students,
alumni, and friends who supported the 90th anniversary
celebrations. He said that the activities, which were
themed on “academic study and alumni”, were wellorganized and enjoyed popular acclaim. He hoped that
more efforts would be made to serve the alumni and
raise the prestige of the University. SYSU alumnus Li
Ying made a series of short movies based on the stories
of alumni couples in the event “I Met You at SYSU”. The
audience watched some clips, reliving the wonderful
moments in the anniversary celebrations. Then, Chen
Wangnan, Director of the President’s Office; Huang Yi,
Secretary of SYSU CYL Committee; Qiu Guoxin, Director
of the Publicity Department; Meng Cuiyang, Director of the
Office for International Cooperation and Comprehensive
Management; and Li Hanrong, Director of Education
Development & Alumni Affairs Office; gave summaries of
their respective work during the anniversary celebrations.
Mr. Fang Shizhuang, President of the SYSU Alumni
Association in Australia, said that the alumni could feel the
warmth during the anniversary celebrations; Academician
Prof. Chen Chunsheng made a concluding speech, in
which he talked about the importance of rituals from an
Student volunteer representative Liu Zhanpeng making a speech
anthropological perspective. Different from our routine
work, the whole ritual in the 90th anniversary celebrations
gave us new experience and motivation to do our best in
constructing the university system and preparing for the
centennial anniversary of the University.
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 4
ACADEMICS
Opening Ceremony of 2014 International
Conference on Entrepreneurship for College
Students held in SYSU
On December 13, the Opening Ceremony for the
2014 International Conference on Entrepreneurship
for College Students was held in K.K. Leung Hall on
the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. The
conference was authorized by the Department of
College Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education,
sponsored by the China Higher Education Student
Information and Career Center, and organized by
Sun Yat-sen University and NEW JINCIN. Over 50
scholars in entrepreneurship education and guidance
from China and abroad, and over 700 representatives
from employment and entrepreneurship services as
well as universities attended the event. Mr. Chen
Shun, Assistant Minister of Education, Member of the
CPC Leading Group of Ministry of Education; Mr. Gao
Wenbing, Chairman of University Entrepreneurship
Education Guidance Committee of Ministry of
Education, Party Secretary of Central South University;
Mr. Du Huiliang, Director of the College Department
in the Central Committee of the Communist Youth
League, Secretary-General of All-China Students
Federation; Mr. Jing Degang, Deputy Director-General
of Department of College Student Affairs of Ministry of
Education; Mr. Zhang Jidong, Deputy Director of China
Higher Education Student Information and Career
Center; Mr. Zheng Qingshun, Deputy Director-General
of Department of Education of Guangdong Province;
Prof. Chen Chunsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary
and Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University; and
Prof. Yan Guangmei, Vice President of Sun Yatsen University, attended the opening ceremony. The
opening ceremony was presided over by Mr. Zhang
Fengyou, Director of the China Higher Education
Student Information and Career Center. Mr. Chen
Shun pointed out in his speech that innovation and
entrepreneurship education is of significance in
the new environment of economic development.
Entrepreneurship guidance should provide professional
and individualized services for college students. To
achieve this goal, we need to gather resources from the
government, society, universities, and enterprises to
strengthen the construction of entrepreneurship bases
and entrepreneurship incubators for college students.
The opening ceremony of 2014 International Conference on Entrepreneurship for
College Students
5 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
ACADEMICS
Mr. Chen Shun
Mr. Du Huiliang
Mr. Du Huiliang said that this conference is necessary
for responding to social concerns and the needs of
young people. He suggested that we should nurture
entrepreneurship in college students, “give them fish,
teach them how to fish, and inspire their desire to start
their own businesses”. Mr. Zheng Qingshun introduced
the working system of employment and entrepreneurship
for college students in Guangdong Province. He
hoped that through this conference we could share
the latest achievements in research and practice, and
explore a long-term mechanism for innovation and
entrepreneurship education. Prof. Chen Chunsheng
delivered a welcome speech on behalf of Sun Yat-sen
University. He said that Sun Yat-sen University has set
up a support mechanism for entrepreneurship education
and that he hoped this conference would bring new
ideas and new methods for the participants and
Vice President Chen Chunsheng
Mr. Zheng Qingshun
improve the guidance and practice of entrepreneurship
education. Mr. Thomas W. Clawson, President and CEO
of the National Board for Certified Counselors in the
United States; Ms. Ye Jingyi, Deputy Party Secretary
of Peking University; Mr. Shen Jiong, a graduate from
Donghua University; and Mr. Wu Zhenggao, Vice
President of the Beijing Huatu Hongyang Education &
Culture Corp., Ltd., gave a speech on behalf of foreign
experts, Chinese universities, young entrepreneurs,
and venture capital institutions respectively. They
talked about the tasks, challenges and responsibilities
of universities, businesses and students in
entrepreneurship. The signing ceremony of CHINESE
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS VENTURE FUND – Branch
Fund of Fudan Science Park & the award ceremony for
2014 Chinese University Students Venture Fund were
also held at the opening ceremony.
Mr. Thomas W. Clawson
Ms. Ye Jingyi
Issue 4| January| SYSU World |6
RESEARCH
SYSU Researchers Find that Sprite is the Best
Hangover Cure
Ditch the raw eggs - fizzy pop is the best cure
for the morning after a big night, according to
Sun Yat-sen University scientists. Forget orange
juice, black coffee, raw eggs or even a hair of
the dog, the latest hangover cure revelation is
Sprite. Experts say reaching for a cold can of
the fizzy drink may help you get over the night
before a lot quicker. Chinese researchers at SYSU
examined 57 beverages - ranging from herbal teas
to fizzy pop - before concluding that the lemon
and lime drink performed the best. Why do we
get hangovers? When we drink alcohol our livers
release an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase
(ADH) which breaks down the ethanol in alcohol
into a chemical called acetaldehyde - ensuring that
less alcohol enters the bloodstream. Next the body
breaks the acetaldehyde down into acetate by an
enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
It’s the over-exposure to acetaldehyde that causes
hangover symptoms, so anything that accelerates
the process of creating the harmless acetate
is more likely to sooth your aching head. In the
tests, Sprite sped up the ALDH process, causing
alcohol to be broken down more quickly, thereby
reducing hangovers. On the bright side, hangover
headaches become less of a problem with age.
The headaches are the result of alcohol damaging
the brain, causing it to swell temporarily and crash
against the skull. But as we age our brains shrink,
so there is more room for it to swell before it hits
the bone.
Source:http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/
sprite-is-the-best-hangover-cure-11363839762196
SYSU Featured in Nature Index 2014
Nature, the highly prestigious scientific journal,
recently published a report about the contributions
of Chinese researchers and research institutions
to global scientific progress. The report, titled
Nature Index 2014: China, used data to profile
and compare a wide range of Chinese cities and
universities. In the section about Guangzhou,
Sun Yat-sen University was heralded as the city’s
leading research base. With particular strengths
in chemistry and chemical engineering, SYSU
contributed almost a full half of the total amount
of top-level research coming out of Guangzhoubased research institutions. The Index gave special
attention to the efforts of SYSU’s Zhongshan
School of Medicine to combat infectious diseases.
Guangzhou, with its dense population, sub-
7 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
tropical climate, and heavy flow of business and
leisure travelers, is a place where extra vigilance
in disease prevention is required. In November
2014, Zhongshan School of Medicine held its
first symposium on dengue fever control using
Wolbachia — a bacterium that infects mosquitoes
and stops the dengue virus from replicating.
Researchers hope that a collaborative effort
between China, Australia and the United States will
lead to safe, low-cost and environmentally sound
methods for eradicating the disease. Guangzhou
will conduct its first field trial of the technique next
year.
Source: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/
v516/n7531_supp/full/516S73a.html
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
SYSU-JHU Collaboration Program launches its
third round of local clinical research courses
and related activities on North Campus
On December 4-8, 2014, a delegation from Johns
Hopkins University (JHU) visited Sun Yat-sen
University (SYSU) again for a 5-day local training
program, covering courses in Clinical Investigation,
Clinical Coordination, Research Finance, and
Advanced Principal Investigation. In addition to the
educational training, representatives on both sides
also held extensive consultations and meetings
about the working plan for Phase II of their
collaboration.
The local training program kicked off on December
4. Receiving positive feedback from previous
trainees, the five-day intensive training program
was mainly targeted at participants who excelled
in the antecedent online courses. All the courses
included both lectures and group discussions.
Besides, this time JHU instructors taught newly
designed short-term courses in Research Finance
and Advanced Principal Investigation to over 30
research financial executives and 50 senior clinical
researchers respectively.
During the training, representatives from both
universities also conducted interviews to select
visiting scholars to JHU in 2015. In Phase
II collaboration, SYSU will continue to send
outstanding clinical researchers, research
administrators and relevant research faculty and
staff to JHU for professional clinical research
training, which is an important means for the
development of SYSU clinical research personnel.
The collaboration program has been in place
for more than one year, and JHU has finished
the clinical research infrastructure assessment
for SYSU and submitted the corresponding
assessment report. Based on the report, SYSU
will further improve the Phase II collaboration plan
and complete the construction of the International
Clinical and Translational Research Center (ICTR).
During the JHU delegation’s visit, both sides had
lively discussions on the current achievements,
working plan and future challenges from the
aspects of scholar cultivation, IRB, research
integrity, clinical research education, and ICTR
construction, among other topics. Both universities
agreed that the Phase I collaboration has been
quite successful and the next phase will focus on
establishing an international standardized Clinical
and Translational Research center to strengthen its
function of human resources development, project
management and research project collaboration.
In addition, the visiting scholars who have been
trained at JHU in previous sections spontaneously
organized a SYSU Clinical Research Salon, holding
the launch ceremony on December 6. SYSU Vice
president Li Mengfeng and working group members
from SYSU and JHU attended the event. In the first
salon the agenda included individual experience
sharing and research presentations. The salon will
be held every month focusing on topics in clinical
research and is open to the faculty and students in
SYSU.
Since SYSU and JHU signed Phase I Collaboration
Agreement two years ago, the two universities have
held many academic activities. Currently, the two
universities are working on the details of Phase II of
the collaboration agreement, which is scheduled to
be signed in January 2015.
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 8
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Sino-French Symposium on Thoracic
Oncology Held at SYSU
On November 22-23, 2014, the Department of Thoracic
Surgery of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
(SYSUCC) held the Sino-French Symposium on Thoracic
Oncology, gathering renowned experts from Gustave
Roussy, Centre Chirurgical Marie Lannelongue and Centre
Jean Perrin in France as well as many institutions in China.
Twelve French speakers accompanied by some twenty
of their Chinese counterparts, gave lectures divided on 7
sessions: Early Stage of NSCLC and Minimally Invasive
Surgery, Multi-Disciplinary Treatment And Targeted Therapy
In Lung Cancer, Oral Chemotherapy, New Drug therapy
for NSCLC, Innovation in Thoracic Surgical Techniques
and Treatment, Surgical Treatment on Trachea and Rare
Thoracic Tumor, and Innovation Treatment in Thoracic
Cancer.
At the opening ceremony of the symposium, Doctor
Benjamin Besse, representing Gustave Roussy, and
Professor Olaf Mercier, representing Centre Chirurgical
Marie Lannelongue, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Professor Lanjun Zhang, Head of the
Thoracic Surgery Department, opening a new road for
Sino-French research and clinical advances in lung cancer.
Mr Bertrand Furno, Consul General of France in
Guangzhou, Mr Benoît Sevcik, Advisor for Social Affairs
at the French Embassy in Beijing, Mr Christophe Bonté
and Mrs Dora Courbon-Tavcar, representatives from the
Scientific Division of the French Consulate in Guangzhou,
also attended the event.
From left to right: Prof. Olaf Mercier, Prof. Zhang Lanjun, Dr. Benjamin Besse
9 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
Gustave-Roussy is one of the world's leading cancerresearch institutes and the biggest health center dedicated
to oncology in Europe. Internationally renowned for
its cutting-edge technology and its innovative therapy,
Gustave Roussy is at the forefront in very promising areas
such as personalized medicine and tomorrow’s therapies
(immunotherapy, DNA repair inhibitors, and epigenetic
modulators).
The Center Chirurgical Marie Lannelongue is a nonprofit organization specializing in Thoracic surgery and
interventions(heart, lungs, major vessels, etc.) as well
as a university teaching hospital ensuring cutting edge
medical practices. Historically preeminent nationally and
internationally in the treatment of adult and infant thoracic
and cardiovascular pathologies, the CCML has always
been at the edge of medical practice (First heart-lung
transplant: June 1986, First double-lung transplant:1988,
First pulmonary endarteriectomy: 1995, First total tracheal
replacement using a vascularised, autologous fasciocutaneous free-flap: 2007 (in collaboration with Dr. F. Kolb
from Gustave Roussy).
The Center Jean Perrin was created in 1973 and is one of
the 20 anticancer centers open in France. The center offers
multidisciplinary treatments such as imaging, biology and
pathology, surgery,radiation therapy, medical treatment,
supportive care, palliative care and works together with the
University Hospital on education and research matters.
From left to right: Prof. Marc Filaire, Dr. Dominique Fabre, Mr Bertrand Furno, Prof.
Olaf Mercier, Prof. Zhang Lanjun, Mr Benoît Sevcik, Prof. Jean-Pierre Armand, Dr.
Benjamin Besse, Prof. Ma Jun, Prof. Ju Liya, Prof. Lin Peng
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
SYSU teams make their mark in the 11th “Huawei Cup”
National Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling
On December 13, 2014, the award ceremony of the 11th
“Huawei Cup” National Postgraduate Mathematical Contest
in Modeling was held in Tianjin University. Representatives
of the China Academic Degrees & Graduate Education
Development Center of the Ministry of Education, participating
universities, research institutes and winners, a total of over
600 people attended the ceremony.
The contest attracted nearly 15,000 graduate students
forming 4,900 teams from 371 universities and research
institutes. SYSU sent 22 teams, winning 1 first prize, 4
second prizes and 5 third prizes. Instructed by Prof. Wang
Qiru from School of Mathematics and Computational Science,
the team made up of three graduate students from School of
Information Science and Technology (Wang Bingjie, Huang
Jianli and Xiao Jian) won first prize. Han Xinna and Xiao Jian
attended the award ceremony as the teacher representative
and the student representative of SYSU respectively.
The National Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling
is one of the “National Graduate Student Innovation Practice
Series Activities”, sponsored by the China Academic Degrees
First prize winners Wang Bingjie (left), Xiao Jian (middle) and Huang Jianli (right)
& Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry
of Education, with the aim to encourage innovation and team
work, and improve graduate students’ ability to solve practical
problems by mathematical modeling. Since 2004, SYSU has
actively participated in the contest and achieved good results.
SYSU students volunteer at the World Family Summit+10
Family Summit+10 was joined by over 200 foreign
guests including senior officials from different countries,
representatives of the United Nations and other international
agencies, directors of NGOs, as well as experts and
scholars. Madam Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of China,
delivered a keynote speech. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, sent a message to the
summit.
SYSU students volunteer at the World Family Summit+10
On December 2-4, 2014, the World Family Summit+10 was
held in Zhuhai. Forty-two Students from School of Foreign
Languages (FLS) and School of International Studies
(SIS) of Sun Yat-sen University volunteered for the event,
offering professional translation and interpreting services for
international guests and participants.
Co-organized by National Health and Family Planning
Commission and World Family Organization, the World
The tasks of SYSU student volunteers included VIP oneon- one reception, translation and interpretation, pickup and
drop-off, etc, with the working languages being English,
French, Arabic and Portuguese. In early November, a month
before the Summit, the volunteers attended an intensive
training and drill program organized by Zhuhai Education
Bureau and the Communist League Committee of Zhuhai.
The program covered reception language skills, human
geographic features of Zhuhai, and an introduction to the
World Family Summit. All volunteers started working on
November 30.
When the summit concluded on December 4, SYSU
volunteers earned wide acclaim from the guests, participants
and organizers. Their professional and conscientious
services were highly appreciated by Dr. Deisi Kusztra,
President of the World Family Organization.
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 10
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
SYSU Students Volunteer for The 2nd Guangzhou
Award Ceremony and Two International
Conferences
On November 27-29, 2014, the 2nd Guangzhou
International Award for Urban Innovation of
the 2014 China International Friendship Cities
Conference & Guangzhou International Urban
Innovation Conference was held at Guangzhou
Baiyun International Convention Center. More than
600 participants from 56 countries and regions
attended the events.
At the invitation of the organizers, the School of
Foreign Languages Youth League Committee
at SYSU took charge of enrolling, training and
organizing SYSU foreign languages volunteers
for the award ceremony and two conferences. 22
SYSU students, 20 of whom are members of the
Volunteer Team of School of Foreign Languages,
volunteered for the events from November 25 to
SYSU Volunteers
30. They assisted the reception work and logistics
coordination. They attended to their duties, and
demonstrated the charisma that is typical of SYSU
students. With the successful conclusion of the
events, SYSU student volunteers garnered wide
acclaim from the participants and organizers for
their conscientious and efficient service.
Ever since volunteering in the 1st Guangzhou
Award ceremony in 2012, the Volunteer Team of
School of Foreign Languages has been dedicated
to the voluntary service in major international
events in Guangzhou, including Global Summit of
SME Leaders, Going to Latin America Forum, and
Imperial Springs Summit – 2014 China-Australia
Economic Forum.
SYSU Volunteers
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 11
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Voluntary Cultural Tour, Teaching You
& Me Together
in class for students to have group discussions, after which
the students stated their opinions freely in English. It aimed
to ensure that each student had a chance to open their
mouths and speak English.
Meanwhile, the high school students excitedly participated
in the interactive activities. They spoke English confidently
and their witty answers impressed all. Outside, bitter winds
blew harshly; inside, enthusiasm lit up the atmosphere.
Each and every one of them was bathed in this relaxing
and pleasant climate.
Group photo of volunteers from the ISA, School of International Studies
On the afternoon of December 12, 2014, the voluntary
teaching program “VOLUNTARY Cultural Tour, TEACHING
You & Me Together” was held at Zhuhai Experimental
Middle School. It was co-organized by the International
Student Association (ISA) of School of International
Studies, Sun Yat-sen University and Zhuhai Experimental
Middle School. The attendees included ISA tutor Ye Weiyin,
foreign teacher of School of Foreign Languages Sven
Albrecht, international students Santana Bugzel, Collin
Schaefer, Pawel Jan Gawronski, Jonas Matthias Sassin,
Daria Chepruchenko, Irina Goruleva and Leyla Al-Khamza,
as well as other members and volunteers of the ISA.
At about 2:30 pm, the international students and volunteers
arrived at Zhuhai Experimental Middle School. They had
a tour around the beautiful campus and received warm
welcome from the teachers and students. As the bell
rang, the amazing teaching tour officially began. In class,
international students enthusiastically introduced their own
cultures, led group discussions, played games and put on
performances. For example, Pawel raised a lot of questions
Pawel led a group discussion
12 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
The second part of the class was about high school
students presenting aspects of Chinese culture, such as
Chinese calligraphy, cuisine and wedding customs. Some
classes even demonstrated the art of paper-cutting on site
and invited professionals to teach international students
Leyla raised questions in the class
Tai chi. After the class, these "fans" of our international
students gave presents to their “idols”, sought autographs
and took pictures with them. Everyone was reluctant to see
them leave.
After the activity, Director Sun of Zhuhai Experimental
Middle School said to the volunteers: “We’re grateful for this
opportunity. It enables our students to communicate with
international students from different countries. Besides,
it is particularly worth mentioning here that ISA has done
a good job in all aspects, like contingency planning and
activity schemes.” Pawel said in the interview: “I was
worried that students might have difficulty in understanding
my English before the class, but it seems that my worries
are unnecessary. They can speak English quite well. If I
had to describe this experience in one word, it would be
“enjoyment”.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
SYSU team wins first prize in the 1st Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Competition of University Students of
Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
On the afternoon of December 9, the final of
the 3rd China Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Competition (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)
and the 1st Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Competition of University Students of
Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
ended in success in the Guangdong Science
Center. Mr. Wu Yi, Deputy Secretary of the Party
Committee of Torch High Technology Industry
Development Center, Ministry of Science and
Technology; Mr. Huang Ningsheng, Director
General of Guangdong Provincial Department
of Science and Technology; Mr. Chi Zhixiong,
SYSU team “We Are Young” presenting its demo at the final competition
Mr. Wu Yi said that the competition offers a
venue for communication and exchange between
university students from Guangdong, Hong Kong,
Macau and Taiwan, and provides policy support,
incubation and funding for excellent projects.
He hoped that the competition would become a
platform for integrating “government, industry,
university, research and application”. In his
words, these factors could combine to become “a
paradise for entrepreneurs”.
Mr. Wu Yi delivering a speech
Deputy Secretary of CYL Guangdong Provincial
Committee; Mr. Lou Xukui, Mayor of Panyu
District; Prof. Chen Chunsheng, Executive
Deputy Secretary & Vice President of Sun Yatsen University; representatives from universities
in Hong Kong and Taiwan; representatives
from venture capital institutions and industrial
institutions in Beijing, Guangdong and Taiwan;
as well as nearly 300 teachers and students
from Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center
attended the event.
The team “Dr. Sun Yat-sen 3D Animation Movie” presenting its demo at
the final competition
13 | SYSU World | January | Issue 4
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Mr. Huang Ningsheng said that the
competition is aimed at promoting
communication and integration for
university students in Guangdong, Hong
Kong, Macau and Taiwan in technological
innovation, cultural creation and
entrepreneurial practice. He welcomed the
young talents to start their businesses in
Guangdong.
final was comprised of two sessions: a
five-minute demo and a five-minute Q&A.
Through evaluation by the main judges
and venture capital judges, the team “We
Are Young” from Sun Yat-sen University
and the team "Plugtech Precision Systems
Limited” from Hong Kong Polytechnic
University won the first prizes in the Team
Group.
Vice President Chen Chunsheng thanked
the organizers of the competition. He said
that Sun Yat-sen University has formed a
solid entrepreneurship education system
through courses, competitions, societies,
bases and Entrepreneurship Whampoa
Class. SYSU will work with its partners
to build the University Student Innovation
and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base.
Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Department of Science
and Technology, and Guangdong Technology Financial Group signing
the Agreement to Jointly Build University Student Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Incubation Base
After two days of fierce competition, 8
teams entered the final competition. The
Issue 4| January| SYSU World | 14
A t t h e a w a r d c e r e m o n y, S u n Ya t sen University, Guangdong Provincial
Department of Science and Technology,
and Guangdong Technology Financial
Group signed the Agreement to Jointly
Build University Student Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Incubation Base.
SYSU World
Publisher: Office for Overseas Promotion, SYSU
Consultants: Ling Wenhua, Wu Xiaoyan
Editors: Ian J. Heuer, Wu Jiawen
Designers: Long Peiyu, Chen Jiayu
Office for Overseas Promotion, SYSU
Room 114, Zhongshan Building,
Sun Yat-sen University,
135 Xingang West Rd, Guangzhou 510275, China
Tel: +86 (20) 8411 1565
Fax: +86 (20) 8403 6860
Email: heuer@mail.sysu.edu.cn
wjiawen@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Website: http://www.sysu.edu.cn
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