From June 14 to 16, upon the invitation of Santander Bank (Spain), Vice President Xu Fei attended the international gathering of the heads of universities. The Leaders Conference is organized by Talloires Network, and held in Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.

The conference brought together 217 university presidents, rectors and vice chancellors from the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, India, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, Pakistan, China, Chinese Hong Kong and Taiwan, and other countries and areas.

It explores how to deepen the impact of community engagement in the higher education sector. And the conference themes include technology and social change, government policy to support engagement, access and widening participation, environmental sustainability and climate change, the role of higher education in political transition, and crisis and disaster response. Vice President Xu Fei participated in the plenary session on "The role of the university in responding to natural disaster".

Talloires Network has been concerned about the functions and roles the university should play in the political and economic social change, harmonious development between human and the nature, and the public health improvement, etc. since its establishment. Aimed to strengthen international cooperation between top universities around the world, Talloires Network takes "building the Engaged University, Moving beyond the Ivory Tower" as its vision. As one of the four Chinese mainland universities financially supported by Santander Bank, Shanghai Jiao Tong University was for the first time invited to this event. 

During his stay in Spain, Vice President Xu Fei visited Santander Financial City and participated in the 2011 MacJannet Prize Award Ceremony held by Santander, the Talloires Network and the MacJannet Foundation. The Prize has been organized twice to encourage exceptional student civic engagement and community service. Vice President Xu Fei gladly accepted the invitation and indicated to encourage SJTU student public service associations to apply for this prize which can promote student volunteer work and student social responsibility education as well as expand the university's social impact.