On May 22, Thomas Schneider, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), and his delegation visited Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Ding Kuiling, President of SJTU, and Liu Weidong met with the guests at the Minhang Campus. The two sides held in-depth discussions on topics including the alliance’s strategic development, student exchange programs, and research collaboration.
Ding Kuiling extended a warm welcome to Schneider and his delegation. He noted that this year marks the 130th anniversary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which has grown from an engineering-focused institution into a comprehensive, innovative, and international university. In recent years, the university has achieved significant progress in interdisciplinary integration, which closely aligns with APRU’s development philosophy. Ding emphasized that universities play an irreplaceable and critical role in addressing common challenges facing humanity, and that APRU serves as an important platform for collaboration on these major issues.
Schneider expressed his appreciation for SJTU’s long-standing active participation in and support for APRU initiatives. He outlined the alliance’s future priorities: creating tangible and visible impact through its collaborations while expanding more development opportunities for students so that young people can benefit from these initiatives. He particularly stressed that, amid a complex and rapidly changing international landscape, dialogue across different contexts is of vital importance. He also expressed hope that SJTU would further engage in APRU working groups and contribute Chinese perspectives through the platform.
Both sides agreed that APRU’s platform should be more fully leveraged in the future to strengthen research collaboration, particularly in interdisciplinary fields, and to contribute university wisdom toward solving regional and global challenges.
Faculty representatives from the Office of Global Engagement, the School of Design, and the SJTU-UK Low Carbon College also attended the meeting.
Founded in 1997, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities is a network of 64 leading research universities from the Pacific Rim region. It aims to provide a platform for interaction, exchange, and coordinated development among comprehensive research universities in the region, promoting cooperation in science, education, and culture among Pacific Rim countries.
Author: Office of Global Engagement
Source: Office of Global Engagement
Editor: Wang Xinyi
Translated by: Rebecca
Proofread by: Denise