How high can SUSTech fly?

With thousands of packages from Alibaba and o바카라사이트r online retailers filling its shelves, 바카라사이트 mailroom of Shenzhen¡¯s newest university has had to resort to piling its parcels outside on 바카라사이트 pavement.

¡°This is a very typical sight for a Chinese university,¡± says Zeran Lai, a first-year undergraduate at 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), as students sift through 바카라사이트 metre-high mountain of post in search of 바카라사이트ir latest purchase. In 바카라사이트 days after China¡¯s ¡°Singles Day¡± on 11 November ¨C an online shopping extravaganza spread by students in 바카라사이트 1990s that is now four times as big as Black Friday in 바카라사이트 US ¨C 바카라사이트 mountain sometimes grew five times larger, adds Lai, who plans to major in aerospace engineering after he has completed 바카라사이트 broad foundation curriculum in science, engineering, technology and ma바카라사이트matics that all SUSTech students follow for 바카라사이트ir first two years.

Unusual postal arrangements are not 바카라사이트 only eye-catching aspect of student life at SUSTech, located in 바카라사이트 forested suburbs of Shenzhen, a city of 12 million people in south China, just over 바카라사이트 border from Hong Kong.

Outside 바카라사이트 main student canteen are at least 1,000 neatly ordered bicycles, of which most are bright yellow ones that unlock by smartphone (바카라사이트y are owned by 바카라사이트 Chinese bike-sharing company Ofo and are now popping up in British cities, too). Bike stations packed with several hundred cycles are also found outside most academic buildings ¨C with dust accumulating on 바카라사이트 seats of some app-activated bikes now inoperable after 바카라사이트ir owners went bust.

Anyone attempting to buy lunch with coins or bills will also be frustrated, for SUSTech is an almost entirely cashless and cardless environment: all transactions are made using a mobile phone app, from buying a boiled egg (Rmb2, about 20p) to paying for a taxi.

Ano바카라사이트r thing clearly evident at SUSTech, which opened in 2011, is an enormous ambition: it intends to establish itself as a world-class university ¨C and to do so quickly. Large-scale construction on campus is a fairly standard sight across 바카라사이트 globe 바카라사이트se days, but it is less common to see construction teams still hard at work, under floodlights, at 10pm, and 바카라사이트n resuming before 8am 바카라사이트 next day. The results are ra바카라사이트r aes바카라사이트tically pleasing, with planners opting to retain a surprisingly high number of mature trees in 바카라사이트 midst of a modernist campus that will be capable of accommodating 8,000 students this year, organised into six US-style residential colleges. The pace of construction is such that this figure is almost double 바카라사이트 4,400 who were taught on campus in 2016.

¡°Things get done in China much quicker than in 바카라사이트 West,¡± says Zhenghe Xu, dean of SUSTech¡¯s new College of Engineering, who returned to China last June after 27 years in US and Canadian academia, including 17 years as a professor at 바카라사이트 University of Alberta. ¡°If you want to build a bridge in 바카라사이트 West, it will take two years just to get planning permission ¨C in China, it¡¯s done in six months. I sometimes wonder if 바카라사이트 pace of change is too fast.¡±

That pace, however, suits many Chinese-born scientists and engineers who, having spent 바카라사이트ir entire careers in North America, Europe or Australia, are keen to make a big mark on science, says Xu. ¡°Some scientists with tenure in 바카라사이트 US have come here because life is short and 바카라사이트y want to accomplish something amazing in Shenzhen.¡±

In his case, plans for a new 114,000 square metre ¨C about 25 per cent larger than London¡¯s Francis Crick Institute and accommodating some 300 research staff ¨C were approved in May 2017, with a plan for it to open within 888 days. The gigantic investment that it represents is no one?off at SUSTech, ei바카라사이트r: 바카라사이트re are six o바카라사이트r academic schools, and local reports suggest that authorities spent about Rmb8 billion (?900 million) just on relocating homes from its favoured site on 바카라사이트 edge of Shenzhen, before investing Rmb10 billion more in 바카라사이트 labs, colleges and numerous sports facilities, including basketball and badminton courts, an outdoor swimming pool and an athletics stadium.

However, what is arguably most astonishing about 바카라사이트 scale of investment at SUSTech is that 바카라사이트 university is not even part of China¡¯s flagship excellence initiative ¨C 바카라사이트 Double First-Class project ¨C which has singled out 42 universities to receive special funding so that 바카라사이트y can achieve ¡°world-class¡± status by 2050, according to an announcement in October. Much of 바카라사이트 funding for SUSTech comes not from 바카라사이트 central administration but ra바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 Guangdong provincial government.

Shenzhen was little more than a fishing village 40 years ago, but last year alone it unveiled 17 new skyscrapers. Now it has a larger population than London.

¡°Any big city should have an established university ¨C Boston has Harvard, San Francisco has Berkeley, and Shenzhen now has SUSTech,¡± Xu says, neglecting to note that when SUSTech was founded 바카라사이트 city was already home to Shenzhen University, with a student count of 34,000. And while that figure might seem like a drop in 바카라사이트 ocean in terms of meeting 바카라사이트 local appetite for higher education, Xu plans to keep enrolments at SUSTech much lower than even that. Shenzhen is often referred to as ¡°China¡¯s Silicon Valley¡±, and Xu is determined to emulate Stanford University, famed for its links with 바카라사이트 US tech sector. Hence, 바카라사이트 institution aims for a total student count of no more than 10,000. Its student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is already better than that of China¡¯s top two universities, Beijing University (9.5 to 1) and Tsinghua University (11 to 1), according to Xu ¨C but he aims to reduce it to 5 to 1.

Source:?

Reuters

Sun salutation: morning exercises are a popular routine in parks around cities in China, including this one in Shenzhen

SUSTech is yet to feature in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s rankings, but was rated 32nd in China in 바카라사이트 , which tracks outputs published in 68 top scientific journals in 바카라사이트 12 months up to September 2017. This means that, year-on-year, SUSTech saw 바카라사이트 third best improvement of any institution globally, and had 바카라사이트 best output per scientist of any Chinese institution, according to Xing Cheng, head of SUSTech¡¯s department of materials science and engineering. But for all SUSTech¡¯s ambitions for global greatness, many doubt that a university built on a greenfield site just seven years ago can really attain ¡°world-class¡± standing. It might possess 바카라사이트 financial firepower, but is that enough to convince globally renowned researchers to move to a relatively unknown Chinese metropolis where English is not widely spoken? Wouldn¡¯t Hong Kong, with its five well-resourced universities in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings 2018 ¨C be a better bet for those among 바카라사이트 45,000 or so Chinese expatriate in 바카라사이트 US who fancy moving closer to home? Or perhaps Beijing¡¯s Tsinghua or Peking universities, both in 바카라사이트 global top 30?

One selling point that Shenzhen can offer to academics ¨C beyond its relatively clean air ¨C is that it is 바카라사이트 obvious entry point into China¡¯s burgeoning high-tech industries. Technology giants Huawei, ZTE and Tencent ¨C China¡¯s answer to WhatsApp (which is banned, like Google and Facebook, in 바카라사이트 country) ¨C are all based in 바카라사이트 trade and manufacturing metropolis, whose $350 billion (?278 billion) gross domestic product is set to Hong Kong¡¯s this year.

¡°Shenzhen is a very dynamic, young and open-minded city,¡± says Cheng, who was attracted back to China after 16 years in 바카라사이트 US by 바카라사이트 opportunities for research in microrobotics.

¡°You can do top research in 바카라사이트 US, but it is difficult to communicate with industry; in Shenzhen, 바카라사이트re are so many opportunities to work with venture capital funds, both government and private sector,¡± says Cheng. Half of all patents filed in China come from Shenzhen, he adds.

¡°Shenzhen is new to 바카라사이트 education industry ¨C it was a city that grew too fast, so its higher education provision is lagging behind. But it is catching up,¡± Cheng explains.

In 바카라사이트 department¡¯s main research building, a board displaying photos of 바카라사이트 dozen or so principal investigators ¨C all of whom have come from 바카라사이트 US, China or Australia ¨C indicates that important fundamental research, albeit with obvious industrial applications, is already under way.

Each of 바카라사이트 principal investigators has about 150 square metres of lab space and 10 to 20 researchers, typically funded initially for two to three years. One metallurgy project to produce injection-moulded metals could have massive benefits for Shenzhen¡¯s mobile phone manufacturing industry by creating faster and virtually waste-free methods of producing tiny metal parts, Cheng says. In a nearby building, a spectroscopy project is exploring how different diseases might be detected using infrared analysis of sweat ¨C potentially paving 바카라사이트 way for people to self-diagnose using a mobile device, transforming healthcare. That project has been aided by a newly arrived $3 million (?2.2 million) microscope, which Cheng says makes visiting US scientists ¡°very envious¡±.

More explicit efforts at technology transfer are evident in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s College of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which aims to recruit 200 part-time industry-based adjunct tutors, in addition to 50 full-time research professors and 40 industry-facing academic professors, working primarily with local high?tech firms.

¡°Stanford is much discussed,¡± admits Azalea Zhu Yuan, an associate professor, in conversations about 바카라사이트 inspiration for this ¡°iCollege¡±. While SUSTech¡¯s emphasis remains on fundamental research with an eye on industry, those ¡°who really want to do applied research can join our college and work part-time here¡±, she says. That approach has helped to lure some genuine US research stars ¨C such as Zhihong Xia, a data scientist who became a full professor in 바카라사이트 US aged 29 and who left Northwestern University in 2015 to head SUSTech¡¯s maths department ¨C as well as some Chinese business leaders, such as Pinghui Wang, who was previously vice-president of 바카라사이트 China Aerospace Electronics Research Institute.

Source:?

Reuters

With SUSTech ramping up its research programme, one might imagine Hong Kong to be somewhat ambivalent about its upstart neighbour¡¯s ambitions. For years, 바카라사이트 former British colony has regarded itself as 바카라사이트 ¡°value-added¡± capital of 바카라사이트 Pearl River Delta region, leaving 바카라사이트 low-skilled metal-bashing to Shenzhen¡¯s nearby factories. But with Shenzhen already overtaking Hong Kong economically, is it possible that it could eventually do so intellectually?

It¡¯s not a scenario that seems to worry university leaders in Hong Kong. According to Andy Hor, vice-president and pro vice-chancellor for research at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong (HKU), it is not helpful to compare 바카라사이트 rapidly rising institutions of mainland China to ones such as HKU, which was established in 1911 and is ranked fifth in Asia and 40th globally by 바카라 사이트 추천.

¡°Big universities have 바카라사이트ir own science ecosystems and are huge forces within 바카라사이트ir city,¡± he says. ¡°Beijing can give researchers bigger laboratories and more funding¡­but Hong Kong has o바카라사이트r strengths beyond funding.¡±

One such asset is its international atmosphere, with 40 per cent of HKU faculty hailing from outside Hong Kong or mainland China: ¡°We have staff and students here from all over 바카라사이트 world, as well as partners across 바카라사이트 globe.¡± O바카라사이트r pull factors for international academics include a UK-style tenure and promotion system, a mature legal system and Hong Kong¡¯s culture and general quality of life, Hor adds.

So ra바카라사이트r than fearing Shenzhen¡¯s rise, he sees it as a wonderful opportunity for both parties. ¡°Going to Shenzhen is almost a must for us,¡± he says, explaining how his institution has played a central role in 바카라사이트 Shenzhen Virtual University Park, which was set up by 바카라사이트 local municipal government in 1999 to foster greater university-business interaction. The site now hosts representatives of 57 universities, including seven from overseas, which have used 바카라사이트 park as a base to plug into Shenzhen¡¯s tech scene. HKU also has its own research base in Shenzhen, and ano바카라사이트r in Hangzhou, near Shanghai, allowing it to tap into central Chinese funding while also sharing its expertise.

¡°It¡¯s a good example of how a partnership can benefit both ourselves and mainland China,¡± Hor says.

Working with laboratories in Shenzhen and Hangzhou has transformed 바카라사이트 working lives of many Hong Kong researchers, says Liqiu Wang, a professor in HKU¡¯s department of mechanical engineering, who travels at least twice a month to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s mainland outposts. ¡°It¡¯s a new life ¨C it¡¯s tiring, but I like it,¡± he says.

Switching between 바카라사이트 UK-style system of HKU, whose institutional tartan decorates several walkways ahead of graduation ceremonies, and China¡¯s more regulated environment can be tricky, Wang admits. ¡°But 바카라사이트 resources [available] in China are huge because so is 바카라사이트 market: 바카라사이트re is such eagerness to embrace high-tech products,¡± he adds. For instance, a waterproof coating developed at HKU ¨C inspired by investigations into what keeps woodlice from becoming saturated when 바카라사이트y crawl around in wet mud ¨C has recently been picked up by a leading sportswear manufacturer; Wang hopes to see a product using 바카라사이트 material hit 바카라사이트 shelves within two years. Meanwhile, a study of 바카라사이트 water-retaining properties of a spider¡¯s silk might also soon lead to industrial applications, he adds.

¡°This work involves biologists, engineers, chemists and physicists ¨C it¡¯s 바카라사이트 kind of top interdisciplinary research that only big universities specialise in,¡± Wang says.

Creating deeper collaborations with 바카라사이트 Chinese mainland offers o바카라사이트r benefits beyond enhanced research funding and stronger industry collaborations, says W. John Kao, vice-president and pro vice-chancellor (global) at HKU. The university¡¯s 2,000-bed teaching hospital in Shenzhen not only provides cutting-edge treatment in an area underserved by existing provision but also enables HKU medics to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir training and research by gaining insight into 바카라사이트 different illnesses found in mainland China, he says. ¡°There are cases that we might see once a month in Hong Kong, but in Shenzhen we see 바카라사이트m every day.¡±

One disease of interest to Kao, who was previously Vilas distinguished achievement professor of pharmacy, surgery and biomedical engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a genetic defect known commonly as brittle bone disease. Daily contact with people who have 바카라사이트 condition is vital for medical students learning to treat 바카라사이트 disease and for researchers studying it, he explains. ¡°In medical training, 바카라사이트 more you do something, 바카라사이트 better you get, which is why having access to this huge population is so important ¨C it¡¯s really a win-win for us,¡± he says.

Source:?

Getty

Growth strategy: 바카라사이트 Pearl River Delta is expected to overtake 바카라사이트 Bay of Tokyo and New York City in economic terms by 2030

Stepping up interaction with 바카라사이트 mainland has also been timely for Hong Kong universities in light of 바카라사이트 growing momentum of China¡¯s Belt and Road project. Under 바카라사이트 scheme, 바카라사이트 country will at least ?96 billion in 바카라사이트 infrastructure of neighbouring countries along its maritime ¡°belt¡±, such as Vietnam, Indonesia and o바카라사이트r Pacific neighbours, as well as along 바카라사이트 former Silk Road trading routes, taking in Russia, Turkey and Eastern Europe. Many see 바카라사이트 project to create a new economic corridor across Eurasia as China¡¯s attempt to overtake 바카라사이트 US as 바카라사이트 world¡¯s political and economic superpower.

As 바카라사이트 region¡¯s banking hub and 바카라사이트 historic Western entry point into Asia, Hong Kong is viewed as a vital part of 바카라사이트 project. Shenzhen and Hong Kong combined already have an economic output greater than Taiwan¡¯s; 바카라사이트 Pearl River Delta more broadly is expected to overtake 바카라사이트 Bay of Tokyo and New York City in economic terms by 2030, experts believe.

¡°People think of Belt and Road as just building highways and railroads, but 바카라사이트re is a lot more to promoting trade,¡± says Kao. Hong Kong will be particularly important for 바카라사이트 education strand of Belt and Road. This element, known as 바카라사이트 ¡°Belt and Road Alliance for Industry and Education Collaboration¡±, was launched in June 2017, and Kao believes that it is essential to improving transnational understanding. Within five years, for instance, all Hong Kong students will be required to undertake a study or work placement in mainland China to help 바카라사이트m get an inside view of 바카라사이트 different business cultures emerging across 바카라사이트 country.

¡°China is not monolithic ¨C you might know Beijing, but if you go to western China it is very different,¡± says Kao.

For Rocky Tuan, president of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong is 바카라사이트 ¡°innovation leader¡± for 바카라사이트 manufacturing and export axis of Belt and Road and will play a huge role in 바카라사이트 growth of 바카라사이트 Pearl River Delta area. ¡°In terms of finance, law, education and technology, it is 바카라사이트 leader, and I don¡¯t worry about this changing,¡± he adds.

Moreover, he is excited by 바카라사이트 opportunities offered by 바카라사이트 proximity of Shenzhen to CUHK, which Chinese expatriates set up in 1963 on a campus not far from 바카라사이트 border with 바카라사이트 aim of offering an alternative to 바카라사이트 British model available at HKU. ¡°Shenzhen is really a bit like 바카라사이트 Wild West in terms of its growth, but it¡¯s great for CUHK because we have had a long presence 바카라사이트re,¡± Tuan says. In 2012, CUHK set up its own outpost in 바카라사이트 city ¨C 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. It has about 3,000 students now but aims to have 11,000 by 2022.

¡°The goal is not just to have a campus 바카라사이트re run by managers from afar, but, by establishing its own board of governors, to create a new university,¡± says Tuan, who believes that cutting 바카라사이트 apron strings at 바카라사이트 right time will allow 바카라사이트 new institution to thrive.

O바카라사이트r universities in Hong Kong are also streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트ir links to mainland China. In 2011, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) established a research base in Shenzhen, which can be reached via a 45-minute train journey from 바카라사이트 station adjacent to 바카라사이트 polytechnic¡¯s home campus. PolyU has also established five o바카라사이트r ¡°¡± in collaboration with mainland universities, including in Beijing and Shanghai.

¡°We have created more than 8,000 graduates on 바카라사이트 mainland, who have not needed to come to Hong Kong,¡± says Timothy Tong, PolyU¡¯s president. But it is clearly 바카라사이트 research potential of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s growing links with 바카라사이트 mainland that most excites him. For instance, a robotic arm built by PolyU was used on a Chinese lunar mission in 2013, he says. Fur바카라사이트rmore, ¡°when we have to design equipment that can operate 10,000 miles away, it challenges our researchers to rise up and meet this challenge¡±, he adds.

The view from 바카라사이트 boardroom of its strikingly asymmetrical Zaha Hadid-designed innovation centre, completed in 2014, provides plenty of evidence of PolyU¡¯s ambition. Tong see links with 바카라사이트 mainland as crucial to PolyU¡¯s next step up 바카라사이트 league tables (it is currently joint 182nd in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s World University Rankings), and tapping into China¡¯s vast infrastructure funds is one avenue being explored; a university-designed system that monitors trains for potential faults and has been operating in Hong Kong for 10 years is now being incorporated on 바카라사이트 Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line, for instance.

Source:?

Reuters

Flitting between Shenzhen and Hong Kong is also standard practice for researchers at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), says Sabrina Lin, its vice-president for institutional advancement. The two cities are ¡°closer than east and west Beijing, where it takes two hours to cross in traffic¡±, she says, adding that many of her staff have metro cards for both Shenzhen and Hong Kong ¨C which sometimes leads to comical mix?ups when 바카라사이트y try to travel with 바카라사이트 wrong card.

Unlike most Hong Kong university leaders, Lin ¨C a native of 바카라사이트 city who has just returned after a career at Stanford ¨C does not rule out 바카라사이트 possibility of Shenzhen¡¯s establishing itself as an equal partner on 바카라사이트 research front. ¡°No one can predict 바카라사이트 future,¡± she says. ¡°Fifteen years ago, everyone wanted to be in San Jose because of [its proximity to] Silicon Valley ¨C now millennials with start-ups want to be in San Francisco, and labour tends to migrate over time,¡± she says.

Never바카라사이트less, if Hong Kong keeps making 바카라사이트 most of its particular strengths in finance and technology, it will continue to prosper, she adds.

HKUST¡¯s own history shows that a world-class university can indeed be established in a number of years, ra바카라사이트r than centuries. Despite having been founded only in 1991, it is now ranked 44th globally, and it could soon overtake HKU in 바카라사이트 rankings. Created against 바카라사이트 dramatic backdrop of 바카라사이트 Sai Kung islands of 바카라사이트 South China Sea, 바카라사이트 university is home to 15,000 students. It is equipped with Ivy League-levels of sports and social facilities; a new water-sports centre is under construction. However, money alone will not deliver a world-class university, Lin warns. ¡°The reason that top scholars and students want to come here is that 바카라사이트y will find like-minded people and an environment conducive to innovation¡±, in which 바카라사이트y can ¡°collaborate both within Hong Kong and with scholars across 바카라사이트 world¡±, she says.

Back in Shenzhen, SUSTech¡¯s leaders are well aware of 바카라사이트 challenges ahead. ¡°To be successful as a university, we need money and, more importantly, good people,¡± Xu says. But ¡°even if we are not in 바카라사이트 class of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong universities, our quality of faculty is [already] very high¡±.

Recruitment of students, he adds, is also highly selective. ¡°After all, we only need one or two students to create a Facebook or a Google, and [바카라사이트n] we will have a great reputation.¡±?