WUST News (Reporters: Chen Machuan and Wang Yongqi) On the morning of March 9, WUST hosted the first International Youth Scholar Xiangtao Forum at the Biyuan Hall in the Qingshan Campus. Zhan Yong, Director of the Talent Office of the Hubei Provincial Committee Organization Department, Xu Yanbing, Secretary of the WUST Party Committee, Ni Hongwei, President of the WUST, Sheng Jianlong, Deputy Secretary of the WUST Party Committee, Lyu Yong and Ma Teng, Vice Presidents, Liu Shixin, head of the Organization Department, and over a hundred young scholars from home and abroad participated in the meeting both online and offline. Sheng Jianlong presided over the forum.
Xu Yanbing, on behalf of WUST, welcomed the guests and young scholars attending the forum, explaining why young talents should choose WUST from three aspects: the history and performance of the university, academic advantages and characteristics of majors, government support and recent development. Xu Yanbing stated that WUST attaches great importance to talent development. He said, aiming to implement the important instructions and plans on talent work by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the central government, WUST will take advantage of the momentum from the national "Two Sessions", promote the WUST's talent development to a new level, provide stable resources and policy platforms for outstanding professionals to innovate and take up a cause, step up the training efforts for excellent reserve cadres, establish special support mechanisms for the development, and eagerly look forward to more young professionals joining WUST. He also expressed that WUST is willing to provide a broad stage for all young professionals to showcase their talents, and work hand in hand with them to create a new chapter in career development.
Zhan Yong, representing the Talent Office of Hubei Provincial Committee Organization Department, introduced the talent policies of Hubei Province. He acknowledged WUST as the leader among Hubei provincial universities, highlighting that this forum will propel the WUST's talent initiatives to unprecedented heights. He urged WUST to seize this forum as a pivotal opportunity to step up talent development efforts, improve supporting policies, fortify service infrastructure, attract exceptional youth talents from within and beyond our borders, expedite the establishment of world-class disciplines and university status, foster more strategic scientific and technological experts, and address urgent talent demands. Through these efforts, Zhan expected that WUST will bolster its support and contributions to Hubei's pursuit of a Chinese-style modernization, further solidifying its role in advancing the region's progress. He added that the Talent Office of Hubei Provincial Committee will continue to support the talent development at the WUST and contribute to its efforts in Hubei as a pioneer in constructing a new national development pattern and becoming a key strategic pivot for the rise of the central region.
Ni Hongwei delivered a keynote report titled Building upon a Century of Heritage, Striving for First-Class Development. In the report, he elaborated on the 126-year developmental journey and remarkable achievements of the WUST comprehensively from six aspects: talent cultivation, disciplinary development, faculty construction, research output, social engagement, and campus culture. Ni Hongwei expressed that over the course of 126 years, amidst changing times, campus relocations, and alterations in the university's name, the WUST has remained intertwined with the fate of the nation and its people, sharing the same destiny and breathing together. It has shouldered national responsibilities and met the needs of national development. He added that, standing at a new starting point, the university now more than ever needs and eagerly welcomes young scholars from both home and abroad join WUST, and contribute to its development, and that WUST possesses the confidence and strength to build a great platform for every young talent aspiring to join the cause of the WUST, creating a grand stage for their careers and lives. He sincerely invited more young scholars to join WUST and collaborate with WUST to create a better future together.
Representatives from the Faculty of Materials and Metallurgy, School of Machinery and Automation, School of Medicine, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, and other enrollment units presented their discipline development. Professor Liu Jianfeng, the executive dean of the College of Life Science and Health, shared his journey returning to China and his experiences and insights upon joining WUST. Professor Huang Jing, deputy director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of Strategic Vanadium Resources Utilization, shared her growth path at WUST. Representatives from relevant functional departments and directly affiliated units introduced WUST's research platforms, personnel policies, and talent situation.
A special promotional video about WUST was screened during the meeting. The current forum, themed "Building Upon a Century of Heritage, Striving for First-Class Development" with the aim of pooling intelligence and driving the construction of "Double First-Class" initiative, has attracted over 600 young scholars from more than 10 countries and regions. The forum, conducted through an online platform for global live streaming, serves as a talent gathering event devoted to providing a platform for academic exchanges among young talents both domestically and overseas, showcasing academic achievements, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.
Following the main forum, the participating young scholars will disperse to 16 departments and schools for separate sub-forums.
Officials from relevant departments of WUST, as well as young teachers in related disciplines, will attend the sub-forums.
