On March 27, 2026, Southeast University (SEU) held the launch ceremony and deployment meeting for the “2026 Year of Global Engagement” at its Jiulonghu Campus. The event was attended by top leadership, including Party Secretary Wu Xiaocheng, President and Academician Sun Youhong, and several esteemed members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and foreign academies, such as Liu Jiaping, Wang Jiangzhou, and Peter Lund. David Leatherbarrow, Foreign Dean of the International School of Architecture, also participated alongside international experts and student representatives.
A Strategic Blueprint for World-Class Ambitions
President Sun Youhong emphasized that designating 2026 as the “Year of Global Engagement” is a visionary move to align SEU with the goal of becoming a leading world-class university by 2035. The strategy focuses on four pillars:
- Frontier Research Collaboration: Moving from project-based tasks to institutionalized, high-impact global platforms.
- Integrated Talent Cultivation: Setting new benchmarks for Sino-foreign cooperative education and deepening strategic partnerships.
- Global Strategic Layout: Substantially advancing the layout of overseas campuses and refining the global cooperation network.
- Global Talent Attraction: Implementing the “Global Academic Partner Program” to create a “strong magnetic field” for top-tier intellectual resources.
Major Initiatives and High-Tech Milestones
The conference saw the official launch of several heavyweight projects:
- The “International 10” Initiatives: A comprehensive roadmap for global growth.
- AI4SEU Cultivation System: A high-tech framework for international students (leveraging AI and VR).
- UNITAR Cooperation: Collaborative projects with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
- Joint Research Centers: The unveiling of the Sino-British Joint R&D Center for Future Wireless Communication Networks and the SEU-UK Intelligent Mobility Research Center, injecting new momentum into high-level Sino-British technological cooperation.
A Call for Global Synergy
Secretary Wu Xiaocheng concluded the meeting by urging the university community to prioritize internationalization as a core driver for high-quality development. He highlighted the importance of creating “signature brands” in international education and telling China’s story effectively while staying rooted in SEU’s unique heritage.
Source: International Cooperation and Exchange Office, Southeast University。
