Between 9^th?and 15^th?August, 2016, our department inaugurated its first Biomedical Engineering International Symposium. Presided over by our founding Dean, Prof X. Edward Guo, this blue-ribbon event attracted not only experts from our own department, but also representatives from industry and the world’s leading universities. Scholars in attendance included our President Prof Chen Shiyi, Professor Cheng Xin from the Materials Department, Executive Dean Chen Fangyi, Professors Tang Bin, Chen Fei and Wang Fei, as well as students from our department.

Brains at work

President Chen with a leader’s perspective

President Chen Shiyi began by briefing the delegates on the socioeconomic development in Shenzhen with its favorable environment for innovative entrepreneurship. He also spoke on his findings in his recent visit to the UK and the efforts the University has expended on its internationalization drive. He was hoping to cement a partnership with Columbia University, ?in hopes of turbo-charging the growth and development of Biomedical Engineering at our University, and opening the door to fruitful exchange and collaboration with the world’s other institutions of higher learning. This can only be beneficial to the promotion of an international campus culture.

Intellectual Fireworks—the presenters and their presentations

Experts representing Columbia University, New York University Stony Brook, Duke University, Beijing University of Aviation and Aeronautics, University of Toronto, Georgia Tech, UC San Diego, Mechanics Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science, Sydney University, and Suzhou Innomed Medical Device Co. Ltd all gave their presentations in their field of expertise. This might be our first international symposium on Biomedical Engineering, but it had touched on the latest research results from various institutions of higher learning, as well as advances in medical devices and their application and a big-picture view of China’s policy towards biomedical engineering as it relates to life and living.