On June 23, Susan Hockfield, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) paid a visit to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and delivered a speech on “Innovation and the Global Economy”. Director of SJTU University Council Ma Dexiu, accompanied by SJTU Vice President Huang Zhen and others, cordially met with her. On behalf of universities, President Zhang Jie and President Hockfield signed an agreement on the training of energy executives. Achieved were also many other agreements on intercollegiate exchange and cooperation.

Cooperation on the Training of Energy Executives

In the meeting, Ma Dexiu said she was deeply impressed by her visit to MIT lately. Although the two universities have benefited a lot from the existing cooperation, she pointed out that a deeper and more innovative cooperation at different levels was still called for.

SJTU President Zhang Jie said that Jiao Tong University had always stuck to its purpose of “studying and working for the truth” from the university foundation in 1896, and aimed at training “the first class talents”. Therefore, it had become a most prestigious university in China in the 1920s, known as “the oriental MIT”. Zhang hoped that the exchange and cooperation between the two universities would reach a new peak.

According to the agreement, MIT and SJTU will cooperate to provide the training to leaders in government, academic, and industry in China on policies related to energy. Some American officials also expressed their wish to have the similar training in America.

Innovative Talent Training of Paramount Importance

President Hockfield delivered a speech in the “Inspiration Lecture”, with the attendance of Director Ma Dexiu, President Zhang Jie, Xu Fei, the Deputy Secretary of SJTU Party Committee, and thousands of SJTU staff and students.

When talking about nurturing innovative talents, President Hockfield gave five suggestions. First, professors, research fellows and students should be ensured of enough academic freedom. Second, cooperation between different disciplines and different universities should be paid greater attention to, especially international cooperation. Third, fundamental research should be highlighted, as well as the participation of students in the teaching process. Fourth, the research findings should serve the society. Fifth, more cooperation between universities and enterprises should be encouraged.

She reinforced that the development of society and economy depended on that of science and technology which, to a great extend, came from the scientific research in universities. Given the key position of innovation in the nurturing of talents, universities should pay more attention to innovation.

Shared Vision of Further Cooperation

In her speech, President Hockfield mentioned many times her “desire of academic exchange” and “expectation for cooperation”.

“China has a charming inspiration,” she said. MIT has a long history of communicating with China. Many SJTU scholars, such as Qian Xuesen, are also MIT alumni. Besides, a great number of research fellows in MIT are cooperating with their Chinese colleagues. More excellent Chinese students are going to MIT for further education, and more MIT students are coming to China as well. What they learn is not only knowledge, but also a different experience.

Hockfield said that universities should contribute to the development of knowledge economy with innovation. As universities are facing two key trends nowadays, namely cooperation and international communication, and nurturing leaders that fit current development, she strengthened her point that universities should have more international communication, and meet the challenges with innovation.

She also gave her viewpoint on the weakness of the global economy. Hockfield hoped that SJTU could become one of the most important partners of MIT, and their cooperation, especially in the energy field, would contribute to the world.

“I was encouraged by SJTU students.”

After the speech, Hockfield communicated with SJTU students on responsibility, academic freedom, innovation, and so on.

Moved by academic pursuit, deliberation on innovation and zeal for scientific research of SJTU students, she wrote “I was encouraged by SJTU students” for the Inspiration.

Prof. Susan Hockfield, academician of the American Academy of Arts & Sciencesand the current president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is the 16th president of MIT and the first female one.As a distinguished cranial neural scientist, Prof. Susan Hockfield has been devoted to the research on the brain development of mammals, especially in fatal glioma. She initiated the application of monoclonal antibody technology to brain research and discovered the protein families and genes that cause the cancer cell proliferation in brains. She is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a member of the Society for Neuroscience. She was awarded the Sheffield Medal in 2004 and the Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award in 2005.