On Oct. 20th, the 110th Anniversary Celebration of China’s Higher Maritime Education and SMU & Opening Ceremony for World Maritime Conference (WMC) 2019 were held. Guests from all over the world gathered at the picturesque SMU campus to review the glorious history of China's higher maritime education in the past 110 years and look forward to the bright future of the world's maritime industry.
Mr. Yin Hong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Mr. Li Shenglin, the former minister of Ministry of Transport of the PRC, Mr. Jiang Sixian, Secretary of CPC Shanghai Jiaotong University Committee, Mr. Xu Lirong, Chairman of China COSCO Shipping Cooperation Limited, Mr. Jiang Mingbao, Chief Engineer of Ministry of Transport of the PRC, Mr. Chris Trelawny, Chief, Sub-Division for Maritime Development of the Technical Cooperation Division of the IMO, Mr. Eric Maskin, winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2007) and Mr. Danny Shechtman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2011), attended the Conference.
On behalf of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Municipal Government, Mr. Yin Hong extended warm congratulations to the faculties, students and alumni of SMU. He said, in the past 110 years, SMU has grown with Shanghai and made positive contributions to the development of China’s Maritime Power Strategy and the construction of Shanghai International Shipping Center (SISC). The oceans are strategically important to high-quality development. Today's Shanghai urgently needs more top maritime talents and shipping think tanks to vigorously develop the first-class higher maritime education that matches the construction of the SISC. He hopes SMU could continue to speed up the modernization of education and grow into a world influenced maritime univeristiy.
Mr. Jiang Mingbao expressed his warmest congratulation to SMU on behalf of the Ministry of Transport of the PRC. He said that over the past 110 years, SMU has cultivated a large number of talents for China’s transport industry and played an important role in serving the national strategies, promoting the development of the industry and contributing to the social progress. He hopes that SMU could actively provide high-quality maritime talents and intellectual support for accelerating the construction of a maritime power, making more contributions to the development of social economy.
Prof. Huang Youfang, President of SMU, delivered a keynote speech on Striving & Sailing to a Better Future. He said, 110 years’ hardworking of SMU has cultivated large quantities of maritime talents for China; 110 years’ exploration has contribute a wide range of achievements in scientific research; 110 years’ practice has always stuck with the mission in pursuing a shared future; 110 years’ opening has increased China's influence on maritime education in the global arena. He stressed that the 110th anniversary is not only an important milestone in the development process of SMU, but also a new start for SMU to march into a better future. He sincerely expects that, in the near future, SMU will grow into a high-level maritime university in the world and make greater contributions to the implementation of the national strategies, for instance, Maritime Power Strategy, Transport Power Strategy, Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of SISC, etc.
Mr. Chris Trelawny said in his speech that he admired the outstanding achievements of SMU. Today, SMU has become a famous university with great influence and important position in the world's higher maritime education, and has made outstanding contributions to the world's shipping, logistics, marine personnel training, scientific and technological innovation, social services and other aspects. He wished SMU a better future.
Mr. Jiang Sixian , Mr. Xu Lirong and representatives of teachers and students also delivered speeches to congratulate the 110th anniversary of SMU.
During the celebration, the signing ceremony of strategic cooperation alliance for building SMU into a world influenced higher maritime university was organized. Besides, Nobel Laureates Forum, WMC Theme Forum, Theatrical Performances as well as other rich events were also successfully held.
