The 20th Anniversary Forum on High-Quality Development Concludes Successfully — 20th Anniversary Celebration | Twenty Years of Splendid Achievements, Striving Forward into the Future — School of Life Sciences and Medicine Established

Over the past twenty years, the College of Life Sciences and Medicine has weathered countless challenges and forged ahead with unwavering determination; it has reaped abundant rewards through steady progress and vibrant achievements. On the morning of March 29, the opening ceremony of the Forum on High-Quality Development—marking the college’s twentieth anniversary—was held in the second-floor auditorium of the Administration Building. More than 200 guests, including representatives from relevant local government departments, research institutes, sister institutions, partner hospitals, and enterprises, as well as alumni, leaders of the university’s administrative offices, and faculty and student representatives, gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Zhejiang University of Technology’s College of Life Sciences and Medicine and to jointly chart a course for its future high-quality development. The opening ceremony was chaired by Wang Xiaojun, Secretary of the College Party Committee, and featured a welcoming address by Vice President Guo Yuhai.

Guo Yuhai, on behalf of the university, extended his congratulations to all faculty, staff, and students of the School of Life Sciences, as well as to its many alumni, and welcomed the distinguished guests attending the forum. He expressed full appreciation for the school’s two-decade journey of dedicated effort and progress, noting that over the past twenty years it has achieved remarkable accomplishments in discipline development, academic research, talent cultivation, and the generation of scientific成果. He pointed out that life sciences is among the most dynamic and promising fields in today’s global science and technology landscape, capable of yielding pivotal breakthroughs. He emphasized that, building on the foundation laid during its first twenty years, the School of Life Sciences and Medicine should further highlight its distinctive strengths, enhance the quality of its人才培养; refine its disciplinary priorities and elevate its substantive excellence; focus on high-quality development to cultivate a highly qualified faculty and research team; align with national strategic needs to strengthen its capacity for scientific innovation and service; strive for breakthroughs in national science and technology awards and bolster its competitiveness in major national research projects; promote the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements; and deepen collaboration with local enterprises. The goal is to become a leading, nationally recognized, research-oriented school with distinctive characteristics—first‑class within the province and advanced at the national level. He called on all sectors of society to continue to show concern for and support the school’s development, and urged all members of the School of Life Sciences and Medicine, along with its alumni, to actively contribute to its ongoing growth and advancement.

Professor Liang Zongsuo, Dean of the College, reported on the institution’s achievements over the past two decades in areas including Party building and ideological-political work, faculty development, talent cultivation, discipline construction, scientific and technological advancement, and international exchange. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to the university leadership, the broader community of faculty, students, and alumni, as well as to all sectors of society, for their support and assistance in advancing the College’s development.

Professor Zhou Haime, former Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Association for Science and Technology and the inaugural president of the Zhejiang Tsinghua Yangtze River Delta Research Institute, recalled the institute’s early days of remarkable success. He emphasized that the School of Life Sciences and Medicine at Zhejiang Sci‑Tech University should seize the trends of cutting‑edge advancement and interdisciplinary integration in the life sciences of the new era, highlight the distinctive “ZSTU” characteristics of its life‑science research, strengthen collaboration among biology, medicine, and engineering, and foster cross‑disciplinary synergy. He further urged the school to remain future‑oriented, prioritize moral education and talent cultivation, refine its talent‑training model, and nurture innovative professionals to drive the development of new‑type productive forces. Additionally, he called for steadfast commitment to scientific research, accelerating original technological innovation to inject fresh momentum into the growth of new‑type productivity, and for unwavering dedication to serving industry by promoting the integration of industry, academia, and research, thereby providing end‑to‑end support for the development of new‑type productivity and making a positive contribution to the national and regional bioeconomy.

At the meeting, Professor Xu Pei, Dean of the School of Life Sciences at China Jiliang University, extended warm congratulations on behalf of his school and its sister institutions to our institute on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. He emphasized that the School of Life Sciences at Zhejiang Sci‑Tech University has maintained close ties and forged deep bonds of friendship with peer institutions both within and outside the province through mutual support and assistance. Looking ahead, he urged all sister institutions to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges, work in concert, join forces, and jointly pursue development, writing a new chapter and making even greater contributions to the field of life sciences.

Alumni representative Ding Jiannü, faculty representative Ye Fei, undergraduate student representative Tang Qian, and graduate student representative Li Lixin all delivered remarks, recalling their academic journeys and personal growth, expressing deep gratitude for the nurturing they received from the university and their respective schools, and thanking the institution and its faculties for their care, support, and meticulous guidance. They pledged to repay their alma mater, society, and country with even greater achievements in the future.

As the representative of the collaborating local government, Duan Tuanhui, Deputy County Mayor of Xunyi County, Shaanxi Province, read a congratulatory letter on behalf of the Xunyi County Party Committee and County Government, expressing gratitude to the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University for its strong support in the development and revitalization of this revolutionary old‑base area. Feng Xing, Director of the Talent Work Bureau of the Management Committee of Shaoxing Binhai New Area, delivered a speech, stating that he hopes to break the bottleneck between university‑led scientific and technological innovation and industrial development through industry–university–research collaboration and social services, actively facilitate talent cultivation and the commercialization of research outcomes, promote industrial upgrading, and contribute to the high‑quality economic and social development of the region.

Finally, Wang Xiaojun delivered a vision for the future on behalf of the college. She emphasized that, in this new era and on this new journey, the faculty and students of Zhejiang University of Technology’s School of Biomedical Engineering must remain true to their original aspiration of fostering virtue and cultivating talent, and keep firmly in mind their mission to nurture individuals for the Party and cultivate capable professionals for the nation. Guided by national strategic needs, regional economic and social development priorities, and the university’s goal of advancing toward the “Double First-Class” initiative, they should strengthen Party building, optimize and develop disciplinary structures, bolster the faculty and research teams, enhance the quality of talent cultivation, and leverage platforms such as industry‑university‑research institutes and local research centers. By uniting as one, overcoming challenges, and maintaining an unwavering spirit of dedication, they will strive to successfully navigate the Long March of the new era. She underscored that the college must uphold the principles of leading with flagship disciplines, guiding through outstanding mentors, and fostering an exemplary academic culture, thereby achieving multidimensional integration—between disciplinary development and talent cultivation, between research and teaching, between professional education and ideological and political education embedded in curricula, and between industry, academia, and research. Through these efforts, the college will continue to advance the “all‑round education” approach, cultivating high‑caliber talents who are both morally upright and professionally competent, and who meet the demands of contemporary development.

At the forum, Vice President Guo Yuhai presented Professor Zhou Haimei with the Award for Contributions to Discipline Development in the School of Life Sciences, while Wang Xiaojun and Liang Zongsuo conferred the College Development Contribution Awards on veteran faculty members—including Chen Haimin, Hu Xiufang, Sheng Qing, and Xu Xiangqun—who have served at the school for 20 years. In addition, Chen Yan, Director of the University Alumni Office, presented a certificate of donation to Mr. Zhou Zhengbing, General Manager of Shaoxing Jiayun Biotechnology Co., Ltd., which has pledged RMB 250,000 to establish the Jiayun Science and Innovation Scholarship and Student Aid Fund. Meanwhile, Ms. Zhou Fang, Chairwoman of Ningbo Xinzhi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and a calligrapher, donated a calligraphic masterpiece to the School of Life Sciences and Medicine.

Following the opening ceremony, attending leaders, guests, alumni, and faculty representatives posed for a group photo. On the same day, the High-Quality Development Forum also hosted two academic symposiums—one in the main venue and one in a sub-venue. Six distinguished experts delivered high‑level presentations, including Professor Qian Cheng, Chief Scientist at Chongqing Precision Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Professor Jin Yongfeng of Zhejiang University, a recipient of the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund; Professor Li Junmin, Vice President of Taizhou University; Professor Zhang Yongqing, former Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Professor Dong Juan’e, Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Northwest A&F University; and Researcher Wang Zuoyun of the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Fudan University. In addition, an alumni board election and an alumni development forum were held, with more than 40 alumni representatives actively participating and engaging in lively discussions.