SYSU WORLDDECEMBER | ISSUE 3

Nobel Laureate in Literature Mo Yan lectures at SYSU

CONTENT

EDITOR'S NOTEThank you for reading this issue of SYSU World, the official English language newsletter of Sun Yat-sen University. December has been a bustling month at SYSU. Winter flowers are in full bloom as students and teachers shake out their sweaters and dust off their ginger tea recipes. November came to a close with a flourish, as the University was honored to receive a visit from Mo Yan, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature. In this issue you can read about his guest lecture as a part of the Yat-sen Distinguished Scholar’s Forum. Also found in this issue are continued coverage of the University’s ninetieth anniversary celebrations, profiles of new international collaborations between SYSU and overseas schools, details of international student activities on campus, and much more. As we look forward to the year 2015, we invite you to take a look at the exciting developments taking place at SYSU. We hope you enjoy this edition of SYSU World and stay tuned for future issues.

CONTENTAnniversary Celebration Events2• Nobel Laureate in Literature Mo Yan lectures at SYSU• Fields Medal Winner Shing-Tung Yau Lectures at Yat-sen Distinguished Scholars Forum• IUPUI Musical Troupe Performs at SYSU

Medical Sciences5• 2014 SINF results: 4 recipients for Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

International Cooperation6• Memorandum of Understanding signed between Thai Secondary Schools and SYSU• Mr. Jorge Heine, Ambassador of Chile to China, visits and lectures at SYSU

News in Brief• SYSU has seven new recipients of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2014• "Let’s Drink Tea Together!" - A Cultural Salon on Chinese Tea• International Student Volunteer Team is Established at Sun Yat-sen University• SYSU Launches International Student Blog

Academics4• Prof. Patrick S. Moore lectures at International Masters Frontier Forum

Student Activities7• “Welcome Freshers” International Student Party held at Zhongshan School of Medicine

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ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVENTS

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Nobel Laureate in Literature Mo Yan lectures at SYSU

On the morning of November 30, Mr. Mo Yan, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature, gave a lecture at Sun Yat-sen University as a part of the Yat-sen Distinguished Scholars Forum. The lecture, which took place at K.K. Leung Hall on SYSU’s South Campus, focused on the theme of characterization in fiction writing. More than 1,500 faculty members, students and alumni attended the lecture, including Professor Li Ping, Deputy Secretary of the SYSU Party Committee; Prof. Li Mengfeng, Vice President of SYSU; and Mr. Chen Shaobin, Assistant President of SYSU.

In a congenial lecture style marked by humor and vigor, Mr. Mo Yan told the audience about the real-life inspirations for some of the characters in his novels, which include The Transparent Carrot, Red Sorghum, Sandalwood Death, and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out. He shared his experience in creating effective literary characters, noting that writers cannot write if they are cut off from life. “No matter whether they like it or not, writers should deal with all kinds of people. Only through careful observation and profound understanding can writers dig out the

features to create classic characters in their novels."Following the lecture, Prof. Xie Youshun from the Department of Chinese of SYSU shared some comments. In the following Q&A session, Mr. Mo Yan participated in an open discussion with the audience on issues ranging from the Chinese classics to contemporary Internet literature.

After the lecture, Profs. Li Ping and Li Mengfeng presented a gift to Mr. Mo Yan on behalf of the university.

Mo Yan is the pen name of Guan Moye. He was born in Gaomi in

Shandong province in 1955. In 1976, Mo Yan joined the People's Liberation Army where he began studying literature and writing. His novels include The Transparent Carrot, Red Sorghum, The Garlic Ballads, Sandalwood Death, Big Breasts & Wide Hips, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, and Frog, among others. He has also published many short stories and essays. His work often deals with issues of social commentary, and has been compared to writers from across the world and in a variety of styles, from the magical realism of fellow Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez to the social realism of American writers William Faulkner and John Steinbeck.

Mo Yan's works have been translated into English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese and many other languages. Mo Yan has won many awards and honors. In 2012, Mo Yan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work as a writer "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary".

Mo Yan’s lecture was hosted as a part of the Yat-sen Distinguished Scholar’s Forum, and ongoing series of visits from high profile experts and artists across an array of professions. Mo Yan is the sixth Nobel laureate to participate in the Forum this year, which has been a centerpiece of the University's ninetieth anniversary celebrations.

Mr. Mo Yan at Yat-sen Distinguished Scholars Forum

Mr. Mo Yan giving the lecture “Prototypes of the characters in my novels”

Prof. Li Ping (right) and Prof. Li Mengfeng (left) presenting SYSU’s 90th anniversary mascots “SYSU Lions” to Mr. Mo Yan (middle)

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVENTS

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IUPUI Musical Troupe Performs at SYSU As part of the celebration activities for the 90th anniversary of the founding of Sun Yat-sen University, Big Robot, IUPUI Music Technology Ensemble and IUPUI Faculty Jazz Ensemble gave a mini-tour to all four campuses of SYSU from November 11th to the 15th, 2014. The tour brought a colorful infusion of electronic and jazz music for SYSU students, faculty, staff and alumni to enjoy.

IUPUI stands of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The school is a joint campus of the two American universities and enjoys a close partnership with SYSU. Big Robot, IUPUI Music Technology Ensemble is comprised of three musicians — Scott Deal (percussion), Jordan Munson (computer & keyboard), and Michael Drews (computer & guitar). They created a multidimensional performance with integration of audio/video design, live percussion, and electronics. As Prof. Zaocheng Xu, Dean of Confucius Institute in Indianapolis, commented, Big Robot’s performance, like Picasso’s abstract paintings, told a captivating story to the audience.

The IUPUI Faculty Jazz Ensemble featuring Steve Allee (piano), Sandy Williams (bass guitar), Robin Cox (violin), John Alvarado (guitar), and Scott Deal

(percussion), delivered a spectacular performance in the second half of the concert. The guitar solo “Pure Spirit” and the rhythmic "Milonga Dance" were especially impressive to the audience.

The two bands from IUPUI performed thirteen tunes, ending the music merriment with “Fourth Street”. At the end of the concert, Steve Allee wished SYSU a happy birthday while thanking the University for the invitation and the volunteers for their support.

Fields Medal Winner Shing-Tung Yau Lectures at Yat-sen Distinguished Scholars Forum

On the morning of November 25th, the winner of the 1982 Fields Medal, member of the US National Academy of Sciences, and tenured professor of Harvard University Prof. Shing-Tung Yau participated in the Yat-sen Distinguished Scholars Forum, giving a lecture on Mathematics and Humanities at Swasey Hall in SYSU’s South Campus. More than 300 people attended the forum and more than 100 people watched a live broadcast of the lecture at the lecture hall of the new teaching building.

Before the forum, Mr. Zheng Detao, Party Secretary of SYSU, and University Vice President Zhu Xiping extended warm welcomes to Prof. Yau, who began his lecture with a cultural comparison between traditional Chinese Confucianism and ancient Greek philosophy in the Western world. He then explored how disciplines developed differently in such cultural contexts and further pointed out the similarities between literary composition and mathematical research, emphasizing the role of humanities education to mathematical research.

In the Q&A session following the lecture, Prof. Yau interacted with forum attendees and answered audience members’ questions. After the forum, on behalf of Sun Yat-sen University, Vice President Zhu Xiping expressed his gratitude to Prof. Yau for such wonderful lecture and presented him with a gift as a token of this appreciation. (pictured)

ACADEMICS

Prof. Patrick S. Moore lectures at International Masters Frontier Forum

On the morning of November 15, Prof. Patrick S. Moore, member of National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, gave a lecture at SYSU entitled “What tumor viruses can tell us about cancer cell protein processing.” The lecture, which took place at the Medical Science and Technology Building on the North Campus of SYSU, was a part of the University’s International Masters Frontier Forum. The lecture was hosted by Prof. Yuan Yan. Prof. Ling Wenhua, Director of Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and Prof. Zhang Hui, Vice Dean of Zhongshan School of Medicine, delivered warm opening addresses to welcome Prof. Moore to campus. Nearly three hundred experts, teachers, and students attended the forum.

In the lecture, Prof. Moore talked about his research experience in discovering and characterizing of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV), which led to a groundbreaking introduction to the biology and pathogenesis of KSHV. Furthermore, he discussed his latest work, pointing out that nuclear antigens [latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA1)] undergo highly efficient programmed ribosomal frameshifting to generate previously undescribed alternative reading frame (ARF) proteins in repeat regions.

Patrick S. Moore, MD, MPH is an American Cancer Society (ACS) Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University o f P i t tsburgh. He is D i rec tor o f the Cancer

Virology Program for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Dr. Moore is recognized for his role, together with Dr. Yuan Chang, also an ACS Professor, in discovering and characterizing Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV or HHV8) and Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCV), the two most recently recognized human tumor viruses. Dr. Moore and Chang’s laboratory maintains an active focus on basic and translational research for both KSHV and MCV. Dr. Moore has received the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation Mott Award, the Robert Koch Prize, the Meyenburg Cancer Research Prize as well as other awards. He has also been awarded 21 patents. He is a Thomson Reuters ISI Highly Cited Researcher with over 12,000 scientific citations since 1992.

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Prof. Patrick S. Moore at International Masters Frontier Forum

MEDICAL SCIENCES

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2014 SINF results: 4 recipients for Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

The Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC), a strong partner of the internationally renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center, is set to begin work on four collaborative research projects through the Sister Institution Network Fund (SINF). The SINF is a Global Academic Program created in 2010 by the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States to give financial support to Sister Institutions worldwide. Support is provided in order to seed collaborative oncology research projects between MD Anderson, its Sister Institutions, extensions and other global partners. The projects require collaboration between at least one MD Anderson Cancer Center faculty/staff member and principal investigators from one or more of the 34 Sister Institutions, prestigious cancer centers located in 21 countries across the world. Each application is scored following the NIH review criteria, which consider the significance, i nves t iga to rs , i nnova t ion , approach , and environment of the submitted research project. SINF is a highly competitive program whose goal is to improve the collaboration between the Sister Institutions in order to lessen the worldwide impact of cancer. For this fourth round of SINF funding, the Global Academic Program granted SYSUCC four major projects in various areas, two of them being Cancer Moon Shot Programs.

For the year 2014, the 4 projects selected awarded 5 Principal Investigators from SYSUCC for the SINF: Professor Chao-Nan Qian (Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma), Professor Xiaoming Xie (Department of Breast Oncology), Professor Dan Xie (Department of Pathology), Professor Yaojun Zhang (Department of Hepatocellular Carcinoma), and Professor Hui Liu (Department of Radiation Oncology). The hope is that these collaborative projects can strengthen the University’s relationship with MD Anderson as well as the other Sister Institutions, and strengthen the role of SYSU researchers in the war against cancer.

List of the 4 granted projects for SYSUCC:

· Coordinated regulation of glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolism in tumorigenesis· Development of biomarkers to predict cetuximab resistance· Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for early response assessment of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma· Novel point-of-care tool to predict response to sorafenib in hepateocellular carcinoma

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Memorandum of Understanding signed between Thai Secondary Schools and SYSU

The Office for International Students’ Affairs of Sun Yat-sen University received delegates from the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 32, Thailand on November 21, 2014.

Dr. Wu Xiaoyan, Director of Office for International Students' Affairs and Mr. Kitti Booncherd, Principal of the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 32, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cultural exchange and academic cooperation between the two institutions. According to the memorandum, Sun Yat-sen University will be promoted in Buriram Province and qualified Thai students will gain advanced acceptance for study at Sun Yat-sen University.

The memorandum also plans to facilitate cultural exchange through strong t ies between the two educational institutions, and hopes to strengthen academic and cultural ties between nations in the Asia-Pacific region. Both sides are looking forward to further

communication about cooperation in joint schools, international students base and other collaborations.

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The Office for International Students’ Affairs, Sun Yat-sen University signed a MOU with the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 32, Thailand.

Mr. Jorge Heine, Ambassador of Chile to China, visits and lectures at SYSU

On the afternoon of November 26, 2014, Mr. Jorge Heine, Ambassador of Chile to China, visited SYSU. The senior diplomat was accompanied by Carlos Marin, Consul of the Consulate General of Chile in Guangzhou. Prof. Zhu Xiping, Vice President of SYSU, received the guests at the South Campus’s Zhongshan Administrative Building.

Prof. Zhu Xiping extended a warm welcome to the ambassador and introduced the general situation of SYSU. Nearly ten years ago, Mr. Pablo Cabrera, then Ambassador of Chile to China, visited SYSU and gave a lecture to the faculty and students. The visit by Mr. Jorge Heine follows in this tradition of friendship between SYSU and Chile, and will go a long way toward promoting future cooperation and exchange.

Mr. Jorge Heine thanked SYSU for the warm reception. Chile was the first South American country to establish formal diplomatic relations with China. Next year will be the 45th anniversary of this establishment.

After the meeting, Ambassador Heine gave a lecture entitled “Reaching Across the Pacific: Latin America and Asia in the New Century.” The lecture was moderated by Associate Professor Wang Xuedong from SYSU’s School of Asia-Pacific Studies. Ambassador Heine talked about the relationship between China and Chile, the relationship between Asia and Latin America in the new century and the prospects for future development between the two vibrant regions. The lecture was well attended and warmly welcomed by SYSU faculty and students.

Prof. Zhu Xiping, Vice President of SYSU, meeting with Mr. Jorge Heine, Ambassador of Chile to China

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

On November 21, Zhongshan School of Medicine held the “Welcome Freshers” International Student Party on the North Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. The party was hosted by the School’s International Student Association and the Office for International Students’ Affairs of SYSU.

Diversi ty of cul tures and their fusion with traditional Chinese culture was a highlight of the party. International students sang in their native languages and performed their countries’ traditional dances. Moreover, they also showed their knowledge of elements of traditional Chinese culture, such as playing diabolo, a traditional Chinese toy, and demonstrating Chinese Kongfu. Some students played the piano and some played the guitar, which proved to be crowd favorites and made them the super-stars of the party.

The party was like an international carnival for students, gathering together to show their talents, display their cultures and enjoy their shared experience of studying at SYSU.

Around sixty new students from more than twenty countries gathered together with returning international students. This party was an important event to get international newcomers adapted to their new study and living environment.

MBBS is the Engl ish- taught program that Zhongshan School of Medicine has set up for international students. It started in 2006 and has proven to be one of the favorite subjects of study for international students at the University.

“Welcome Freshers” International Student Party held at Zhongshan School of Medicine

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An international student playing diabolo at the party

According to the recently published results from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), seven SYSU researchers have been named as recipients of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars Awards in 2014. This ranks third nationwide and marks the third time for SYSU to have seven Fund recipients in a single year.

The 7 new recipients are as follows: Prof. Shi Junqi from Lingnan College, Prof. Ji Hongbing from School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Prof. Wang Hongbin from School of Life Sciences, Prof. Wang Xuemei from School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Prof. Zhang Qiang from School of Geography and Planning, Prof. Xiang Peng from Zhongshan School of Medicine, and Prof. Mai Haiqiang from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. To date, there have been 75 recipients of this Fund at SYSU.

In addition, SYSU has been granted 5 projects from the NSFC-Guangdong Joint Fund in 2014. The principal investigators of these projects are respectively Prof. Wang Chengxin from School of Physics and Engineering, Prof. Shuai Xintao from School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Prof. Zhang Wenqing from School of Life Sciences, Prof. Liu Xiaochun from School of Life Sciences, and Prof. Xu Hanshi from The First Affiliated Hospital of SYSU.

SYSU has seven new recipients of National Science Fund for

Distinguished Young Scholars in 2014

NEWS IN BRIEF

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Now that winter has arrived in Guangzhou, there has never been a better time to drink warm tea. On the evening of November 14, the “Chinese Cultural Salon” series returned for a night of tea, culture, and fun, held in the building of School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL). The event was organized by first-year postgraduate students from the Master's Program of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, and participants in the event came from all over the globe, including Italy, Ukraine, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Tajikistan, and Mexico.

"Let’s Drink Tea Together!" A Cultural Salon on Chinese Tea

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International Student Volunteer Team is Established at Sun Yat-sen University

The establishment ceremony for the International Student Volunteer team was held on November 14 on the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. Seventeen students from 16 countries came from four campuses to participate in the event. Dr. Wu Xiaoyan, Director of the Office for International Students’ Affairs (ISO), gave an opening address to welcome the students and thank them for their enthusiastic involvement in the team.

The first training session started right after the director ’s opening address. The volunteers received a detailed introduction of the University, consisting of its illustrious history, beautiful campuses, strong disciplines, fruitful academic outcomes, and its institutional mission and vision. They were then divided into different workshops in which they had an active discussion on what they had just learned about the University, the possible activities they would organize, and the contributions they could make to the university community.

The international student volunteer team is established with the aim of getting more

i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t u d e n t s i n v o l v e d i n t h e administration of the University, especially in the high-level receptions of important delegations from abroad. As the volunteers are expected to assist the international receptions, they are expected to have a good knowledge of the Chinese language, traditions, and culture as well as an understanding of SYSU’s history and present make-up. ISO will organize a series of training and learning activities for the volunteers. It is expected that the international volunteer team will act as a bridge between students’ activities and the university’s management.

The first seventeen international students are from sixteen countries including Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Jordan, France, German, Switzerland, USA, Mexico, and Mauritius.

The first training session for international student volunteers

NEWS IN BRIEF

SYSU Launches International Student Blog

Sun Yat-sen University is pleased to announce the launch of the international student blog: www.sysustudent.net. The blog is a place where international students at SYSU can share thoughts and experiences about studying at SYSU and living in Guangzhou. We hope to inform students and potential students of relevant news and daily life on campus. The launch of the international student blog is another one of the University’s efforts both to increase the quality of life for international students on campus and to promote itself to overseas audiences. The blog can serve as a window for the public to hear voices from SYSU international students and thus enhance the public awareness of the University. If you are past or current students at SYSU, feel free to submit a piece of your own at www.sysustudent.net/submit.

SYSU World

Publisher: Office for Overseas Promotion, SYSUConsultants: Ling Wenhua, Wu XiaoyanEditors: Ian J. Heuer, Wu JiawenDesigners: Long Peiyu, Chen Jiayu

Office for Overseas Promotion, SYSU

Room 114, Zhongshan Building,Sun Yat-sen University,135 Xingang West Rd, Guangzhou 510275, ChinaTel: +86 (20) 8411 1565Fax: +86 (20) 8403 6860Email: heuer@mail.sysu.edu.cn wjiawen@mail.sysu.edu.cnWebsite: http://www.sysu.edu.cn/2012/en/

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