Prof Chen Zhi, an internationally renowned scholar and researcher in Chinese studies and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities, was appointed President of UIC in April this year. How would the age of artificial intelligence affect higher education and the development of UIC? President Chen shared his views.
Interdisciplinary talent is the future
With nearly 20 years of development, UIC has accumulated rich experience and considerable influence in higher education, said Prof Chen. With its unique advantages and characteristics, UIC has become one of the fastest-growing universities in Guangdong and is highly regarded by society for its liberal arts education.
UIC President Prof Chen Zhi
Liberal arts education is student-centred and cultivates open-minded, well-rounded talents, enabling students to really dig into their academic field of expertise with an interdisciplinary approach. Facing multiple challenges ahead, Prof Chen said it is crucial to nurture cross-field talents with global visions. This education philosophy has enabled UIC's graduates to proceed to prestigious universities worldwide and achieve impressive progress in their respective fields.
Batches of students have graduated from UIC in the past 15 years
UIC's future efforts
According to Prof Chen, as UIC approaches its twentieth anniversary, it will continue to focus on innovation, faculty recruitment and cultivation while developing advanced disciplines and supporting academic research. Firmly rooted in the Greater Bay Area, UIC will provide international platforms for its faculty and students and continue to expand its global impact to become a premier liberal arts college.
On cross-field disciplines
With enormous changes brought by technology, such as AI, "we need to dissolve the boundaries of disciplines in the university," said Prof Chen, which will be one of the key directions for UIC's future development. In recent years, keeping pace with the times, UIC has launched programmes like data science and artificial intelligence and reconstructed its programmes into one department, laying a foundation for cross-disciplinary integration.
Potential students and their parents visit UIC on Open Day
On teaching and research
Prof Chen stated that UIC will balance teaching and research, improve teaching quality, optimise curriculum settings, and cultivate students’ innovative abilities and practical skills. It will also respond to national development strategies by strengthening academic construction in science, technology and postgraduate training, and encouraging scientific study.
UIC students conduct scientific research
He also emphasised that recruiting top global talents would still be one of UIC's targets. Currently, UIC has an international staff with lecturers and professors from around 30 countries and regions. Faculty members of all the departments have studied or worked abroad, with nearly 90% holding doctoral degrees. The recently established Institute of Advanced Studies, led by Prof Tang Tao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a platform set to energise ground-breaking research collaborations, creative answers, and cross-disciplinary approaches.
Prof Chen Zhi (left) presents Prof Tang Tao with the appointment letter of the IAS Director
On expanding international networks
As for internationalisation, Prof Chen said UIC will leverage its position in the Greater Bay Area and utilise educational resources and geographical advantages of Guangdong and Hong Kong, providing its teachers and students with broader horizons and more international cooperation. By far, UIC has over 60 collaborative partners globally, giving students abundant chances to grow on a global platform.
He mentioned that UIC would continue deepening cooperation with Hong Kong Baptist University through the co-establishment of labs or research centres, cooperation on research projects, mutual recognition of course credits, flexible arrangements in student exchange, and summer programmes to enrich students' study lives.
UIC students participate in Overseas Summer Programmes
On building University Town
Talking about UIC's second-phase campus, Prof Chen said the teaching blocks are expected to be fully constructed by 2025, and the whole campus by 2026. The second-phase campus held its ground-breaking ceremony in 2021, and its residential halls were put into use in 2022.
In the future, UIC will have two campuses. The first phase will focus on humanities and business, the second phase will focus on science and postgraduate education, and the university town will be built with the historical Huitong Village.
UIC's second-phase campus
High hopes for UIC students
UIC regards fostering Chinese culture as its mission, as well as broadening students' global visions. At UIC, students and staff can experience Chinese traditional culture through courses about Guqin (an ancient Chinese zither), Shedao (Chinese archery), Yayue (court music), lectures, competitions and many more. Prof Chen had set up a programme, Chinese Culture and Global Communication, when serving as UIC Provost, aiming to train students to be both locally rooted and globally connected.
He said that a value system that coheres with modern society and the global community is crucial to promoting Chinese culture worldwide. He expected UIC students to shoulder the responsibility and spread Chinese culture around the world.
UIC has courses for students to learn traditional Chinese culture
Regarding how to spend the four-year study ahead, he advised students to stay ambitious and curious and to concentrate on studying while developing comprehensively, physically or mentally.
Since taking the role on 1 April, Prof Chen has diligently carried out various tasks. Looking ahead, he said it is more important to make reasonable use of external tools such as AI to solve problems so that they can make positive contributions.
Prof Chen Zhi talks with student representatives at lunch
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Video: Li Bohan, Cecilia Yu
Photographer: Season Li, Camelia Deng, Wang Yihui and UICer
Editor: Deen He
