An Interview with SUI Guangjun

GDUFS is located at the foot of the Baiyun Mountain, so SUI Guangjun, the CPC Party Secretary of GDUFS joked that GDUFS was a “university in the mountain”. However, this “university in the mountain” is the most international university in Guangdong Province. The international think tank it builds not only gathers excellent research resources from both at home and abroad, but also provides a lot of intelligent supports to the national strategy of “going out”.

In recent years, the construction of a new type of think tank has been an important part of governing a country. Where does GDUFS’s confidence of building a new-type international think tank come from? How can GDUFS distinguish itself in establishing itself as a think tank in Guangdong, where many existing think tanks gather? How can GDUFS proceed in a better way based on the national strategy of “One Belt and One Road”? During the 50th Anniversary of GDUFS, a reporter from South Magazine had an exclusive interview with SUI Guangjun, the CPC Party Secretary of GDUFS and Executive Vice-president of Guangdong Institute for International Strategies.

Our aim is “Based in Guangdong, radiating to the whole country and marching towards the world”

South: In the past year of 2015, what has the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies done?

SUI: I always stress that the new-type think tank in colleges should be “exobrain”, “microphone” as well as “revolving door” for governments to make decisions. In 2015, what we have done revolves around these three words. Specifically speaking, firstly, we conducted surveys and services concerning important matters of our country. For example, we visited South Pacific Island Countries for research with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; trained senior civil servants and young leaders for that area, and carried out special research on the Maritime Silk Road, which was the so-called “exobrain”. Secondly, we went to America before Chairman XI Jinping visited America and exchanged ideas with six think tanks concerned, letting our own views be heard. This is what we called “Microphone”. Thirdly, a “revolving door” type of cadre training mechanism has been established, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That is to say, to promote each other’s working quality and efficiency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appoints some cadres to be visiting researchers in the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies every year, and the other way around, the Institute designates some researchers to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

South: It is said that there are over 400 new-type provincial-level think tanks in Guangdong so far. What are the characteristics and advantages of the GDUFS-established new-type think tank?

SUI: On November 13th, 2009, the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies was established with the approval of Guangdong provincial government, and ZHAO Yufang, the Vice-governor of Guangdong Province, was appointed President. The Institute centers at GDUFS, but it is not a general university research institution. Aiming at meeting major national strategic demands, we put forward our aim of “Based in Guangdong, radiating to the whole country and marching towards the world”. In fact, we have realized our objective. Since the establishment of the Institute, we have submitted a great number of high-quality decision-making advisory reports to national ministries and Guangdong Province.

Although GDUFS is a “university in the mountain”, we keep track of the national affairs. From the perspective of universities, I think apart from cultivating talents and innovating scientific research, a more important function of a university is to make contributions to the society. GDUFS is a university with the greatest number of foreign languages to be studied in southern China, and the foreign language talents are most concentrated at GDUFS. The unique advantages of multi-languages and multi-subjects enable GDUFS to converge high-level intelligence quickly from at home and abroad, and introduce domestic and foreign high-caliber talents. This not only indicates GDUFS’s social responsibility, but also the advantages of Guangdong Institute for International Strategies.

GDUFS’s construction of a new-type think tank focuses on major national strategic demands with the hope of building itself into an open economic developmental think tank, an information database for international strategic research, an academic exchange platform for international strategic research and a talent cultivating platform for international strategic research.

The think tank must closely follow major national strategies and the research must be prospective.

South: How does the Institute serve the innovative development of Guangdong? What has the Institute done in terms of serving national strategies?

SUI: The establishment of Guangdong Institute for International Strategies made Guangdong become the first province, in addition to Beijing and Shanghai, to own brainpower for international strategic research. The function of the Institute is to gather high-level domestic and foreign intelligence and set up think tanks on a worldwide scale for Guangdong’s own use. Once Guangdong is confronted with international issues, the Institute will quickly find the corresponding experts and solve the challenging issues in time.

For example, several years ago, the outbreak of the financial crisis and the occurrence of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami inflicted severe impacts on our province’s foreign trade. However, the Institute organized the experts to finish the special report about the impacts of the financial crisis and Japan’s great earthquake on Guangdong’s foreign trade in a week and submitted it to Guangdong Provincial party committee and provincial government. Moreover, the experts had an accurate prediction on the evolution and follow-up effects of the financial crisis. The objective analysis, with respect to the impacts Japan’s violent earthquake brought about on Guangdong’s industries, and a series of reports concerned are very critical for Guangdong Provincial party committee and provincial government to make correct decisions.

On the other hand, the think tank should be closely connected with the national strategic concern and realistic need. In recent years, Guangdong Institute for International Strategies has focused on some international strategic problems and has made great achievements.

Four years ago, after China became the second largest economy in the world, we have concentrated our research subject on China joining in with the global economic management, actively motivating the “Innovative Group Development Plan” project. In 2011, a few experts had questioned our research orientation, but we didn’t give up. It finally paid off in 2012. So far, more than 20 research institutions have been founded, which illustrate that our selection is forward-looking, and requires our international research to be forward-looking.

South: You have mentioned the forward-looking nature of your research; could you give us more examples?

SUI : We can see that from the process of the foundation of the research institute. It was founded in 2009. Under the influence of the economic crisis in 2008, the global situation has changed significantly. The research institute had unique sensitivity to the significant strategic problems. In 2009, Guangdong Institute for International Strategies was founded following the trend. From the first day of the foundation, we had high expectations and requirements, and were under great pressure.

“The research and management should be international, and so should the teachers and students.”

South: Could you give us some suggestions for others constructing new type think tanks?

SUI: First of all, we should make efforts to do the research. The basis of the new-type think tank is research. In this aspect, the university has the advantages for the think tank. What's more, it is necessary to be independent when studying the think tank. The research should be constructive and provide constructive ideas for the government.

In addition, I think it is necessary for new-type think tank to “go out.”Since the foundation of the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, it has established intellectual connections with the America, Japan, the European Union, India, Singapore, and so on. The foreign experts have raised some suggestions to the upgrading of Guangdong province. Through collective subject research, collective forums and so on, the horizon of the Institute has been broadened.

South: As part of GDUFS, what’s its next step and orientation?

SUI: Although GDUFS is the “university in the mountain,” but we have an international perspective. GDUFS will take a series of actions as its next step.

Firstly, GDUFS will add more languages. So far, GDUFS has 20 foreign languages, which cultivate excellent foreign language learners for “the Belt and Road”strategy and Guangdong Free Trade Zone.

Secondly, GDUFS will establish the Collaborative Innovation Center for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Studies, concentrating on the theoretical innovation, subject development and talent training.

Thirdly, GDUFS will form strategic corporation with the China Pilot Free Trade Zone and serve the economy and trade corporation between Guangdong province and Portuguese countries.

For many years, GDUFS has promoted the internationalization construction in many fields and made internationalization become a central feature of GDUFS. Not only should the research and management be international, but so should the teachers and students. After 10 years, which will be the 60th anniversary of GDUFS, we expect our university to possess unique features, brilliant quality and social respect. What’s more, we expect GDUFS to become a distinctive and high-level university that can meet the satisfaction of the party, country and peoplem.

Chinese report：《南方》访隋广军：“山里高校”为广东谋全球大事