UIC held its second-phase campus groundbreaking ceremony on 23 May.

Attending the ceremony included Secretary of Zhuhai Municipal CPC Committee Mr Guo Yonghang, President of UIC Prof Tang Tao, Acting Mayor of Zhuhai City Mr Huang Zhihao, President of China Association of Women Entrepreneurs Ms Li Dang, Deputy Secretary of Zhuhai Municipal CPC Committee Mr Zhao Jianguo, member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of Zhuhai Municipal CPC Committee Mr Wu Shi, member of the Standing Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of Zhuhai Municipal CPC Committee Mr Guo Caiwu, Dean of Yenching Academy of Peking University and Professor at the School of International Studies of Peking University Yuan Ming, Vice Mayor of Zhuhai City Mr Li Chong, Secretary of CPC Committee of Zhuhai Hi-tech Zone Mr Su Hu, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai Ms Wei Wei, Director of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs at Beijing Normal University and member of UIC Council Mr Wu Yujun, UIC Provost Prof Chen Zhi, and Secretary of the College CPC Committee and Vice President (Administration) of UIC Prof Mao Yaqing.

In his speech, Mr Guo Yonghang pointed out that at present, Zhuhai's demand for local, high-quality higher education and talents is more urgent than ever before. The second-phase UIC campus is built in accordance with the times and circumstances, which will undoubtedly boost Zhuhai's higher education and urban development to a new level. He hoped that UIC would cultivate more new talents with devotion to the country and the ability to shoulder greater responsibilities and contribute to Zhuhai's economic and social development. The Zhuhai government would constantly provide support for UIC to create the best conditions to become a renowned college with vast influence at home and abroad.

Mr Guo Yonghang

President Tang Tao expressed gratitude towards Zhuhai for supporting UIC to have a bigger space for education and scientific research. He said that UIC has now become a liberal arts college with unique features and is one of the representatives of the Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities. According to President Tang, in the future, UIC will develop its advantages and keep on cultivating and introducing talents, continuing the industrial-university research collaboration, and better serving Zhuhai in all aspects.

President Tang Tao

Dean of Yenching Academy of Peking University and Professor at the School of International Studies of Peking University, Professor Yuan Ming, said that she was honoured to witness the era of UIC's development. Eight years ago, Professor Yuan visited the Jinfeng Road campus of UIC, and a day before the groundbreaking ceremony, she gave a keynote speech at the Jintong Road campus (UIC's current first-phase campus). Furthermore, she has just witnessed the groundbreaking of UIC's second-phase campus. She highlighted that UIC is a unique college that genuinely serves the local community by bringing high-quality education.

Professor Yuan Ming

Chairman of the UIC Council, the former Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, Mr Xu Jialu, sent his congratulations from Beijing. Mr Xu Jialu said that this is another milestone in UIC's development. UIC stands in a new era, and it is also located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which is essential in the country's development. He also expressed his expectation on UIC to make new achievements and cultivate more talents for Zhuhai, for the Greater Bay Area and the nation.

Professor Chen Zhi delivers Mr Xu Jialu's message

The second-phase campus will mainly be the home of science programmes and Graduate School. The building area of approximately 400,000 square metres will host the bases of science, engineering, interdisciplinary subjects, cutting-edge technologies and industrial transformation, forming three clusters of scientific research buildings, teaching blocks and residence halls, which will accommodate 6,000 students and 1,000 staff members. The project is expected to be fully put into use in September 2025. In addition, UIC will work towards building a university town with the historical Huitong Village.

An architectural rendering of the second phase campus with an aerial view of the first phase campus

The leading designer of the second-phase campus and Aedas global design director Dr Wen Zixian shared the design concept at the ceremony.

Dr Wen Zixian

The second-phase campus adheres to the design concept of staff- and student-oriented. Combining cultural landmarks, humanistic spaces, and landscapes, the second-phase campus will create an educational platform that includes Zhuhai memory, industry-university integration, and a high degree of integration of science and nature. It will also create a comprehensive teaching area that integrates a collection of innovative teaching and training of talents, cutting-edge research, and new industries' cultivation.

The second-phase campus consists of three clusters: scientific research buildings, teaching blocks and residence halls

UIC is the first modern college in China that upholds a liberal arts education. It has moved to the new campus on Jintong Road in 2017. With UIC's continuous improvement of the level and scale and to expand the space for its running, in June 2020, Zhuhai Municipal People's Government granted UIC another plot of land of 550 mu (approximately 367,000 square metres) next to the Sports Park to build its second-phase campus.

At present, UIC has ranked among the top 100 high-end talents in colleges and universities in China. In the future, UIC will continue to introduce scientific research talents, strengthen cooperation between industry, university and research, and transform scientific research results. It will also continue fostering high-quality talents to help develop the Greater Bay Area and China.

Dormitory construction will start first

Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the Macau Foundation Mr Wu Zhiliang, Director of the Management Committee of the Zhuhai Campus of Sun Yat-sen University Mr Tian Baocai, Executive Director of the Management Committee of the Jinan University Zhuhai Campus Mr Qu Ting, Chairman of the Board of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai Mr Wang Taoguang, Vice President of Zhuhai College of Science and Technology Mr Li Junjiang, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Zhuhai City Polytechnic Mr Zhong Yijun, Deputy Secretary of the UIC CPC Committee Ms Wang Hong, Vice Presidents of UIC Prof Huang Huaxiong and Prof Jia Weijia, Associate Vice President (Student Development) of UIC Prof Stella Cho and other distinguished guests also attended the ceremony.

Moments at the ceremony

Reporters: Xia Meng, Covee Wang, Zhang Fan

Photographers: Ivy Liao, Ben Wen, Covee Wang, Wang Xi

Editor: Deen He