With the support of the NPU Human Resources Department, International Cooperation Office, and Alumni Association, Fan Xiaoli, Dean of QMES, and her delegation travelled to Singapore from March 26th to March 27th to hold an alumni symposium and establish the first global alumni contact station for QMES. This initiative aims to expand the QMES’s international partnership network, enhance the global influence, standardise the alumni engagement mechanism, and create a platform for communication with overseas alumni.

On the afternoon of March 26th at 4:30, the inaugural ceremony for the establishment of the QMES Singapore Alumni Contact Station took place at the National University of Singapore. Hou Chengyi, Vice President of NPU, Fu Xinwei, Director of the National University Science Park, Zheng Xi, Executive Vice Dean of the Yangtze Delta Region Institute, Lin Nan, Deputy Minister of Human Resources Department, Xiang Dan, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Office, Yang Aiguo, President of the QMES Singapore Alumni Association, Wu Xiaowei, Vice President of the QMES Singapore Alumni Association, Liu Nanxi, Director of the QMES Singapore Alumni Association, attended the meeting, along with representatives of QMES’s faculty and more than ten representatives of Singapore alumni. The meeting was chaired by Fan Xiaoli, Dean of QMES.

At the beginning of the meeting, Fan Xiaoli welcomed the distinguished guests and alumni in attendance, providing an overview of the alumni situation in Singapore. She mentioned that QMES has nurtured nearly 700 graduates throughout three cohorts, with over 30 alumni studying and furthering their education at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Next, Fan Xiaoli announced the official establishment of the Singapore Alumni Contact Station. During the meeting, representatives of the faculty and alumni conducted an election to appoint the Secretary General and Directors of the contact station. Following a preliminary consultation period and on-site voting, Luo Zhangliang, an alumnus of the Cohort of 2022, was elected as the Secretary General, while Zhao Chenyan, an alumnus of the Cohort of 2022, Qu Yifan, an alumnus of the Cohort of 2023, and Shu Yue, alumnus from the Cohort of 2023, were elected as Directors of the contact station. Hou Chengyi presented the appointment letter to Secretary General Luo Zhangliang, while Fu Xinwei, Zheng Xi, and Fan Xiaoli presented appointment letters to the three Directors. Yang Aiguo, on behalf of the Singapore Alumni Association, awarded a commemorative plaque to mark the establishment of the contact station. The meeting proceeded in a friendly and warm atmosphere.

During the discussion session, the attending leaders and alumni delivered their speeches. Lin Nan expressed his approval of the alumni work. He stated that the QMES’s continued attention to alumni development and close connections with overseas alumni are practices worthy of emulation by other institutions. From the perspective of international cooperation, Xiang Dan expressed the hope that the alumni in Singapore can maintain close contact with NPU and support NPU’s international exchange initiatives. Luo Zhangliang expressed gratitude to the alma mater and QMES for their efforts in establishing the contact station. As the inaugural Secretary General, he pledged to unite the alumni in Singapore and organize a wide range of activities, aiming to establish the alumni contact station as an impressive showcase for the overseas promotion of NPU. Yang Aiguo congratulated the establishment of the alumni contact station, highly acknowledging the significant importance of its pioneering status. He guided the future work of the contact station and affirmed that the Singapore Alumni Association would spare no effort in supporting the development of the contact station and its alumni.

Hou Chengyi delivered a concluding speech, emphasizing that alumni studying at world-renowned institutions such as NUS and NTU are bound to encounter numerous challenges and obstacles. He encouraged everyone to persevere, work hard, and leverage the power of the contact station and alumni association to support each other and overcome difficulties. Furthermore, he urged the alumni to make the most of the guidance from their alma mater’s mentors and professors, stay informed about the alma mater’s development dynamics, understand its overseas talent introduction policies, and devise a career development blueprint for themselves. Once they have achieved success in their studies, they can return to their homeland, come back to NPU to work or teach, and contribute their efforts towards realizing the vision of “World-class in Engineering, Leading in Aerospace, Aviation, and Navigation”.

The meeting concluded with a group photo to commemorate the occasion.

On the afternoon of March 26th, Fan Xiaoli and her delegation paid a special visit to Professor Jiang Donglin, Provost’s Chair of the Department of Chemistry at NUS. Jiang Donglin is a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, who is currently engaged in research on covalent organic frameworks. As a doctoral supervisor for our alumni, Jiang Donglin spoke highly of the quality of talent cultivation at NPU and QMES. He stated that QMES students are diligent and practical in their research, and possess strong teamwork and self-learning abilities. As a result, he expressed his hope to recruit more graduates into his research group. Fan Xiaoli conveyed gratitude to Professor Jiang Donglin for his academic guidance and affirmation of the QMES alumni. She also voiced the aspiration for the establishment of long-term and stable exchanges between QMES and Professor Jiang’s research group, in addition to recommending more outstanding QMES students to study in Singapore.

On the afternoon of March 27th, QMES convened a symposium for alumni representatives. Attending the meeting were Fan Xiaoli, Dean of QMES, Li Heng, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ma Yue, Deputy Director of NPU Undergraduate Academic Affairs Department (Engineering Training Center), Liu Zhe, Assistant to the Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yang Ye, Director of QMES Teaching Affairs Office, and nearly 20 alumni from various cohorts. During the meeting, everyone spoke out freely, engaging in mutual exchanges about their experiences studying abroad and sharing the highs and lows of their research lives. They also reminisced about the various facets of their time at the alma mater. Li Heng articulated that the alma mater will always be a warm harbour for the alumni. Moreover, he encouraged everyone to maintain their ties with NPU and revisit them frequently.

From March 26th to 27th, Fan Xiaoli also participated in NPU’s meetings with NUS and NTU leaders. During this time, she organized 13 alumni studying in Singapore to attend two talent exchange sessions held by NPU. At these sessions, they engaged in in-depth discussions with teachers of relevant disciplines and young scholars, communicating about talent introduction conditions and career development plans, and planning their paths for returning to China for employment.

The establishment of the Singapore Alumni Liaison Office, as the first college-level overseas alumni contact organization at NPU, marks a milestone in alumni work and serves as an important platform for alumni exchange and feedback on alumni visits. QMES will further optimize the mechanism for overseas alumni work, gradually establishing alumni contact organizations in the UK, Hong Kong, and other places, integrating alumni work with student overseas exchanges and career planning. QMES will continuously improve the effectiveness of cultivating internationally oriented “Chief Engineer-type” talents based on alumni and employer feedback. Additionally, it will utilize the alumni platform to enhance international influence and outreach, thus contributing to the achievement of the NPU’s “127” goal.

(Text and Photo: Yang Ye; Edit: Tang Yinwen; Translate: Shen Xinyi; Review: Fan Xiaoli)