On the afternoon of 19th December, the second 2025 SBC Management Council Meeting was held at the Fuxing Road campus of USST. The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, combining both online and offline participation. Professor ZHU Xinyuan, President of USST and Chair of the SBC Management Council; Dr CAI Yonglian, Vice President of USST and Dean of SBC; Professor ZHANG Hua, Vice President of USST and members from the UK partner universities included Professor Robert Anthony Cryan, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Huddersfield attended the meeting. SBC executives were also present at the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Dr CAI Yonglian.
The Management Council Meeting
Professor ZHU Xinyuan expressed gratitude for the longstanding support from the UK partner universities and the Northern Consortium of UK Universities (NCUK). Since the last Management Council Meeting in July this year, SBC has achieved notable progress in various areas, including free entry student recruitment, teaching management, promotion for academic faculty, research administration, international accreditations, talent cultivation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and campus development. This year, SBC was distinguished as an Outstanding Chinese-foreign Collaborative Education Institution among over 250 participating institutions nationwide, becoming one of only 16 institutions in China to receive this honour—a testament to the authoritative recognition of its educational quality. Professor ZHU emphasised that the accomplishments of SBC would not have been possible without the support of its UK partner universities. He expressed hope for further deepening cooperation between both sides to jointly advance the College's high-quality development to new heights.
Online Participation
During the meeting, Dr CAI Yonglian extended a sincere invitation on behalf of USST to the UK members of the Management Council. She noted that 2026 will mark the 120th anniversary of USST and also the 20th anniversary of SBC. On this doubly celebratory occasion, she warmly invited partners from the UK universities to participate in the series of commemorative events, joining hands to review the journey and look toward the future. The UK members of the Management Council expressed their appreciation for the invitation and looked forward to being present on-site to celebrate this significant milestone together.
Professor ZHANG Zheng, Vice Dean and Acting Executive Dean of the College, presented the 2025 annual work report of SBC. The Management Council members fully acknowledged the achievements made by the College in its high-quality development process. They engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges on various topics, including international student recruitment, free entry student recruitment, academic support systems, employment and further study guidance, faculty development, teaching quality assurance, and management mechanism optimisation. Professor ZHANG stated that SBC would take the 20th anniversary of its establishment as a pivotal opportunity to continuously refine its educational system, deepen the substance of international cooperation, enhance its operational capabilities, and propel the College's Chinese-foreign collaborative education endeavours to new levels and chapters.
Prior to the meeting, accompanied by faculty and students of the College, Professor Robert Anthony Cryan toured the campus and held a cordial conversation with student representatives in Events Management in the library.
Visiting the USST History Museum at Fuxing Road Campus
