Focus on innovation

Tongji University teachers led by Yang (right) meet freshmen in the dormitory in September 2016.

Eye on sciences

Separately, the university will focus on developing new courses and departments to be in sync with the country's strategies and changing economic circumstances.

"The top of the list is bioscience, which includes research into stem cells," says Yang, who earned his PhD in biomedical studies from Tianjin University.

Ocean engineering, which includes deepwater studies, is also on the list. "We are working to place 'eyes' under the ocean, which has never been done in the country before," says Yang.

The university has also relocated its lab in marine geology to Shanghai's Lingang port area to facilitate better observation of seabed changes.

As one of the top schools in Shanghai, Tongji University is working to develop courses to meet the demands of the city, which aims to transform itself into a science and technology innovation hub with global influence.

Besides, the university is focusing on green energy, city transportation and railways as well as disaster prevention.

"These (subjects) target important issues for our big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai," says Yang.

"Tongji is renowned for its strong basic research ability, and we also want to focus on industry transformation using these results, so as to better serve society."

In a related development, the university is working with companies such as the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, to set up labs and transform research results into tangible products.

Overseas cooperation

Tongji University's history can be traced back to 1907 when the Tongji German Medical School was founded by Erich Paulun, a German doctor in Shanghai.

With a long history of links with Germany, Tongji is now looking for more international cooperation.

To this end, the university has established links with Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States in education, science, technology and economics.

Also, Tongji University has been recruiting international students since 1954, and was one of the first universities in Shanghai to offer programs to international students.

In 2016, the university enrolled more than 4,900 international students from 161 countries and regions to pursue their bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees in various disciplines, and to take language courses.