On September 1, 10 cadres and talents from Shanghai University started a one-year practical training at the key departments and important sectors of economic and social development in Baoshan District. This is also a vivid practice to strengthen the district-university linkage and make good use of “university resources” in Baoshan, which is striving to advance the “Northern Transformation”.

Providing a wider platform for talents show themselves.

Wang Tingfang, lecturer at the School of Medicine of Shanghai University and master’s tutor of pharmacy, arrived at his new position. His mentor for the training is Yu Mengxian, the mayor of Luodian Town.

The biomedical industry is an important pillar for Baoshan District to build the main base of the sci-tech innovation center in Shanghai. As one of Shanghai’s five municipal-level special industrial parks, the Northern Shanghai Biomedical Industrial Park in Luodian Town is gaining momentum as the sci-tech innovation construction in Baoshan continues to progress.

“Considering that Mr. Wang has a strong academic background in pharmacy and multiple working experiences in enterprises and universities, we will give full play to his speciality and arrange for dedicated responsibilities in the biomedical industry as well as the China Bio-pharm Partnering Forum, construction of the Northern Shanghai Biomedical Public Platform and other specific work projects to ensure that his tasks are consequential and the themes are prominent.” Yu Mengxian said.

The practical training position matches Wang Tingfang’s discipline closely, which gives him, a research worker in new drug discovery, more vision and motivation for the year ahead.

These 10 cadres from Shanghai University are all under 39 years old, and most have doctoral degrees, professional expertise and certain technical achievements.

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the practical training, the professional fields, work experiences and practical needs of the university cadres are taken into consideration in the arrangement of positions, involving Luodian Town, Gucun Town, Dachang Town, Yuepu Town, Miaohang Town, as well as key departments and sectors such as Baoshan District Committee of Science and Technology, Baoshan District Construction and Management Committee, and Water Affairs Bureau, Education Bureau and Sports Bureau of Baoshan District. The cadres trained in the town will be led by the mayor, and those trained in the committee or bureau will be led by the administrative chief leader of the unit.

During the training period, Baoshan District People’s Government will ensure that each cadre can independently take charge of a piece of daily work or special work through institutional arrangements. At the same time, opportunities will be created for cadres to participate in community governance, resolving conflicts and handling emergencies so that they can be familiar with city operation, social governance, epidemic prevention and control and master the basic methods of mass work, learning real skills, developing real competencies and finding a platform to display their talents in Baoshan.

Actively integrating into the local community and contributing to the development of Baoshan District.

At present, Baoshan District, which is striving for “Northern Transformation”, is thirsty for high-quality professional talents. For the local communities, the arrival of outstanding talents from universities is undoubtedly a timely help.

Zhu Kai, teacher at Shanghai University School of Materials Science and Engineering and executive director of Hydrogen Metallurgy Technology Research and Achievements Transformation Center, has been arranged in the Baoshan District Committee of Science and Technology for practical training. After he joined, his mentor, Liu Jianzhong, director of the Baoshan District Committee of Science and Technology, made systematic planning and individualized arrangements for his work areas and tasks. Zhu Kai said that he would quickly adapt to his new role from a university teacher to a local community cadre and actively contribute to the development of Baoshan: “I hope I can play an active role in the construction of new materials R&D platform, the construction of double carbon R&D center and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of the enterprises settled in Baoshan University Science and Technology Park.”

Baoshan District People’s Government has been keeping a good linkage and cooperation with Shanghai University. For example, many robots and intelligent manufacturing equipment are donated by enterprises in Baoshan to the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics, where Zhang Jiantao works. He is an associate researcher and master’s tutor at the School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation of Shanghai University. Every year, students would go to these enterprises for internships, and several of Zhang’s students have stayed in Baoshan District for development after graduation.

For the practical training in Gucun Town, Baoshan District, Zhang Jiantao said that he would give full play to the advantages of his professional background and resources, do his best to fulfill the duties, and bridging the university and Baoshan District People’s Government. He pointed out: “During the practice at the temporary post, I hope that I can gain a deeper understanding of the development and technical needs of the enterprises in Baoshan, attract more teachers from our university serve these enterprises by matchmaking, solve the technical problems of enterprises and enhance their scientific and technological competitiveness through offering consultation services, giving lectures, technical cooperation and other services.”

Deepening the cooperation between the district government and the university, striving for a win-win situation in a larger and broader area.

For Shanghai University, Baoshan District is just like a “home”. Since the official opening of its Baoshan Campus in 1999, both the university and the district government have continued to carry out in-depth cooperation in many fields such as talent exchange, commercialization of scientific and technological findings and industrial park development.

As the industrial change and transformation development in Baoshan District continues to heat up, the cooperation and integration become closer and deeper. In 2021, Baoshan District People’s Government and Shanghai University signed a series of strategic agreements to deepen cooperation, launched a three-year action plan and five projects for the district-university collaboration and agreed on 50 specific projects. At present, the Circum-Shanghai University Science Park is developing at a high speed, with the 0-4 bases forming a whole chain of innovation and incubation. The Core Circum-Shanghai University Area has built the city’s first “science and innovation neighborhood”, and the “one place, one feature” twinning project has been put into practice.

This practical training of the 10 cadres from Shanghai University in relevant departments in Baoshan District can also be considered as a fruit of the cooperation between the district government and the university for talent exchanges and cultivation. In the future, Baoshan District People’s Government will also actively send young cadres to Shanghai University to study in classes to broaden their horizon and improve their professional ability. In the introduction of high-end talents and innovation teams, a joint effort will be formed to make sure that the resources of experts in various fields can be fully used so that the flow of all kinds of talents and elements can be used better for Shanghai University and Baoshan District.

If Baoshan is to build the main base of the sci-tech innovation center in Shanghai, Shanghai University is the best partner. In the near future, the two sides will further strengthen the cooperation, give full play to the leading role of Baoshan District People’s Government and Shanghai University’s intellectual advantages, implement specific projects, focus on establishing an innovation ecosystem, promote the cluster and intensive development of four major industries in new materials, robotics and intelligent manufacturing, medical devices, artificial intelligence and new-generation information technology, accelerate the construction of turning the Circum-Shanghai University Science Park into the “first stop” of transformation of scientific and technological achievements for universities and  “core incubation park” for regional innovation and entrepreneurship,  and strive to occupy a 100-billion-yuan scale science and innovation industry leading position.