Fudan University and the Jiading district of Shanghai signed a strategic agreement on July 11, which outlined plans to co-build an international education and sci-tech innovation center, with four FDU institutions launched on the same day.
Qiu Xin, FDU's Party secretary and Xiao Wengao, Jiading's Party secretary, attended the signing ceremony. The hub will focus on the development of global talent and on high-end research.
Under the agreement, both sides will speed up the commercialization of research results. They plan industrial hubs, concept verification centers and tech transfer bases.
These moves aim to link academic research with industrial applications effectively. The collaboration seeks to foster innovation-driven growth in key local industry areas, including the low-altitude economy and the silver or senior's economy.
The partnership supports China's national sci-tech innovation strategy. It leverages FDU's academic strengths and Jiading's developed industry foundations.
The center is expected to become a new hub for international cooperation. This will be done by leveraging policy support to attract international educational and research institutions, as well as businesses, to participate in its development.
By integrating resources, it will aim to enhance the Yangtze River Delta's innovation capacity. Moreover, the hub is expected to drive regional high-quality development sustainably.
The joint effort is said to mark a key step in boosting education, research and industrial synergies in the region — benefiting both academia and industry.