The first Campus Marathon kicked off at Westlake University with sunrise at 6 a.m. on Oct. 22.

Since 2018, every new school year has begun with a run here at Westlake. Oct. 22 marked the fifth anniversary of Westlake University, and the tradition lived on.

According to President Yigong Shi, Westlake has grown and prospered over the past five years, yet it is still only the beginning of our dream of becoming a century-old institute, and “we still have hundreds of bridges to cross and thousands of mountains to climb.”

Westlake University’s fifth anniversary made an important mark on this marathon. On this occasion, we took the opportunity to offer our gratitude to the government agencies, donors, advisory board, partners, and the Westlake community. It is only with their support that we’ve made it this far, and it will take us far and beyond.

Shan Lu, deputy governor of Zhejiang Province, read some notes from Governor Hao Wang:

“On the fifth anniversary of Westlake University, I send my warmest regards and best wishes to the faculty and the students. Over the past five years, Westlake University has become deeply rooted in Zhejiang and has thrived in innovation, and we acknowledge and appreciate such efforts. Looking forward, we hope to see Westlake carrying the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s speech on his Zhejiang visit, following the Party line, sticking to its vision of ‘excellence, refinement, and research-oriented’ and growing into a world-class institution. We hope to see more talent graduating from Westlake and making their own contributions to Zhejiang, China, and our modernization.”

Qingyuan Dong, chairperson of the University Council, presides over the anniversary ceremony.

To the courage

that takes us on the less travelled road

The American poet Robert Frost wrote,

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

Facing the crossroads, the brave Westlake principal investigators have chosen a less traveled road.

Five years ago, Prof. Li Deng left Brandeis University, where he was Orrie Friedman Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chair of the department of chemistry, to join the newly founded Westlake University. He was driven by a strong belief: “If a university offers an independent principal investigator system that allows sufficient autonomy, a reasonable academic evaluation system, and a supportive, nourishing educational environment led by senior scholars, it’s only a matter of time until China produces ample top-notch researchers.”

Over the past five years, the number of doctoral supervisors has grown from 68 in 2018 to 209 in 2023. They come from 15 countries and regions, with an average age of 41 (the youngest is 27 years old). As chair of the University Academic Committee, Deng has witnessed the best minds working on cutting-edge issues and making their contributions.

To the courage

that takes us to the virgin land

Bingqing Yao is a Ph.D. student in the 2018 cohort. Shi called her “a brave pathfinder” five years ago for choosing Westlake among the many opportunities offered to her.

Led by her supervisor, Yao and her teammates worked for four years to reveal evidence that bacteria in tumors help cancer cells metastasize. This groundbreaking finding was published in Cell.

“That was the first time that I realized that I was standing at the forefront of science,” Yao said. It was that experience that gave her the courage to take on innovative research rather than simply expanding the work of others.

One of Westlake’s goals is to train exceptional talent to become innovators with a sense of social responsibility. On the university’s refined campus, more than 1,500 Ph.D. students are now expanding the frontiers of knowledge, just like Yao. They have played important roles in the discoveries of vital biomarkers for severe COVID infections and of the structure of the sperm cation channel complex CatSper. Moreover, the 153 undergraduate students are actively developing their own research abilities.

To the courage

that provides the safety net for challenges and innovation

Faculty and students are not the only bold explorers at the university, where 3,500 Westlakers and 30,000 Westlake family members embrace the same pioneering spirit.

On this special day, Shi saluted everyone who stood with us, helped us through every difficulty, and provided the safety net for every one of our innovations.

“Saluting the faculty!”

At the ceremony, Westlake University awarded the 5^th Anniversary Commemorative Medal to 178 faculty and staff, including those of the Westlake Education Foundation,who have worked for five years, thanking each of them for their contributions.

The two boards of trustees and the honorary trustees have worked diligently for Westlake. Yingyi Qian, chair of the board of trustees, said, “For the past five years, the board of trustees has gifted the president and the management team sufficient space to manage the university and ample freedom to the faculty to conduct their research.” He looked forward to working with the board to uphold the Westlake spirit and safeguard their pursuit of building an excellent, refined, and research-oriented university.

“Saluting our first guardian angels!”

At the beginning of 2016, when Westlake was still in the preparatory stage, 89 distinguished scientists joined the university from overseas, and 16 people from Tsinghua University offered helping hands to establish the foundations for the future home of these researchers.

One individual who has been with Westlake every step of the way is Yubo Du, president of the Chinese Society of Higher Education. In his remarks, Du said, “I hope that Westlake will keep its roots in China and embrace the world.”

“Saluting our partner universities and friends from home and abroad!”

Westlake owes its success over the past five years to the support of our partner universities, the older generation of scientists, including Chen-Ning Yang, Qide Han, and Zhizhen Wang, as well as friends from home and abroad.

Li Jin, president of Fudan University, and Jiangfeng Du, president of Zhejiang University, also attended the anniversary celebrations. In 2017, Westlake recruited the first cohort of Ph.D. students in partnership with Fudan University, and Zhejiang University has also been a crucial supporter and collaborator.

Over 60 universities and research institutes at home and abroad also sent their congratulations for the university’s fifth anniversary. Westlake will always be grateful that that their help allowed us to overcome a difficult start, avoid a lot of trial and error, and grow so rapidly. We also appreciate the support of 56 high schools in Zhejiang. We sincerely look forward to the next part of our journey with you.

“Saluting Zhejiang, Hangzhou, and Xihu District!”

Westlake University also owes its success to support from local government agencies.

Deputy Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee Jie Liu, said, “Westlake University and Hangzhou joined hands and delivered a miracle. The past five years have proved that the University and Hangzhou share a destiny: a chance for Westlake is a chance for Hangzhou, and the glory of Westlake also adds credit to its hometown. Hangzhou will also take advantage of this opportunity and grow into a world-class modern metropolis as Westlake heads toward becoming a world-class institution.”

Liu hoped that Westlakers would dig deep into their work and challenge themselves to go beyond. The city government will continue to support Westlake and will be the rock behind its back.

“Saluting our country and society!”

Westlake is where it is today thanks to the support of our country and society, the generosity of the private sector, and contributions from all walks of life. Their support and donations are the best motivation for us to always strive to be better.

“Saluting our time and our past!”

We live in the era of the great rejuvenation of China. Thanks to the efforts we made in the past and every sorrow and happiness that filled our days, Westlake is what it is today.

What makes Westlake Westlake?

Shi said, “It is our initial aspiration and the dream of getting somewhere.”

To be the pioneer of our time, to be the guardians of innovation.

This is Westlake’s mission. This is Westlake’s future.

***

The following are excerpts from President Shi’s speech at the Westlake University fifth anniversary celebrations:

Growth and Dream: What Makes Westlake Westlake?

Exploring a new way toward reform in China

Since the beginnings of Westlake University, we have borne a mission. We are determined to be the pathfinder for China’s higher education reform, the cradle of cutting-edge technology leaders and outstanding innovative talents, and an advanced education institution that represents China’s wisdom and leads mankind forward. Over the past five years, faculty and students from home and abroad have gathered around the same dream. We stayed together through the ups and downs and have laid the foundation for a new type of research-oriented university. We try to find new paths in matters that have long burdened advanced education, such as school management, talent cultivation, and work evaluation, and we strive to make contributions to the future of educational reform in China.

We’ve made preliminary achievements in designing an efficient university management system. Under the leadership of the Party and the board of trustees, and with the suggestions of donors and faculty, Westlake University organically considers the national interests, the needs of society, and the future development of the university when it comes to making crucial decisions. The advisory board offers valuable suggestions to the university based on their experience at home and abroad. Westlake University trusts the faculty with academic power and the administrative staff with administrative matters so as to allow as much time as possible to the scientists for their teaching and research.

We are establishing a model for training outstanding innovators. Westlake is driven by the questions, “Who do we cultivate? How do we cultivate? Who do we cultivate them for?” Under the support and trust of the Ministry of Education, Westlake started off with a Ph.D. program before piloting a small-scale undergraduate program. Our admissions process looks beyond their test results. Ph.D. students are evaluated after receiving their applications, while we apply our discretion to undergraduate students within the framework of the university entrance examination. We believe in combining teaching with research and letting students choose what they are interested in. We also encourage the development of interdisciplinary research and the initiative of the students, which lay solid foundations for the “undergraduate-doctoral” training program.

We care about more than just quantitative evaluation, and we take a comprehensive approach to measuring success. Westlake firmly opposes using quantitative evaluation elements—including numbers of published papers, impact factors, reference rates, titles, awards, and patents—as the only standard for work evaluation. We respect international peer review and value the irreplaceability and uniqueness of research results. We insist on hiring full-time faculty and paying them an annual salary; we do not set any KPI-related bonuses and we motivate our researchers to take on challenges with lasting impact. This review-oriented evaluation system has been warmly received at Westlake, and it is already producing results. Recently, Ruihua He’s team discovered the first photocathode quantum material, with performance that shatters known records by at least an order of magnitude.

Fulfilling the promise of our mission in the journey of our time
The 20th National Congress emphasized the strategic importance of education, science, technology, and talent. Research universities are at the crossroads of education, science and technology, and talent, and are regarded as the engines of national development and even human advancement. In the past five years, Westlake University has always kept this mission in mind.

At Westlake, scientists join hands to tackle challenges and uncover knowledge. Like President Xi Jinping said, “outstanding talent is irreplaceable.” Talent recruitment has been our top priority over the past few years. Westlake started off with 68 doctoral supervisors in 2018, and now has 209 in 2023. They hail from 15 countries and regions. Some are already accomplished scholars with tenure and chair professorships. They are youthful and robust; the youngest doctoral supervisor at Westlake is only 27. We believe in the miraculous creativity of youth. The average age of our Ph.D. candidates is 41. The Westlake Fellows Program also provides support to young researchers just starting out.

At Westlake, Ph.D. students pass on the baton to the undergraduates, and together they shoulder the responsibility for China’s rejuvenation. In 2017, the Westlake Institute for Advanced Study recruited the first cohort of 19 Ph.D. students. Last year, we welcomed 60 students into our inaugural undergraduate class. Under the leadership of their advisors, every Westlaker is pumped with vigor and a multicultural dynamic. They shoulder the future of China and of all mankind. Some of our students have already made their contribution to the world. Ph.D. students played a vital role in finding the vital biomarker for severe COVID patients, and the sperm activation switch channel Catsper. Some Westlakers have now started working and are making their contributions in different capacities.

At Westlake, resources are pooled to help tackle world challenges. Westlake is the proud home of the first Research Center for Industries of the Future (RCIF) in China. It is also home to Westlake Laboratory, one of the first batch of provincial laboratories in Zhejiang, and other provincial-level innovative labs such as the Baima Lake Laboratory and the Muyuan Laboratory. Independent laboratories offer more discretion to scientists in their research. These public research platforms provide advanced equipment and excellent service and help enhance the efficiency of research. Researchers join forces and are making breakthroughs in pandemic management, cancer mechanisms, life science basic research, bionic synthesis, molecular intelligence, green energy, and photoelectric chips. Recently, Wei Zhu’s team uncovered a new methodology that contributed to solving the 3D Ising transition. Moreover, the Westlake University Technology Park was set up to help commercialize research in health, intelligent manufacturing, photoelectric chips, and animal husbandry.

Stepping into the future

Looking back over the past five years, we’ve come through trial and error and survived the three tough years of the pandemic with the rest of the world. In the end, we persevered and prospered. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who’ve offered us support.

Saluting our time and our past!

We live in the era of the great rejuvenation of China. Thanks to the effort we made in the past, and every sorrow and happiness that filled our days, Westlake is what it is today.

Saluting our country and society!

Westlake is where it is today thanks to the support of our country and society, especially the ample trust and funding received from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Development and National Reform Commission, and the National Natural Science Foundation. We also appreciate the generosity of the private sector; of individuals such as Henian Guo, Yinglin Qin, and many more from all walks of life. Their support and donations are the strongest motivation for us to always strive to be better.

Saluting Zhejiang, Hangzhou, and Xihu District!

Twenty years of “Eight-Eight Strategy” have made many dreams come true in Hangzhou, the city that we call home. The successful hosting of the Asian Games showed the world our charm and our tradition of being pioneers. Westlake University also owes its success to support from local government agencies.

Saluting our partner universities and friends from home and abroad!

All beginnings are difficult. Westlake owes its success over the past five years to the support of our partner universities, the older generation of scientists—including Chen-Ning Yang, Qide Han, and Zhizhen Wang—as well as friends from abroad such as David Leebron and Andrew Hamilton. It is with their help that we have managed to shine.

Saluting our first guardian angels!

At the beginning of 2016, when Westlake was still in the preparatory stage, 89 talented academics, including Lei Zhang, Lieming Ding, Lijun Yao, Zhongxue Gan, Naxin Yao, Xiaoqing Huang, Jiasen Xu, and Hui Zhang, left their overseas positions to join Westlake. Sixteen people from Tsinghua University, including Xun Pan and Zhicheng Zhang, offered a helping hand to establish the foundations for this future home of researchers.

Saluting the Westlake faculty, students, and staff!

You had options, and you chose to put your faith in Westlake. It is with your hard work and contributions—the countless days and nights of work—that Westlake has grown into what it is today. You are the true writers of our history.

Five years is merely the beginning of our dream of becoming a century-old institution. We still have hundreds of bridges to cross and thousands of mountains to climb. Looking into the future, Westlake University will adhere to our goal of basic research, continue to lead education reform, and do our best to give back to society.

What makes Westlake Westlake? It is our original aspiration and the dream of getting somewhere. As Prof. Chen-Ning Yang wrote, “5,000 years ago, the people of the West Lake developed an abstract geometric view and created the Yucong culture. Today, Westlakers vow to take it further and create a Westlake culture.”

To be the pioneers of our time, to be the guardians of innovation. This is Westlake’s mission. This is Westlake’s future. Let’s grasp the opportunity and strive toward the goal!