On 13 March 2023, Xie Wenlan, deputy director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM) led a delegation to Singapore for a research visit. The other members of the delegation included Zheng Guanghong, director of the Development and Technology Division and second-level inspector; Liu Jinyuan, director of the Innovation Service Division; He Shangyan, director of the International Cooperation Division; Si Haixiong, director of the Scientific Supervision and Integrity Division and Dong Lianyan, deputy director of the Biotechnology and Medicine Division. Poh Wei Theng, Deputy Director (International Relations) of the National Research Foundation (NRF); Peng Yinghong, dean of SJTU Asia-Pacific Graduate Institute (SJTU-APGI); Meng Jia, deputy dean of SJTU-APGI; Xi Junfang, director of Antai Asia-Pacific Center; Tong Yen Wah, programme director (National University of Singapore) for the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) Project and He Yiliang, vice president of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Low Carbon College, received the guests.

Xie Wenlan met with Poh Wei Theng to understand the overview of Singapore's scientific research management system and the Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE). He believed that the Singapore government provided an innovative concept and approach for large-scale international scientific research cooperation, and looked forward to exploring future collaborations with the NRF.

Peng Yinghong then gave a presentation on SJTU-APGI and its achievements and progress. Under the introduction of He Yiliang and Tong Yeh Wah, the delegation also toured the laboratory facilities of E2S2 and interacted with the doctoral students and researchers. With the assistance and coordination of SJTU-APGI, the delegation then visited the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS) at the National University of Singapore, and was warmly welcomed by CEO Professor Chan Eng Soo and Dr. Liang Hui.

Xie Wenlan and his party expressed their appreciation for the institute’s efforts, especially for the fruitful results and contributions from the more than ten years of joint scientific research in Singapore. He expressed recognition and hoped that this acts as an example to spur on future scientific research cooperation between Singapore and Shanghai.