On April 15, 2025, Mr. Yang Zhenbin, Secretary of the CPC SJTU Committee, visited Shanghai Jiao Tong University Asia-Pacific Graduate Institute (SJTU-APGI) His visit marked the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the LCC Southeast Asia Center, a new regional platform dedicated to sustainability and low-carbon development. Also present was Mr. Han Jun, Minister-Counsellor (Education) of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore.

Amongst those present are Dean of China-UK Low Carbon College of SJTU Zhao Changying, Director of SJTU Division of Global Cooperation and Exchange Yin Haitao, Heads of relevant SJTU functional departments and faculties and Professor of National University of Singapore, Tong Yen Wah. 

During the visit, Mr. Yang met with Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director (Academic Research) of the National Research Foundation (NRF), at the SJTU-APGI office. Mr. Yang expressed appreciation for NRF’s continuous support of SJTU’s research development and reaffirmed SJTU’s commitment to deepening collaboration with NRF across broader research domains. In response, Professor Mhaisalkar welcomed Mr. Yang to visit CREATE and shared his interest in visiting SJTU’s main campus later this year for the upcoming steering committee meeting.

Following the inauguration ceremony, Professor Peng Yinghong, Dean of SJTU-APGI, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the institute’s history, mission, and recent milestones, with a focus on the growing regional influence of SJTU-APGI. Subsequently, Mr. Yang and Mr. Han jointly unveiled the LCC Southeast Asia Center, with Professor Zhao presenting its future development roadmap.

In his remarks, Mr. Han highlighted the China-Singapore Action Plans on Higher Education and Education Technology Cooperation, emphasizing future collaboration in talent cultivation, research innovation, and technology transfer. He noted that the development of SJTU-APGI and the launch of the new center align perfectly with these national strategies and expressed optimism for their continued success.

Mr. Yang thanked the Chinese Embassy for its longstanding support of SJTU and congratulated the successful launch of the LCC Southeast Asia Center. He encouraged SJTU-APGI to seize the current global opportunities, develop strategically, and reaffirmed strong institutional backing from SJTU for its future growth.

Mr. Yang’s visit served as a strong source of inspiration for the SJTU-APGI and CNSB teams, reinforcing their commitment not only to advancing innovation, sustainability, and frontier research, but also to the broader mission of developing SJTU-APGI as a leading educational, research, and outreach extension of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the Asia-Pacific region. His engagement underscored the strategic importance of SJTU-APGI's role in fostering international collaboration, nurturing talent, and translating scientific excellence into societal impact.