On April 24, 2024, the Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, Huai Jinpeng, undertook a visit to the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore, where he visited the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and participated in the kick-off ceremony of the CNSB programme.

On April 24, 2024, the Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, Huai Jinpeng, undertook a visit to the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore, where he visited the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and participated in the kick-off ceremony of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Asia-Pacific Graduate Institute (SJTU-APGI)'s latest research programme, Carbon Negative Synthetic Biology for Biomaterial Production from CO₂ (CNSB). He was accompanied by the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Singapore, Cao Zhongming. Also amongst those present were Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Zhang Rong, Chairman of Xiamen University Council; Zhang Xichun, Chancellor of South China University of Technology; Yang Dan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges at the Ministry of Education; Zhou Dawang, Director General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Informatization at the Ministry of Education; Yu Weiyue, Director General of the Department of Teacher Education at the Ministry of Education; as well as other distinguished guests from diplomatic and academic sectors.

Minister Huai Jinpeng commenced the visit with an amicable exchange with Mr. Beh Kian Teik, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Research Foundation (NRF), and Prof. Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director of the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE). Subsequently, he visited the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), where he was briefed on the research plan and initiatives by Prof. Dr. Manu Kapur, Director of the Singapore-ETH Centre, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroepfer, Programme Director of Future Cities Lab Global, Singapore.

Following the visit, Minister Huai Jinpeng and Ambassador Cao Zhongming participated in the kick-off ceremony of the CNSB programme. Serving as the host for the event was SJTU president Ding Kuiling, who warmly welcomed Minister Huai, Ambassador Cao and all distinguished guests. Peng Yinghong, the Dean of SJTU-APGI and Director of the CNSB Programme, delivered a presentation on the historical background, vision, and significant milestones of SJTU-APGI. He outlined the strategic plan for the SJTU Singapore campus and provided an overview of the educational facilities, including the newly inaugurated Antai Asia-Pacific Center and the research campus located at CREATE. Professor Peng Yinghong highlighted the accomplishments of the Energy and Environmentally Sustainable Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) programme, which represents the pioneering collaborative research initiative between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and SJTU. Furthermore, he outlined the objectives and framework of the newly launched CNSB programme.

During the ceremony, Minister Huai Jinpeng expressed his pleasure at participating in today's event and extended congratulations on the accomplishments of SJTU-APGI, as well as the official launch of the CNSB programme. He emphasized the pivotal role of education in fostering the nexus between technological innovation and talent cultivation, thereby advancing sustainable development on a global scale, and affirming the strong support from the Chinese government. Minister Huai Jinpeng also disclosed the recent signing of a new collaboration agreement between universities in Singapore and China. He highlighted the commendation received from Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's Minister of Education, who praised the university partnership initiatives, innovative collaborative laboratories, and industry-academic collaborations. He expressed optimism regarding the potential benefits of E2S2 and CNSB programmes as flagship research programmes, not only for Singapore and China but also for global communities, underscored the importance of continued government support from both Singapore and China and emphasized the potential for further enhancement of collaborations between NUS and SJTU, as well as between Singapore and China, in the future.

Ambassador Cao Zhongming believed that Minister Huai's visit to Singapore and the subsequent meetings had greatly facilitated and enhanced the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in education, science and technology, research, sustainable development, and technology transfer. He assured that the embassy would diligently implement the outcomes of Minister Huai's visit, fostering further collaboration between universities in Singapore and China, translating intentions into tangible results, and elevating cooperation to higher levels.

Professor Ding Kuiling expressed sincere gratitude to the guests for witnessing the launch of the CNSB programme and looked forward to its successful implementation and fruitful outcomes.