On February 25th, SDUT held the 8th Plenary (Expanded) Session of the 4th Party Committee and 2026 Work Deployment Meeting at the Student Art Center Hall of SDUT. SDUT consistently adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, implemented the spirit of the “First Meeting of the New Year” throughout the province, systematically reviewed work from the past year, deeply understood the new trends, tasks, and requirements facing higher education and planned work and tasks of 2026. The event had a discussion about the report on the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, made scientific plans for development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, mobilized all faculty and students to embrace the spirit of seizing the day and forging ahead with enterprise and fortitude and strove to secure a high-quality start to the development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
The leaders of SDUT Party and administration, the members of Party Committee of SDUT and the Discipline Inspection Commission, President’s special assistant, cadres from all departments, schools and institutions, members of SDUT Academic Committee, and heads of the Academic Committees from schools attended the meeting.
YU Hongbo, Secretary of the Party Committee, presented a work report on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee. He pointed out that the development of SDUT during the 15th Five-Year Plan period must be viewed against the grand blueprint of building a great modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation, be planned in alignment with the new trends of economic and social development in Shandong province and the local region, be understood against the backdrop of fierce competition in higher education, be advanced by anchoring it to the strategic path of coordinating development and security and focusing on strengthening distinctive strengths. He stressed that the year 2026 marks the starting year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the 70th anniversary of SDUT, and a year for forging ahead to accelerate the building of a modern high-level university. We should fully strengthen the Party’s leadership, let high-quality Party building lead high-quality development, vigorously implement the “Nine Major Initiatives”, strive to secure new progress in building a distinctive, modern and high-level university, and ensure a strong start to the development of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. He emphasized the need to further gain insight into the general trend of contemporary development, fully understand the new situation, new tasks and new requirements for the development of the university’s cause, and identify changes accurately, respond to them in a scientific manner, and take the initiative to seek transformation. It is imperative to fully grasp the goals and requirements of higher education development, and well draw up and implement the development blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. We shall focus on key links, take evaluation reform as the guide, and strive to unleash the vitality and driving force of university operation. We must foster a solid work style, enhance capabilities in four key areas, and build a high-caliber contingent of cadres and talents capable of shouldering important responsibilities. It is essential to improve the mechanisms for work scheduling, advancement and supervision, target key and difficult issues to make more targeted efforts in seven aspects, and boost the efficiency of decision-making and implementation.
LI Yuxia, President of SDUT, comprehensively summarized and reviewed the university’s administrative work in 2025, systematically outlined the progress made in the following seven aspects: virtue fostering and talents cultivation, discipline construction, talent introduction and training, scientific research, social services, resource and infrastructure development, and plans complication. She also provided an in-depth analysis of the existing problems, opportunities, and challenges in the current development of the university’s cause. She emphasized that in 2026, “Nine Major Initiatives” will be vigorously implemented, including actions to improve the quality of education and teaching informatization, build disciplinary peaks and expand foundational areas, achieve leapfrog development in talent introduction and training, increase both the quantity and quality of scientific research, improve the quality and efficiency of social services, make breakthroughs in international education, optimize infrastructure development, deepen reforms, strengthened the “One Integration and Two Highs” initiative of Party building. She underlined that those who make a resolute start must plan for the outcome, and those who succeed first lay their plans at the very beginning. The inaugural year called for an inaugural momentum. The entire university must deeply grasp the general trends in higher education development, accurately anchor the historical position of SDUT’s future growth, maintain strategic focus, strengthen confidence in development, seize the momentum to rise, and build peaks to gain traction. With the attitude of “the start is a decisive battle, the beginning is a sprint”, we must spare no pains to ensure that all decisions and initiatives take root and bear fruit. We should greet the 70th anniversary of SDUT with even greater achievements and strive to write a new chapter in the construction of a distinctive, modern, high-level university.
At the meeting, an explanation was provided regarding The Proposal for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Development Plan Outline of Shandong University of Technology (Discussion Draft). The participants were divided into 13 groups and engaged in in-depth discussions on TheProposal for the University’s 15th Five-Year Development Plan Outline (Discussion Draft), the 2026 Work Priorities of SDUT, and relevant assessment systems based on the report of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee. Heads from six major departments and schools delivered exchange speeches, sharing their ideas and measures for advancing work.