Join us in Cape Town, South Africa for the 2022 GEDC Industry Forum Dean & Industry Design Workshop.
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A unique gathering for engineering leadership teams in academia and industry
Since 2017, the GEDC Industry Forum has brought together leaders from the private sector, education and stakeholder organisations to develop the engineering leaders, experts and innovators of the future. The collaborative and creative format presents an opportunity to leverage collective knowledge and experience while developing an influential and meaningful dialogue.
The $850 attendance fee covers all activities and meals; delegates should cover their own travel and accommodation. Many opportunities for tailored company visits and business networking will be provided. We will welcome just 120 design workshop participants, strictly 50/50 Academia and Industry, so register quickly not to miss out.
By 2030, it is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s higher education will lie within five hours flight of Singapore. Attending the GEDC Industry Forum in Shenzhen will be a valuable opportunity to meet your future partners and build your relationships now with the global talent ecosystem of the future
Who will you meet?
Join delegates from 5 continents with representatives coming from across the world: Australia’s University of Adelaide to the University of Southern California in the USA. Former NUS President and Founding President of KAUST Professor Choon Fung Shih will lead our inspirational content and with a third of delegates from mainland China and two thirds from abroad, this promises to be a dynamic international exchange, and important learning opportunity.
More companies are supporting this event than any previous forum with representatives from the Automotive, Aerospace, Quantum Computing, Manufacturing, EdTech, Publishing, IT and Software industries expected to attend.
All practical, visa, logistics and security information related to the event can be found in our FAQ. Please get in touch for any other enquiries: contact@gedc-industryforum.com
The journey: engage, collaborate, innovate
Following a workshop on teaching emerging technologies for Asian Engineering Deans, the GEDC Industry Forum kicks off late afternoon on Sunday 14th January with an opening plenary and a warm welcome reception.
The ensuing days are packed with inspiring talks, interactive panels, and the innovative Dynamic Design Groups, where attendees don't just absorb knowledge—they co-create it. Outputs will be presented in a unique and engaging team format enabling all participants to leave inspired, energised, and ready to act.
The event will conclude with a dialogue among Deans to explore ‘East meets West and the Global South’ – in the changing geopolitical environment, how do we as educators and leaders continue to work collaboratively together?’.
Throughout the week, participants can engage in networking opportunities, meet budding engineers and entrepreneurs from local and international student organisations, and benefit from business, cultural, and industry tours.
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Special Events
13-14 January 2024
SUSTech College of Engineering and Design School together with award winning global design company Petrus have invited local and international students to join an interactive Sustainability & Innovation challenge ahead of the GEDC Industry Forum. Working in international and interdisciplinary teams with support from world-class coaches, they will harness the power of innovative AI tools to tackle a real-world sustainability challenge while developing their employability skills. The winning team(s) will present their ideas at GEDC Industry Forum on Tuesday 16th January.
If you would like to invite your students to take part in the challenge, please email contact@gedc-industryforum.com.
Sunday 14 January 2024
Workshop for Asian Engineering Deans focussing on ‘Future Developments in Engineering’. If you wish to participate in this workshop, please contact Chenghao Zheng: zhengch@sustech.edu.cn.
Wednesday 17 January 2024
SUSTech School of Design tour
The SUSTech School of Design offers an education in design on a basis of science and technology, closely engaged with industry, in an active learning model through which the students develop the understanding and skills of design by project-based learning. The faculty, with a diverse disciplinary mix, bring rich experience from around the globe to deliver an innovative curriculum taught in English, with the initial cohort admitted in 2021. The school is located off-campus in the adjacent Zhiyuan innovation park, over the road from SUSTech campus. Three floors of the incubator tower have been renovated to provide an open and stimulating research and learning space for students in doctoral, masters and undergraduate learning. The tour will discuss the curriculum of a technology-focused design school, the planning of academic space for innovation, and school management to support active learning.
International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO
Visit will be to the newly refurbished AI Lab which is part of the International Centre for Higher Education hosted at SUSTech under the auspices of UNESCO.
The International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) (Shenzhen, China) AI Lab was established in December 2023 to showcase the application scenarios of AI in the field of education. IIOE, relying on the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and combining with enterprise partners, introduces cutting-edge technology in the field of AI to present the best practices of integration of education and technology. At the same time, it provides a teaching innovative practice platform for cooperative HEIs and SUSTech.
Wednesday 17 January 2024
SUSTech have arranged 2 exciting industry site visit routes in the afternoon on Wednesday 17th January exclusively for GEDC Industry Forum participants. Places are limited to approx. 30 per visit and will be allocated on a first serve basis, transport will be provided from SUSTech. Please select your preferred choice on the Participant Information Hub (access link provided by email from contact@gedc-industryforum.com).
TENCENT & MINDRAYFXB CO., LTD & BYD
Wednesday 17 January 2024
In the evening on Wednesday 17th January, we will host an International Business & Alumni Networking event at the Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan. Given that many participants are travelling from abroad this is a valuable opportunity to connect with your local alums and colleagues before your departure. We will also be joined by representatives from several local business networks. Initial drinks and light snacks will be provided, followed by a paid bar service.
If you would like to invite your local alumni based in or near Shenzhen, or a small number of local colleagues, please share the registration link below. The source of invitation will be captured in this form, so that we can let you know who has responded in due course.
If you would like to find out more, please email contact@gedc-industryforum.com.
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In an era defined by AI's transformative power, explore how universities, industry and stakeholders can work better together to understand and share today’s skill and competence needs as well as identify the emerging skills and competencies required in future engineers. Above all, we need to engage students to drive their own development, remain curious and continuously learn, with mechanisms in place for career-long upskilling and reskilling.
Education is undergoing massive change and engineering education is no exception. We need to design new programs and innovative pedagogies, improve online and immersive learning, and optimize use of non-degree-credentials and modularity, even embracing entirely new ways of structuring higher education.
Fundamental research underpins technology translation into impact. With Shenzhen setting a prime example, learn about models and methods to enhance research partnerships between universities, industry and government in dynamic innovation ecosystems for societal benefit.
In a world grappling with sustainability challenges, engineers must be equipped to act with social, economic, and environmental implications in mind. Educators, researchers, and employers should collaborate today to embed ethics, leadership, and a sustainability mindset into engineering education and research. Together with the next generation of engineers we will be powerful agents for positive change.
Shenzhen China: a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and fantastic learning opportunity
Shenzhen, a vibrant city of innovation and a global hub for manufacturing, provides the perfect backdrop for the Industry Forum.
We’re delighted that we will be hosted by SUSTech, a university that stands at the forefront of interdisciplinary research, impact, and entrepreneurship, and which is home to the UNESCO-International Centre for Higher Education Innovation.
SUSTech embodies our shared mission to advance teaching and innovation in global science and technology to the benefit of all.
Prof. Zhenghe Xu
Dean, College of Engineering, SUSTech
Airports & Transfers
Delegates should book flights to arrive at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport or Hong Kong International Airport - Don’t forget to check visa regulations for visitors from outside China, more information about visas and obtaining a visa letter to support your application can be found in the FAQ below. Detailed directions to get to SUSTech will be provided.
Accommodation
We expect most guests will stay at the Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan (CNY 1000 -1400 / $130-190 USD per night). We highly recommend choosing this option where there is a good choice of catering and social spaces for outside conference hours. Transport will be provided between the Sheraton and SUSTech campus.
There are 2 alternative accommodation options: Genpla Hotel Shenzhen Nanshan (CNY 650 / $90 USD per night) which is a 15-minute walk from the SUSTech conference center and the Guest House on SUSTech Campus (CNY 320-480 / $40-70 USD per night) with a limited number of simple rooms for those who are comfortable without English speaking support.
Further information on how to book your accommodation will be provided to registered delegates.
Venue
Southern University of Science and Technology
Entrance: Gate 1
Convention Center
1088 Xueyuan Boulevard
Nanshan
Shenzhen 518055
Joining Instructions
By now all registered participants have been sent detailed Joining Instructions covering transfers, practical information, the most useful Apps and other useful information. If you have not received this and think you should have done, please contact contact@gedc-industryforum.com.
The event format is specifically designed to enable our community to flourish through the sharing of powerful ideas that result in inspired action. For that reason, the number of places available deliberately low, spread equally across academia and industry. Typical participants include Rectors, Deans and Directors of Education; R&D or HR Directors, CEOs, Heads of Engineering, Innovation or Technology.
If you have any questions about the event or would like to propose someone be invited, please get in touch: contact@gedc-industryforum.com
Some delegates will require a visa to enter Mainland China. For more information based on your location, please visit: https://www.visaforchina.cn/globle/.
Some visa restrictions have been lifted for China, for the following countries France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia based on this article, but please do check with your local consul.
Information about the documents you will need to support your visa application can be found here.
The option to submit the required information to include in your visa invitation letter is built into the event registration form. Once you have registered, your visa letter will be provided by SUSTech College of Engineering.
If circumstances do not allow the event to take place physically in mainland China, our Advisory Board member and partner at Hong Kong Polytechnic University will make their facilities available and we will move the location of the event to Hong Kong - easily accessible from Shenzhen. More information can be found in the event Cancellation Policy.
Registered participants can cancel and with a full refund due if notification is received in writing at least two months prior to the event. The refund will be 50% if notification is received at least one month prior to the event. Following this period, no refund will be possible. Transferring the registration to a colleague is possible right up until the event itself and is free of charge providing such transfer has been requested in writing to contact@gedc-industryforum.com. More information can be found in the event Cancellation Policy.
The event organisers (Petrus) together with the host university (SUSTech) are an experienced team who have organised many events in China and internationally. Appropriate measures will be in place to ensure a safe and welcoming environment throughout the course of the event. In addition, registered delegates will receive tips and guidance to assist with the protection and security of digital devices while travelling.
