Last month, the Spring 2026 University-Enterprise Cooperation Meeting and Employer Award Ceremony of ShanghaiTech University was held at the University Library. Representatives from enterprises, including Bank of Shanghai, Shanghai Pharma, XPENG, AMIES, WuXi Biologics, and TOBIO, along with officials from the Pudong New Area Employment Promotion Center, were invited to attend. Vice President Wu Qiang delivered the opening remarks, and the event was chaired by Liu Qin, director of the Office of Student Affairs.
Vice President Wu Qiang (center, front row) and enterprise representatives
The meeting not only provided an opportunity for ShanghaiTech and enterprises to explore new cooperation perspectives and to secure high-quality positions for graduates, but also facilitated deep dialogues between enterprises and students on bridging the gap between frontier technology and career growth.
Vice President Wu Qiang introduced the university’s mission and recent developments in research and student cultivation, emphasizing that ShanghaiTech remains at the forefront of science and technology in cultivating interdisciplinary talent with solid theoretical foundations and exceptional innovative potential.
Wu expressed high expectations for long-term collaboration mechanisms that explore joint talent cultivation and resource sharing, which contribute to national technological self-reliance and industrial upgrading.
Following this, Li Qiuning, vice dean of the School of Life Science and Technology (SLST), detailed the school’s unique talent cultivation model. As one of the university’s founding schools, SLST combines world-class research output with a rigorous, high-standard training system. The goal is to provide the biopharmaceutical industry with high-level talent who understand both frontier science and engineering logic.
Xu Cuifeng, deputy chief of the Career Guidance Section at the Pudong New Area Employment Promotion Center, interpreted the latest employment policies. She highlighted internship subsidies for graduating students and vocational skill enhancement grants. Additionally, she detailed the Mingzhu Plan, which offers housing and entrepreneurship support, encouraging graduates to build their careers in the Pudong New Area.
To appreciate the industry’s commitment to talent development, the meeting held a special awards segment: the Promising Employer Award was awarded to TOBIO; the Emerging Employer Award was awarded to Shanghai Pharma, AMIES, XPENG, and WuXi Biologics; and the Best Employer Award was awarded to Bank of Shanghai.
The Best Employer Award
The Emerging Employer Award
The Promising Employer Award
The Face-to-Face session saw vibrant exchanges between students and executives.
On Balancing Research and Internships: Tao Qi, deputy GM of HR at Shanghai Pharma, advised, “Choice is more important than effort, and fit is more important than excellence.” He encouraged students to use internships as trials to find the balance between academia and industry applications.
On FinTech Opportunities: Cao Weilan from Bank of Shanghai (Pudong Branch) noted that the digital transition has created a massive demand for STEM students. The underlying logical thinking of science and engineering students is a core competitive advantage in modern finance.
On Semiconductor Technology: Wang Haiping, HR director at AMIES, emphasized that as a major force in domestic substitution, the company values engineering talent who can focus on R&D with a solid foundation in mathematics and physics.
On the Career Path for PhDs in the AI Era: Xia Jiaxuan from XPENG shared that in an era where knowledge is democratized, the ability to define problems and solve complex systemic engineering issues is what makes a talent irreplaceable.
The symposium successfully strengthened the consensus between ShanghaiTech and the participating cooperations, laying a solid foundation for the employment of the 2027 graduates.