Since 2007, South China Normal University has developed close and in-depth cooperation with the University of Aberdeen, which is a world-renowned research university. Entering the new era, in response to the requirements of expanding education opening and conducting high-level cooperation in running schools with world-class universities, and closely linking the national artificial intelligence and big data development strategy, SCNU officially launched the establishment of Aberdeen Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in May 2018.
The institute is rooted in the profound historical and cultural heritage of South China Normal University, with the mission of rooting in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, cultivating international talents, and serving social development. To develop high quality researchers and graduates with a broad international vision, who can serve the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and have a broad international vision, mathematical foundation, excellent professional competence and understanding of strategic emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and big data. It marks the launch of the first Sino-foreign joint institute offering undergraduate program in artificial intelligence in China, the first Sino-foreign joint institute at SCNU, also the first of its kind in Foshan City.
The Aberdeen Institute strives to practice the student-centered educational concept and adopts the "4+0" double degree training mode and international teaching system. It provides students with first-class high-quality educational resources that are in line with international standards. Qualified graduates can obtain degrees from both the South China Normal University and the University of Aberdeen. The cultivation plan is carefully polished by both sides, we introduce more than one-third of the British courses and professional core courses, offer advanced and intersectionality professional courses, and adopt an English-teaching class model. We establish the integrated quality assurance system that closely follows international standards to help students grow into talents in all directions and at multiple levels. The teaching team is composed of teachers from the University of Aberdeen and South China Normal University, allowing students to improve themselves in the integration of Chinese and foreign educational concepts.
The Aberdeen Institute is located in the Nanhai campus in Foshan city, Guangdong province, which has a beautiful environment and great development potential. Currently, the school is cooperating with the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, Foshan Municipal People’s Government, and Nanhai District People’s Government to build the Nanhai campus, with the development orientation of internationalization, new engineering, interdisciplinary and research-oriented, is committed to developing into a special zone for talent cultivation, a demonstration zone for international education, mechanism reform, and industry-university-research cooperation.
The scenery is unlimited and you should look ahead, and the eagle will strike the sky with lofty ambition. In the process of South China Normal University building a national double first-class university, the Aberdeen Institute will continue to surpass itself and make unremitting efforts towards the goal of building a world-class Sino-foreign Joint Institute. The road to future development will be the Institute's continuous innovation and pursuit of excellence. We look forward to working with you to forge ahead hand in hand and create a brighter future together!