Academic Development Advisory Board

The Academic Development Advisory Board (ADAB) originated from Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy. Following the 2026 establishment of AoLNS through the merger of the School of Science and Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy, the board was expanded to encompass all disciplines across life sciences, pharmacy, chemistry, materials, environmental science, and emerging cross-cutting technologies. It serves as the top-tier external expert think tank underpinning AoLNS’s integrated academia-industry-government-society framework and the development of XJTLU’s 4.0 social learning ecosystem.

As an independent professional advisory body, ADAB brings together world-leading scholars from top global universities across the life sciences, pharmacy, materials, and environmental sectors. Drawing on global disciplinary and industrial trends, the board provides forward-looking professional guidance and decision-making advice on AoLNS’s disciplinary strategy, talent cultivation, research innovation, faculty development and international collaboration. It continuously elevates the academy’s academic standards, teaching quality and industrial synergy to build an internationally renowned, cross-disciplinary hub for integrated life science education and research.

The inaugural ADAB meeting was held on 16 June 2025, where the Charter of the Academic Development Advisory Board was formally adopted. Professor Qidong You from China Pharmaceutical University was appointed as the founding Chair. Panel experts conducted in-depth discussions on disciplinary layout, programme development, international exchange and industrial translation, producing multiple forward-looking, actionable recommendations to lay a solid expert foundation for the academy’s long-term growth.

List of Inaugural ADAB Members (Alphabetical Order)

• Professor Chris Goldring, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, UK
• Professor Lei Sha, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University / China Medical University – Queen’s University Belfast Joint College
• Professor Peter Swaan, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, USA
• Professor Paul White, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Australia
• Professor Dequan Ye, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen)
• Professor Qidong You, China Pharmaceutical University (Board Chair)
• Professor Xuechu Zhen, School of Pharmacy, Soochow University

Drawing on cross-disciplinary, cross-academic, and cross-industry expert insights, ADAB helps AoLNS break down barriers among fundamental science, biomedicine, and advanced materials to fully implement multi-stakeholder collaborative development. The board delivers global frontier insights and industrial practice experience to optimise AoLNS’s full-cycle international talent training system, upgrading the academy into an open innovation ecosystem covering all life and natural science fields and providing top-tier academic support for XJTLU’s 4.0 learning-innovation social ecosystem.