Fudan University held an opening ceremony to welcome a new cohort of over 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 77 countries and regions on September 3.
Jin Li, president of Fudan University, extended a warm welcome to the incoming students. He urged the students to be a well-learned Fudaner who maintains a global vision and upholds patriotism, who pays close attention to both science frontiers and social reality, who understands the importance of knowledge accumulation to research, and who keeps forging ahead with a great sense of responsibility for national development.
Jin also stressed making breakthroughs is essential on the way to excellence. He encouraged the young students to keep improving and challenging themselves in order to pursue remarkable scholarly attainment and be able to cope with various changes in the future. Since each generation has its own responsibility, Jin hoped the students could made it their lifelong ambition to contribute to national modernization and rejuvenation, living up to what the society expects of these talented students.
Jiao Yang, chair of Fudan University Council, presented the Fudan College flags to the freshmen representatives. The five Fudan Colleges, named after five late presidents of Fudan University, are homes of the undergraduate students in Fudan for their after-class activities, which play a key role in boosting students’ academic interest and extracurricular accomplishment.
At the ceremony, faculty and student representatives delivered speeches to share their expectation and aspiration.
Zhang Wei, honoree of National May 1st Labor Medal and dean of the School of Microelectronics, made a speech as a teaching staff representative. He expected the students to work hard to achieve their goals in life. Students should stay grounded and down-to-earth, be able to identify the root problems in scientific questions and be fully aware of the responsibility they should shoulder as well.
Xie Xinran, a freshman at School of Basic Medical Sciences, said she once participated in a biology contest in high school, where she realized life is the most complicated, wondrous creation in itself and there is so much to explore. The COVID-19 pandemic made her realize medics are also an important force for safeguarding the public, and she took pride in her choice of studying medicine. She hoped all the young students could work hard to serve the people and the country in the future.
Feng Lin, a first-year master’s student at School of Journalism, shared her experience as a Chinese announcer for the awarding ceremony held at Beijing Winter Olympics and as the hostess who interviewed a driver of the China-Europe freight train along the Belt and Road. She said, choosing Fudan was one of the most important decisions in her life, and she would devote herself to the career of journalism, trying to use her expertise to tackle the most prominent issues of our time.
Hu Xingjian, a first-year doctoral student at School of Mathematical Sciences who took 5 graduate-level courses and won several top awards at different national mathematical competitions during his undergraduate years in Fudan, said his passion for mathematics began in Fudan University, and he hoped every Fudaner would maintain enthusiasm for research and constantly pursue excellence through pioneering innovation and exploring the unknown.
More than 15,000 incoming students participated in the ceremony either in Zhengda Stadium, the main venue, or via simultaneous broadcast in 140 sub-venues this year.
Presented by Fudan University Media Center
