The Opening Ceremony for the 2012-2013 Academic Year Held in Sun Yat-sen University
Source: News Center
On September 13, the opening ceremony for the 2012-2013 academic year was held on Guangzhou South Campus, Guangzhou North Campus, Guangzhou East Campus and Zhuhai Campus in turn in Sun Yat-sen University. The newly registered over 8,000 undergraduate students and over 6,200 master’s degree and doctor’s degree candidates attended the ceremony. Zheng Detao, Secretary of SYSU Party Committee, Xu Ningsheng, President of SYSU, Chen Chunsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President, Wang Jianping, Executive Vice President, Xu Jiarui, Executive Vice President, Li Ping, Deputy Secretary, Lin Haoran, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Ji Liangnian, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bao Jigang, Assistant to the President, Cheng Huanwen, Assistant to the President, Li Wenjun, Assistant to the President, and leaders of schools and departments attended the ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Chen Chunsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President. Li Ping, Deputy Secretary, and Wang Jianping, Executive Vice President, led the oath respectively.

A scene of the opening ceremony on Guangzhou South Campus on the morning of September 13

A scene of the opening ceremony on Guangzhou North Campus on the morning of September 13

A scene of the opening ceremony on Guangzhou East Campus on the morning of September 13

A scene of the opening ceremony on Zhuhai Campus on the afternoon of September 13
President Xu Ningsheng delivered an address at the opening ceremony. On behalf of the university he congratulated and welcomed the 2012 new students. President Xu Ningsheng hoped that the students will resolve to do great things and learn to do great things. He pointed out that a SYSU student should have the courage to take on important tasks, shoulder social responsibilities, care about the society, care about the nation, care about the progress of human civilization, and become a person who takes the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as their own task. Sun Yat-sen University advocates “dedication to academic studies, teaching and students”, and the students should regard increasing knowledge and learning skills as their central task, keep the university motto in mind: “study extensively, enquire accurately, reflect carefully, discriminate clearly, practice earnestly”, store adequate knowledge, and learn professional skills. Meanwhile, the students should pay attention to the cultivation of personality, be polite and honest, respect the teachers, honour truth, love the university, and abide by academic ethics. He also said that Sun Yat-sen University has a deep academic background and a good academic ecology with a complete range of disciplines in liberal arts, sciences, medicine and engineering. All-embracing and tolerant, it is an ideal place for academic study, talent cultivation and display of one’s ability. He encouraged the new students to work hard and make new achievements, and become a SYSU person with great contributions to the development of our country and the progress of human civilization.

President Xu Ningsheng addressing the opening ceremony

Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President Chen Chunsheng presiding over the opening ceremony

Deputy Secretary Li Ping leading the oath

Executive Vice President Wang Jianping leading the oath
Professor He Xionglei from School of Life Sciences, Professor Ma Jun from SYSU Cancer Center, Associate Professor Fu Ke from Lingnan College, and Associate Professor Xie Shi from Department of History addressed the four opening ceremonies respectively on behalf of the teachers. Professor He Xionglei hoped that the students will be self-reliant, independently face all challenges, strive for their dreams, and pass on the good traditions of SYSU. Professor Ma Jun asked the students to have clear goals, make the right choices, stand loneliness, resist temptations; through training scientific thinking, learn to communicate effectively, have correct attitudes, be persistent, remember their responsibilities, and turn their pride of being “angels in white” into the drive to work hard. Associate Professor Fu Ke encouraged the students to think and try at any time, improve their ability to solve all kinds of problems, carry forward innovative spirit, practice the spirit of SYSU, and break new ground in their lives. Associate Professor Xie Shi hoped that the students will value time, study and experience, get to know the people and the world, develop wisdom, pursue ideals, and adjust the rhythm of college life; through self-cognition, continuous reflection and academic progress, realize self-control, listen to the inner voice and find their own path to growth and development.
Senior student representatives Yao Honghu, Xu Yao, Huang Jingwen and Zhu Minghua made a speech respectively at the four ceremonies. They warmly welcomed the new students to join in the big family of Sun Yat-sen University, and talked about their study, life and work experience and their understanding of the SYSU spirit and culture. New student representatives Cao Xuemei, He Wei, Lin Hongzhang and Pan Wenmin made a speech respectively. Some of them are new postgraduate students who have studied in SYSU before and some of them are first-year undergraduate students. Without exception, they all expressed their yearning for and attachment to SYSU, and said that they will follow the instructions of the professors and senior students and keep on challenging themselves to strive for truth and knowledge.

Teacher Representatives He Xionglei, Ma Jun, Fu Ke and Xie Shi delivering a speech respectively

Senior student representatives Yao Honghu, Xu Yao, Huang Jingwen and Zhu Minghua making a speech respectively

New student representatives Cao Xuemei, He Wei, Lin Hongzhang and Pan Wenmin making a speech respectively
At the ceremony, led by Deputy Secretary Li Ping, all new students took the solemn oath: “I will remember Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s motto, shoulder the mission of the times; I will observe academic ethics, advocate science and reason; I will respect my teachers, honour truth, abide by the law, study diligently, seek truth and innovate.” Led by Executive Vice President Wang Jianping, all new medical students took the solemn oath: “Health related, life entrusted. The moment I step into the hallowed medical institution, I pledge solemnly-- I will volunteer myself to medicine with love for my motherland and loyalty to the people. I will scrupulously abide by the medical ethics, respect my teachers and discipline myself. I will strive diligently for the perfection of technology and for all-round development of myself. I am determined to strive diligently to eliminate man’s suffering, enhance man’s health conditions and uphold the chasteness and honor of medicine. I will heal the wounded and rescue the dying, regardless of the hardships. I will always be in earnest pursuit of better achievement. I will work all my life for the development of the nation’s medical enterprise as well as mankind’s physical and mental health.”

All new students taking the solemn oath

The new students singing the anthem of SYSU
It is learned that after the opening ceremony of the university, the schools and departments also hosted their own opening ceremonies, teacher-student meetings and entrance education activities to communicate with the new students about the study and life in college.