Welcome, New SYSUers!

On September 6, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) welcomed over 20,000 incoming students at its 2026 Opening Ceremony, held at the Gymnasium on the Guangzhou South Campus.

Presided over by Yang Qinghua, Executive Vice President of SYSU, the ceremony kicked off with a guided sing-along of the university anthem, followed by musical performances and cultural showcases presented by SYSU faculty members and students.

Representatives of faculty members, current students and incoming students then took the stage to share their experiences, reflections and hopes for the journey ahead.

In his address, President Tang Hongwu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, encouraged incoming students to draw strength from the university motto—“Study Extensively, Enquire Accurately, Reflect Carefully, Discriminate Clearly, Practice Earnestly”—as a guide to university life and the start of their academic journey. He noted that he had been at SYSU for only two months and, like them, was a “new SYSUer,” and shared his thoughts on what the century-old motto means today.

“Stay on the right path, seek genuine knowledge and shoulder greater responsibilities,” Tang said, encouraging students to stay true to their conscience, uphold academic integrity, cultivate perseverance, pursue genuine scholarship and practical skills, and put knowledge into action.

Drawing on examples of SYSU scholars and students who have taken their work from laboratories and classrooms into the wider world, Tang stressed that knowledge should not remain abstract or confined to campus. “What you learn should ultimately serve society and benefit the people,” he said, urging students to think independently, stay curious, take on the challenges of our times, reject a utilitarian approach to study, and integrate personal aspirations into the larger cause of the nation.

Speaking as a faculty representative, Academician Zeng Musheng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the Zhongshan School of Medicine, reflected on more than three decades of research on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a field he entered because of a question that had long intrigued him: why is EBV, which infects most adults worldwide, associated with the high incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in southern China?

“That ‘why’ has fascinated me,” Zeng said, describing the curiosity that has sustained his research over the years. He encouraged students to pursue questions that genuinely interest them rather than simply following what they feel they are expected to do.

“Interest is a fascination with the unknown,” he said. Drawing on his own experience of repeated experiments and setbacks, Zeng also emphasized the importance of perseverance and collaboration, noting that different perspectives can often lead to breakthroughs.

Graduate student representative Zhang Yuxin, a doctoral student at the School of International Studies, reflected on how experiences beyond campus had shaped both her academic interests and her understanding of what it means to study.

After graduating from undergraduate school, Zhang spent two years volunteering in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where she recorded stories of young people and worked on initiatives to support their development. The experience prompted her to look beyond the classroom and connect what she learned with the realities she encountered.

Now, as a doctoral student researching the Maritime Silk Road and exchanges among civilizations, Zhang has continued to explore how Chinese scholarship and ideas can be communicated across languages and cultures. She encouraged the new students to remain grounded in real-world experience while pursuing academic questions, and to learn from people with different backgrounds and perspectives.

For graduate freshman representative Sha Jiayi, beginning graduate study at SYSU is also a return to where her journey began. An undergraduate alumna of SYSU, Sha spent time as a volunteer teacher in Nyingchi, Xizang autonomous region, before returning to the university for a master’s degree in law.

Looking back on her years in and beyond the campus, Sha said her experiences had taught her that education is not confined to books or lecture halls. Teaching in Nyingchi, in particular, showed her how professional knowledge can become meaningful when it responds to the needs of others.

She encouraged her fellow students to step outside the classroom, take part in community and volunteer activities, and use what they learn to engage with the people and issues around them.

Undergraduate student representative Wang Ning, a forensic medicine major at the Zhongshan School of Medicine, focused on another transition that comes with entering university: learning to move from receiving answers to asking questions.

When he first arrived at SYSU four years ago, Wang saw university as a place to build knowledge and find the right answers. His experiences in study and research gradually changed that view.

“University is not about giving you ready-made answers, but about helping you develop the ability to ask questions and seek answers for yourself,” Wang said.

He encouraged the incoming students to question assumptions, examine evidence and stay open to unexpected results. For him, the value of university lies not only in what students learn, but also in their ability to think independently and continue searching when there is no easy answer.

Undergraduate freshman representative Wan Junhao, an aerospace engineering student from Chongqing, spoke about the aspiration that had brought him to SYSU: his long-standing fascination with space and aerospace engineering.

His interest in the field began when he was young and looking up at the night sky. Experiences in scientific research, student activities and sports later taught him that ambitious goals require persistence and disciplined effort.

“Great aspirations are realized by doing the small things well,” Wan said, encouraging his fellow freshmen to build a solid academic foundation, stay committed through setbacks and turn their aspirations into steady action.

As the university anthem filled the Gymnasium, more than 20,000 new students officially became part of the SYSU community. Their journey starts here — with new questions to explore, new paths to discover and new stories to write.

Welcome to SYSU, New SYSUers!