Source: SYSU News Center
Written by: SYSU News Center
Photo by: Liu Lia, Cai Shanshan
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On August 28, the Opening Ceremony 2016 of Sun Yat-sen University was held on Zhuhai Campus, Guangzhou East Campus, Guangzhou South Campus and Guangzhou North Campus. After the ceremony, the new students listened to the “first lecture at the university” given by distinguished professors.

The attendees included the university leaders Chen Chunsheng, Luo Jun, Yan Guangmei, Li Ping, Li Mengfeng, Wei Minghai, Guo Yaping, Yu Minbin; Academician Zhang Peizhen, Academician Chen Xinzi, Academician Lv Daren (Chair Professor at SYSU), Professor Huang Tianji, Professor Liang Lijian; Assistant President Wang Xuehua; heads of schools, departments and affiliated hospitals.

President Luo Jun delivered an address at the opening ceremony. He remarked that educating students is the responsibility and honor of the university, and explained the university’s requirements for the new students: SYSU students should have both ability and moral integrity, able to cultivate charisma and eager serve their country. He pointed out the development focuses of the four campuses: Zhuhai Campus is mainly oriented toward the national deep sea, deep space and deep earth strategies; Guangzhou East Campus is mainly focused on engineering disciplines; Guangzhou South Campus is mainly focused on the basic disciplines of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; and Guangzhou North Campus is focused on medical sciences. He encouraged the new students to shoulder responsibilities and strive to become leading figures in their respective fields.

On behalf of the continuing students, Cai Jiayi, Deng Kaiyuan, Lin Chenyu and Shao Zijie gave a speech respectively to welcome the new students, and shared their own experiences of study at SYSU.

On behalf of the new students, Zhuang Zeyuan, Ou Youte, Abida and Xiao Chutian gave a speech respectively, expressing their determination to innovate and pursue excellence at SYSU.
At the ceremony, led by Deputy Secretary Li Ping (on Zhuhai Campus), Vice President Yan Guangmei (on Guangzhou East Campus, Guangzhou South Campus and Guangzhou North Campus, the 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, honor truth, abide by the law, study diligently, seek truth and innovate.” Led by Vice President Yu Minbin, the 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.”

At the end of the ceremony, all teachers and students sang the university anthem together.

After the ceremony, four distinguished professors were invited to give the first lecture at the university to the new students on four campuses.

On Zhuhai Campus, Academician Zhang Peizhen from School of Earth Science and Geological Engineering encouraged students to study well the general education courses, the basic courses and core courses of their majors, and to combine personal ideals with national needs.

On Guangzhou East Campus, Academician Chen Xinzi from School of Pharmaceutical Sciences shared his understanding of the university’s goal of talent cultivation. He encouraged the new students to pursue knowledge and wisdom, be obsessed with academic studies and pursue their dreams.

On Guangzhou South Campus, Professor Huang Tianji from Department of Chinese recalled the opening ceremony in 1952 when he was enrolled in SYSU. He told the new students to cultivate virtue, study hard, enquire, think and innovate. He also encouraged the students to be patriotic and take on the task of revitalizing the Chinese nation.

On Guangzhou North Campus, Professor Liang Lijian from The First Affiliated Hospital pointed out that the couplets on the red building of Guangzhou North Campus — “treat the disease, heal the body, and heal the soul; save the life, save the nation, and save the world” are the requirements for medical students. He considered that doctors must have medical ethics, and medical professionals should be polite, practical and capable.