April 6, 2021 marks the 100^th anniversary of Xiamen University(XMU), and alumni all over the world are looking forward to this centenary celebration to commemorate her past glories and to welcome and even brighter future.

XMU, founded by Tan Kah Kee in 1921 when the nation was in turmoil, was the first university in China founded by an overseas Chinese. With the conviction that “education is the foundation of the nation, Tank Kah Kee set for XMU the mission of “advancing the frontiers of knowledge, cultivating professional talent, expounding world cultures”, and “building a world-class university”. To fulfill Tan’s vision of “empowering the nation through education”, generations of XMUers over the past century have been dedicated to the motto “Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection.”

With the ambition of building “a well-managed and outstanding” multidisciplinary university that “rival other major institutions around the world”, XMU recruited a wide range of talents om her early days. During the war, XMU relocated to the western part of Fujian Province and, in spite of hardships, maintained her high standards there for eight years. XMU’s success in sustaining higher education in Southeast China earned her the prestigious reputation of “the Pride of the South”. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, XMU devoted herself to the rejuvenation of the nation and remained on the forefront of China’s mission of higher education as a leading public university. Since Reform and Opening-up, XMU has ridden the waves of innovation and development, utilizing her regional advantages and marching vigorously towards the goal of building a world-renowned research university. In the new era, XMU has embraced greater opportunities while carrying on her proud traditions, embarking on a new journey as she heads towards building a “world-class university with Chinese characteristics”.

XMU has advanced with the times and retained her global perspective over the past 100 years. As a member of the international academe, XMU has long valued diversity, openness, inclusiveness, and committed herself to the internationalization of higher education and societal progress. In this increasingly interconnected world, XMU will continue to marke concerted efforts with her international partners for academic and research excellence and to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

As ocean waves never cease, our talents have flourished one generation after another. XMU’s influence will last forever if we remain true to our founder’s original aspiration and mission. We will carry forward Tan Kah Kee’s spirit and build upon our hard-earned reputation as “the Pride of the South”. With our high-caliber faculty and staff, we will fulfill our dreams and achieve world-calss status under the “Double First-Class University Initiative.” Today, we officially launch this momentous centenary celebration and cordially invite all alumni and friends to join and celebrate on the occasion.

As we sing in our university anthem, we stand steady to join hands with you to “explore the unknown” and “cultivate boundless compassion for the world”.

We look forward to you joining us in celebrating our centenary.

                                                                                                                                                    Xiamen University

                                                                                                                                                      April 6, 2020

For more information, please refer to the website of Xiamen University Centenary Celebration: https://100.xmu.edu.cn/