Xiamen University welcome more than 11,300 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the 2018 class with a special ceremony, and taught them the first ideological and political class in university.

On the morning of September 15, Xiamen University held the opening ceremony of the 2018 freshmen. This year the school merged the undergraduate and the graduate students opening ceremony for the first time. The principals, teachers, and seniors have sent the “spiritual wealth” of university study and life, together with the ceremony of wearing the school badge, giving a new book, and taking the oath of integrity, so many students felt that “This ceremony is full of strength, warmth, and appeal, which make it really unusual!”

The ceremony was presided over by the school Party Secretary, YanZhang. Principal Rong Zhang gave a speech on the topic of “Inherit the traditional culture, to be the pioneers of the age”. He hoped that all 2018 freshmen would inherit the excellent culture and spirit of Xiamen University, create a “sound and mature personality”, and struggle to realize the value of youth., to be a qualified pioneer of age.

“Learning to be an adult” is the theme of the 24th World Philosophy Conference held in August this year. Zhang Rong expressed his expectations and requirements for 2018 freshmen.  What does “adult” mean in this sentence? In Principal Zhang’s view, it is not simply equivalent to “adults”, but refers to shaping “sound and mature personality” in a deeper sense, thus “understand the meaning of life and enhance life value. In short, learning to be a real adult is a question of learn to be a man. He believes that the university is such a place where you can discover yourself, know yourself, and choose to be what kind of person in the future.

Zhang Rong said that if you want to learn to be an adult, you must understand two questions: First, what kind of person you want to be, and secondly, how to learn in order to be a real adult.

From the moment you chose Xiamen University, you established a continuous and close connection with this university. He hoped students to know, feel and consciously pass on the unique characters gratefulness, openness, innovation, and harmonious symbiosis of Xiamen University. “Make it embed in the gene, engraved in the bottom of your heart, become a great force to motivate oneself to move forward and achieve your dreams. Said by Principal Zhang.

Then, how to be a real adult? How to be a man? Mr. Rong Zhang pointed out that the most fundamental approach is learning. He made three expectations for the 2018 freshmen. In the first place, be eager to knowledge. Cultivate your self-learning ability, and do not be satisfied with fragmented information, cherish the time in university, and develop a habit of non-utilitarian reading.  By studying systematically, you can nourish your own soul and enhance the depth of thinking, as well as build a knowledge system which meets the needs of the times. Second, actions speaker louder than words. Adhere to the unity of theoretical study, innovative thinking and social practice, insist on learning from practice, learning from the people, and be united in knowledge and practice. On the one hand, learn knowledges in the practice. On the other hand, put the knowledges you got into practice. Besides, we must commend bright morality. We will strengthen the “four matters of confidences, firmly establish the core socialist values, do up the first button of life, learn from the sages in the history of Xiamen University, and carry forward the four spirits of patriotism, revolution, self-improvement, and science of Xiamen University. Taking the people and the country as the priority, make the individual’s grow be connected with the national rejuvenation and human progress. With the sense of responsibility of the times, you must adhere to the correct value orientation, and forms the harmony of body and mind.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Nianzhi Jiao of the Ocean and Earth College, Professor of Physics of the 1981 Department of Physics, Academician of the Singapore Academy of Engineering, Professor Minghui Hong, Director of the Optical Science and Engineering Center of the National University of Singapore, Shirui Li, 2016 Master of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 2018 Undergraduate of the School of Journalism and Communication Yiting Dong, the 2018 Chinese Language Department of the Overseas Education College, the American student Nick Gonas also spoke at the ceremony.

Leaders of the training force, leaders of the Xiamen Garrison, leaders of the school, heads of relevant departments, party and government leaders of various colleges and research institutes, representatives of teachers and students, friends and relatives of new parents attended the ceremony.