On the morning of September 13th, the opening ceremony and the “First Lesson” for the 2024 freshmen were grandly held at Nanhu Sports Stadium. More than 16,000 freshmen, full of vitality and ambition, are set to embark on a new chapter of their lives.

University leaders, including Xin Sijin, Yang Zongkai, Xia Jiangjing, Zhao Jing, Meng Fangbing, Wang Fazhou, Shen Gewu, Mai Liqiang, and Zhang Di, along with Assistant to the President Hu Jian, attended the ceremony. Representatives from relevant functional departments, colleges, independent research institutes, graduate supervisors, instructors of the 2024 class, and all undergraduate and graduate freshmen of 2024, participated in the event. The ceremony was hosted by Vice President Zhang Di.

The warm-up performances showcased the youthful energy of the students, filling Nanhu Sports Stadium with passion and strength. As everybody present joined in singing My Motherland and Me, a giant national flag slowly unfolded, pushing the atmosphere to its climax.

Amid the solemn and majestic sound of the national anthem, the opening ceremony officially commenced.

President Yang Zongkai delivered the “First Lesson” titled “Bravely Shouldering the Responsibility of Building a Strong Nation and Leading the Development of the Digital and Intelligent Era”, using a cockpit as the backdrop for his lecture. He guided the freshmen to appreciate the grandeur of WUT’s academic standing, the beauty of its comprehensive development, and its strength in leading future innovations. “Seizing the strategic opportunities of digital transformation, you are the first cohort under WUT's new talent cultivation framework. Your path to success would be an entirely new journey”, President Yang remarked. He then discussed with the students how to address three pivotal challenges they would face as they embark on their university experience.

President Yang Zongkai offered insights on the three key questions of how the university would teach, how students should learn, and what kind of individuals they should strive to become. He explained that WUT is at the forefront of advancing digital education, creating top-tier learning resources, educational platforms, and support services, making “open sharing” a defining feature of WUT. The university has established a new dual-college system to enrich student life,  and is building high-standard, one-stop smart student communities, with “student-centeredness” at its core. Personalized “digital profiles” for each student would ensure that “smart digitalization” becomes a distinctive hallmark of WUT. President Yang expressed his hope that students would soon grow into “triple-leading talents,” excelling in leading the technological frontier, industry innovation, and regional development.

He earnestly encouraged the students to embrace the limitless possibilities of youth , and lead the transformation and development of the digital and intelligent era.

Xin Sijin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of WUT, pinned the university badges on freshman representatives, encouraging them to always uphold the WUT spirit of “Sound in morality, broad in learning, and pursuing excellence,” as they embark on the journey of striving forward.

Professor Zhou Huansong, Chief Professor of the Mathematics Discipline from School of Mathematics and Statistics, delivered a speech as the teacher representative. He shared his personal experience of turning the “impossible into possible”,  encouraging students to continuously strive for excellence in innovation. Ding Wei, a 2021 doctoral student in Mining Engineering from the School of Resources and Environmental Engineering and a recipient of the “Chinese Graduate Innovation Practice Star” award, spoke as the senior student representative. He shared insights and experiences from his research journey. Undergraduate freshman representative Chi Yitong, from the Houde College’s Business Administration program, expressed her feelings about starting university. Graduate student representative He Jinhong, from the School of Navigation’s Traffic Information Engineering and Control program, reflected on his undergraduate experience at WUT and expressed pride and anticipation for his continued studies.

The 2024 freshman opening ceremony concluded with a chorus of the school song, Song of Excellence, sung by all faculty and students.

Reported by: Zhu Kexin, Shen Lutong

Reviewed by: Guan Shuaifeng

Rewritten by: Wang Jingjing

Edited by: Liang Muwei, Li Tiantian

Source: Publicity Department of the CPC WUT Committee