On the morning of September 1st, Nanchang University (NCU) held the 2025 Freshmen Opening Ceremony at Baifan Stadium on the Qianhu Campus. Over 15,000 new undergraduates and postgraduates gathered by the picturesque Qianhu Lake, eager to embark on a journey of growth and achievement. With the university motto—'Seeking Truth and Innovation, Cultivating Virtue and Benefiting People'—as their guide, these students are ready to write new chapters in their pursuit of dreams, using their youth as the driving force and their ideals as the inspiration.
University leaders, including Luo Sihai, Secretary of the Party Committee of NCU, Chen Yeguang, President of NCU and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhou Chuangbing, Director of the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for River Basin Carbon Neutrality and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Xie Mingyong, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resource and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with alumni, teachers, students and representatives of parents, gathered to witness this significant moment.
Ge Gang, Vice President of NCU, presided over the opening ceremony.
Greeted by the morning sun, the 2025 freshmen entered the venue one after another, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their journey.
During the prelude, the 2025 opening theme video revisited everyone’s first encounter with NCU, recording the most genuine expectations and aspirations of the new generation of “NCUers”; Representatives of students and counselors delivered warm-up performances, expressing their sincere welcome to the freshmen through energetic songs.
The ceremony officially began with the raising of the Five-Starred Red Flag and the collective singing of the national anthem by all faculty and students. Subsequently, members of the honor guard marched in firm and forceful steps to escort the university flag into the venue. Bathed in the morning sun, the flag of Nanchang University fluttered in the blue sky.
Zhan Weifan, a student majoring in Clinical Medicine from the First Clinical Medical School, spoke as the freshman representative. She shared her original aspiration and mission in choosing the medical field, expressed her beautiful visions and firm beliefs for university life, and voiced her hope to uphold passion and faith at NCU, striving to reach the summit where she will witness the boundless sunshine.
Shen Xiangyu, a 2024 postgraduate from the School of Marxism, representing current students, shared her growth experience and insights gained at the university. She encouraged the junior students to always maintain a “half-full mindset” and embark on a unique, meaningful and surprising “journey towards perfection”.
Zhou Meng, Vice Dean of the School of Physics and Materials Science, representing the faculty, encouraged students to let curiosity be the torch for exploring the world, regard skill development as the cornerstone for future development, and take courageous attempts as the compass for navigating their lives, striving to grow into “NCUers” who are warm-hearted, knowledgeable and responsible.
Liao Liangsheng, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) of Soochow University, an alumni representative, looked back on his study experience at Nanchang University. Drawing from his own feelings and insights, he encouraged the junior students to set lofty goals, remain focused and diligent, be strict with themselves, persevere, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve their dreams.
Luo Sihai, Secretary of the Party Committee of NCU, presented the flag to the military training unit responsible for the freshmen's military training.
President Chen Yeguang delivered a speech titled “Set Up Dreams, Dare to Challenge, March Towards the Future!”, guiding students to set goals, consolidate abilities and skills, challenge themselves and achieve success in their future lives. He encouraged students to aim high and shoulder the mission of youth while bearing the nation in mind, focusing on personal development while also considering the needs of the country and society, and to find their direction in life and set grand ideals through serving national development and human progress. He urged them to hone their skills and persistently pursue excellence by daring to challenge difficulties, adhering to independent thinking, distinguishing right from wrong and remaining determined. He also encouraged them to stay firm and use their wisdom and abilities to overcome difficulties and surpass themselves. He told them to practice diligently and unceasingly, stride toward a bright future by always staying down-to-earth, learn to manage time, and maintain focus, persistence, patience, and perseverance. He encouraged them to continuously strengthen their abilities through diligent study and hard practice, advance firmly step by step, strive to realize their value in life, and use their youth to pave the way and extend their ideals on the fertile soil of Nanchang University, creating a brilliant future that belongs to themselves and also to this great era.
The ceremony also included a university badge pinning ritual. On the rostrum, guests seated in the front row pinned the university badges onto freshman representatives. Below the rostrum, the freshmen proudly wore their badges. Under the sunlight, the badges, engraved with“Nanchang University”, sparkled on the chests of the freshmen. In this moment, these badges, symbolizing the spirit of Nanchang University, became deeply intertwined with the vibrant energy of the new generation of “NCUers”.
With the resounding chorus of the university song, the ceremony came to an end. The melody rose into the sky, and the sunlight illuminated all the youthful faces. The students of Nanchang University stand ready to embark on their journey and are determined to make their own mark upon the world. Their path ahead has just begun, and a future filled with boundless promise awaits them.
Reviewers: Song Zhihao, Xu Hang, Tu Jinfeng
