On May 20, the celebration of Nanjing University's 124th anniversary was held on Xianlin campus. Tan Tieniu, Chair of NJU CPC Council and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), attended the conference and delivered a concluding speech. Tan Zhemin, President of NJU and Academician of the CAS, presented a report titled "Determined to Reform and Innovate, United in Progress for the Future." Chen Yi, former Acting President of NJU and Academician of the CAS, attended the conference.
Tan Tieniu and Tan Zhemin conveyed greetings to all faculty, staff, and students of NJU, as well as to alumni at home and abroad. They expressed heartfelt gratitude and high respect to leaders and friends from all sectors who have consistently cared for and supported the development of NJU.
Tan Tieniu comprehensively reviewed NJU's achievements in "forging ahead" since General Secretary Xi Jinping's reply to NJU scholars who returned from overseas. He pointed out that in the past four years, NJU has solidified its ideological foundation, aligned its political direction, strengthened its strategic layout, clarified its blueprint for progress, adhered to the cultivation of virtue and talent, nurtured the pillars of the nation, focused on self-reliance and technological advancement, reinforced cultural confidence, diligently continued its cultural lineage, embraced the "major national interests," served the overall development, maintained an open educational approach, expanded international exchanges, deepened reform and innovation, and enhanced governance efficiency. All faculty, staff, and students of NJU have committed to their mission, undertaken practical efforts, and advanced various tasks through the comprehensive implementation of the "Forging Ahead Initiative", propelling the construction of a world-class NJU with Chinese characteristics.
Tan Tieniu emphasized that this year marks the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan," a crucial year in the three-year action plan for building a strong education nation, and a key year for formulating and implementing "Forging Ahead Initiative 2.0" to accelerate the comprehensive construction of a world-class NJU with Chinese characteristics. He proposed principles of persistence and emphasized the hope that everyone will strive with continuous efforts to accelerate the construction of a world-class NJU with Chinese characteristics, making new and greater contributions to advancing national strength and the great rejuvenation of the nation through Chinese modernization.
Tan Zhemin pointed out that as a pioneer and explorer in Chinese higher education, NJU has always adhered to innovation and progress, integrating "reform" into every stage of its educational governance, injecting a continuous stream of NJU strength into the nation's development and national rejuvenation. History and practice have fully proven that reform and innovation are the most distinctive spiritual essence of NJU and also our greatest confidence. Currently, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes, with a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation deeply developing, accelerating the overall advancement of the strategic layout for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the Party and the country have an increasingly urgent demand for the integrated development of education, science, and talent. Continuously deepening reform is our mission in serving national construction and the great rejuvenation of the nation, and it is also the only way to break through bottlenecks and achieve high-quality development for the university.
Tan Zhemin emphasized that continuously deepening reform is necessary for serving national needs, promoting the integration of science and education, and driving the development of NJU. Standing at a new historical starting point, we must further unite and strive forward, boost our momentum, and focus on comprehensive deepening of reform to achieve comprehensive breakthroughs, collectively advancing the development of various undertakings of the university to new heights. He encouraged everyone to integrate reform and innovation into every aspect of educational governance, striving to write a new chapter in the construction of a world-class NJU with Chinese characteristics.
The conference was hosted by Lu Xiancai, Member of the CPC NJU Committee and Vice President of NJU.
Wu Yuxiao, dean of the School of Social Sciences, spoke as a representative of the faculty.
Alumni representative Huang Lequn, a 1977 graduate of the Department of Chemistry, shared unforgettable memories of studying and his entrepreneurial story.
Student representative Zhu Junmeng, a doctoral student in the 2023 cohort of the School of Medicine, shared her experiences and insights on scientific research and innovation.
The conference concluded with the school song. The Suzhou campus set up a sub-venue, gathering online and offline participants to celebrate the occasion together.
