On April 22, the 12th World Alumni Congress of Tianjin University kicked off in Changzhou city, Jiangsu Province. The conference, with the theme of "Follow Pioneer Footprints and Bear the Mission of Our Times", is hosted by the Tianjin University Alumni Association and co-organized by the university’s local branch alumni associations in Jiangsu, Changzhou, Nantong, Suzhou, Wuxi, Yangzhou, Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Zhangjiagang, and Changzhou Newspaper Cutting Development Co., Ltd.
Prof. Yang Xianjin, Party Secretary of Tianjin University delivers a welcoming speech.
Prof. Jin Donghan makes a report about TJU development at the meeting.
In his welcoming speech, Prof. Yang Xianjin, Party Secretary of Tianjin University, extended sincere greetings and respects to alumni associations from home and abroad. He stated that Changzhou and TJU have developed a deep bond and close cooperation over the century. “We are glad to see that both sides are promoting collaborative innovations to deeper and higher levels.”
Yang noted that the university would see to its alumina's success at TJU and beyond and go lengths to facilitate their development. He then called on the alumni to get involved in the university’s development and construction. “You are always welcome to come home. With ever-improving alumni community development efforts, TJU hopes to amass the wisdom and strength of all alumni on its quest of building into a world-class university as soon as possible.”
Luo Yimin, former Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Political Consultative Conference, Honorary President of the Jiangsu Zhangjian Research Association, and Chairman of the Jiangsu International Cultural Exchange Center, congratulated on the opening of the meeting. He pointed out that the meeting not only provides a platform to showcase the development of both Tianjin University and its alumni, but serves as a bridge for win-win cooperation between Tianjin University and the local community. Luo cordially invited TJU alumni to invest and and seek future development in Jiangsu, and gave his best wishes for Tianjin University to continuously make new and greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the nation.
On behalf of the Changzhou Municipal People's Government, Vice Mayor Jiang Pengju warmly congratulated on the convening of the conference. He elaborated on the historical relations between Changzhou and Tianjin University, saying that 5 out of the 6 figure statues on Tianjin University’s campuses are celebrities with Changzhou origin, including the university founder Sheng Xuanhuai, the famous CPC forerunner Zhang Tailei, the founder of China's internal combustion engine discipline, Shi Shaoxi, the leader of China's architecture discipline, Xu Zhong, and Liu Bao, the founder of China's systems engineering discipline.”
Fang Deguang, the president of the Jiangsu Alumni Association of Tianjin University who majored in the Internal Combustion Engine and graduated in 1987 spoke on behalf of the event organizer. He expressed sincere gratitude to the Changzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government for their strong support for the event and pointed out that in recent years, Changzhou has cooperated closely with Tianjin University and fosters many projects in smart grid, energy storage, high-end equipment, and building energy conservation.
Five alumni representatives shared their thoughts and opinions in the meeting.
“As a student of Class 1978, I have witnessed the development and changes of my alma mater for more than 40 years. I am proud and excited for her achievements,” said Zou Zhigang, an inorganic non-metallic materials major, now an academician of the CAS Member, and director of the Environmental Materials and Renewable Energy Research Center of Nanjing University. He called on young successors alumni to be ambitious, responsible, hardworking and tenacious in pursuing their dreams and striving for the great nation cause.
Liu Yi, a member of Class 1985 in the field of analytical instruments and the chairman of Tianjin Jiu'an Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., was nominated as Head of TJU’s Xuanhuai School not long ago. He expressed his excitement to visit the birthplace of the university’s founder, Sheng Xuanhuai, “I am very excited to come to Mr. Sheng Xuanhuai's hometown of Changzhou. In 2015, TJU officially established Xuanhuai College to explore innovation and entrepreneurship education.” Liu Yi also introduced the vision of building a all-round innovation ecology at Xuanhuai College.
“From the moment I became TJUer, the school motto of ‘seeking truth from facts’ and the mission of ‘building a strong country through education’ have been imprinted on my body like steel stamps!” sai Lin Songhua, a Class 1997 graduate majoring in semiconductor physics and devices, the Chairman of Xiamen Yingqu Technology Co., Ltd., walked onto the podium and, together with “digital personification”, reviewed the launch of the Xiamen Chunshui Love Foundation, and its donation to the university. On April 13, 2021, Lin Songhua generously donated 313 million yuan to TJU.
Chen Yisong from Class 1978 who majored in Automation, as the former president of the Tianjin University North American Alumni Association pointed out in his speech that in the new era, Tianjin University, as the first modern university in China, was shouldering a more important mission and had a long way to go in building a world-class university. He hoped that the university could keep up with cutting-edge technology, and continuously make innovative research results with significant social impact.
Bekar Mikaberidze from Georgia graduated from Tianjin University’s School of International Education in 2005 as a Chinese language learner. He shared with the audience his life at TJU. As the founder of One Belt One Road Georgian Business House, he is devoted to enhance the two countries’ cooperation in business, education, culture exchanges, and science and technology development.
At the opening ceremony, the Changzhou Municipal People's Government and Tianjin University signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. Following the principles of "resource sharing, win-win exchanges, result oriented, and common development", the two sides decided to establish a comprehensive strategic cooperation relationship in strategic decision-making consultation, education and academia development, scientific and technological innovations, and talent exchanges.
According to the agreement, both parties will focus on Changzhou’s strategic target to promote new energy industry, fully leverage the scientific research advantages of Tianjin University, and cooperate in technological fields such as new energy storage and smart grid. The two sides are both committed to the construction of the Tianjin University’s National Energy Storage Platform and the National Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology in aspects of talent cultivation, basic research development, scenario application and other aspects of energy storage.
Xie Kechang, a CAE Member, Foreign Academician of the American Academy of Engineering gave a report about new energy revolution and Jin Donghan, TJU president reported to the alumni about TJU’s annual development and achievements.
Nearly 600 alumni representatives from all over the world attended the opening ceremony. Hu Wenping, a member of the University’s Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of TJU chaired the meeting.
Since it was first held in the United States in 1988, the World Alumni Congress of Tianjin University has been successfully held 11 times and served as a grand event that engages its alumni in a wide array of initiatives that build loyalty to the university as well as foster community spirit among the alumni itself.
This 12th World Alumni Congress will last for three days, during which a series of activities such as the Alumni Association Executive Council meeting, panel discussions, and skills workshops will also be held.
By Eva Yin
