Distinguished guests, my fellow teachers, dear students,

Good morning/afternoon! Today, we are here to enjoy this happy get-together and usher in the annual grand occasion of the Southern University of Science and Technology（SUSTech） – the School Opening Day of Freshmen 2016. Dear students, I am very glad to meet you again. I have seen you on the training field of the military camp during the Mid-Autumn Festival, where you were bright and brave with high morale; today, at this solemn ceremony, I have seen that you are gentle and cultivated in high spirits. So, you are able to wield both the pen and the sword. I am proud of you. First of all, please allow me, on behalf of the Party Committee of the Southern University of Science and Technology, to extend a warm welcome to 992 undergraduates, 277 graduate students from 22 provinces nationwide and overseas students recruited for the first time. Welcome to Shenzhen, welcome you to join in the big family of the South University of Science and Technology. From today on, you are bound to be closely linked with the SUSTech all your life.

Just like all of you, I am a new student here. At the end of June, when you got your report cards for the college entrance examination, I received the “letter of admission” of the Southern University of Science and Technology – to be appointed as the Party Committee Secretary of the university. From then on, I got closely linked with the development and construction of the university and you – students of the Southern University of Science and Technology, in particular. Over the past days, I have been focusing on all information about your, from registration, taking photos by Yingxin Bridge to participating in military training. Particularly, the other day, I observed your orderly drill on the camping ground and fervent passion when listening to Professor Li’s speech. The ten days’ military training is just a prelude for your university life, the authentic university life is embracing you with open arms. A more wonderful world is waiting for you to exploit, a more profound perception is waiting for you to harvest. The start of the new school year, which is both ordinary and precious, takes place on an annual basis for the university, yet happens to you once in your life. I can’t help but sign with emotion: the youth is just in time!

Going back to the 1980s, I plunged into construction of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone when I graduated. I was young then, as well. Everyone knows Shenzhen speed. At that time, a record was hit when one storey was completed within three days on the construction site of Shenzhen International Trade Building. Shenzhen made changes day by day, month by month. The best known slogan then was “The time means gold while the efficiency equal to life.” Good experience for development at home and abroad was drawn during construction of Shenzhen, usually breaking up the conventional practices, nurturing the spirit daring to think and try, daring to break through. Within just two months of working in the SUSTech, I witnessed their enthusiasm and passion for entrepreneurship of the people of the SUSTech. Maybe you don’t know that, in order to accommodate the students new dormitories in the new semester, the staff of infrastructure construction, logistics, property and other departments didn’t take rest during the vacation, they worked overtime day and night. For the last week, to finish decorating houses before you came back, not a few staff members worked away for 24 hours, some even for 36 hours. It seemed that we were back to the fiery years when the development of Shenzhen was underway 30 years before. Dear students, what Shenzhen has granted the SUSTech is not simply precious land or valuable capital, but spiritual inheritance of blazing new trails in a pioneering spirit, above all. 

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was designated 36 years ago when the great old man Mr. Deng Xiaoping made the decision to carry forward the great cause of China’ reform and opening up to the outside world. Since its inauguration, Shenzhen has been shouldering the hard work to explore the way of economic development for China. Over the past 36 years, Shenzhen has been developing rapidly from a poor frontier town to a metropolis ranking 40th in the world, with its economic aggregate second only to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. It is a miracle in the history of global urban development. The SUSTech was established at the foot of the Nanshan Mountain ten years ago, when Shenzhen people, based on the long-term strategy, were determined to build a world-renowned high-level, research-based university, symbolizing the spirit of cities and leading future development. Since officially launched on 2012, the university has recruited more than 200 global top-notch talents and professors, and enrolled some 3,000 young students. Looking back, Shenzhen, as a pioneering city for China’s reform and opening up to the outside world, has become a famous city we are proud of. The SUSTech, just like Huawei, Tencent and other internationally famous enterprises which have been incubated in Shenzhen, will surely accomplish its mission, achieving leap-over development and realizing its dream.  

Dear students, the SUSTech was born in Shenzhen and is an innovation-oriented university characteristic of a sense of the times and the spirit of reform. Our university is committed to nurture students with independent personality, international perspective, initiative spirit and unflinching belief. Our university has formulated detailed training program, setting up the philosophy of students first. From today on, you will depart from the same scratch line. Learning is an arduous journey, especially trekking on the road of scientific research, which is more difficult and needs sweat and even tears. Have the courage and strength to cherish your 4-year time in the university, and you will find your moving direction for your life, and lay a good foundation for your career. Have dreams, and furthermore, take actions. We hope you will develop into world-class masters in the near future.

We believe that, today, the SUSTech is benefited from material and spiritual achievements of the development of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone; and tomorrow, the SUSTech will succeed with your talents and wonderful performance, making Shenzhen be proud of us.

Thank you for your attention.