SUSTech’s New Year Gala celebration highlights musical delight and youthful talent
Adrian Cremin | 12/21/2024

On the evening of December 21, the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) hosted its annual New Year Gala, alongside the finale of the 10th “Southern Voice” competition, at Runyang Stadium.

The event brought together nearly 2,000 faculty members, students, and guests, including University Council Chairperson Hong JIANG, Acting Vice President Jinfeng JIA, department heads, and invited judges for a vibrant celebration of the new year and the University’s achievements.

The evening was divided into three chapters, showcasing an impressive array of performances. Faculty members, staff, students, and children from SUSTech’s affiliated experimental schools took the stage with diverse acts, including dancing, singing, art troupes, and group and solo performances.

Faculty and students sang an original song to kick off the Gala. A SUSTech student used artificial intelligence software to construct the music for this song, while Zhigang LIU, a father of a Shuren College student, wrote the lyrics. In an innovative way, the music video showcased the University’s achievements and milestone events in the year of 2024.

One of the standout performances was “The hustle and bustle of the world” by the Faculty Dance Club. Through the graceful movements of a paper umbrella dance, the performance vividly captured the delicate and gentle emotions of women in the south of the Yangtze River.

Another highlight was a choir performance by students from the Second Experimental Primary School of SUSTech, winners of the first prize in the school-level choir competition at the Nanshan District Art Exhibition in Shenzhen this year.

The evening also celebrated outstanding SUSTech students who excelled in academic research, community engagement initiatives, philanthropic activities, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as culture and sports.

The New Year Gala culminated with the finals of the 10th “Southern Voice” competition, where ten finalists competed for top honors. As a special tribute to the competition’s 10th anniversary, past participants from the last decade reunited to perform a special song mix, delighting the audience.

In the end, Yuchen WU emerged as the winner, with Lianyi NIE as the runner-up and Keyi REN securing third place. The Popularity Award went to Yuhuan ZHONG, while the “Unparalleled” (Pinyin: Wu Yu Lun Bi) group, composed of Yumeng SUN and Yuchen WU, received the Best Group Award.

The New Year Gala served as the grand finale to the University’s cultural events for the year, which was co-organized by the Office of Communications & Public Relations, the Trade Union Office, the Office of Student Affairs, the Center for the Arts, the Education Foundation, and Zhicheng College.

2024, 12-21
By Adrian Cremin

From the Series

Campus Event

Proofread ByYingying XIA

Photo ByXuan WANG

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