(Photo/Wu Sheng)
Southeast University (SEU), located in Nanjing, held a grand gathering to celebrate the 120th anniversary at its Jiulonghu campus on June 6.
SEU is one of the earliest modern universities established in China and a comprehensive, research-oriented university featuring engineering disciplines. More than 200 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the country's top academic institutions, have worked or studied at the national key university administered directly under the Ministry of Education.
Gu Xiulian, former vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, sent a letter of congratulations to mark the milestone.
Han Qide, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and also honorary chairman of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology delivered a speech via video link. He hailed the university’s remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, scientific and technological innovation, cultural inheritance and services to the society, calling it the backbone of China's higher education.
Han, also an academician of the CAS, hoped that the university can innovate education, strengthen curriculum development, and enhance students' innovation capacity. He also called for efforts to promote interdisciplinary education and research, give full play to SEU’s strengths in medical science-engineering integration, improve the evaluation system, and build it into a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.
Wu Zhenglong, secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu People's Congress, spoke at the event too, with provincial governor Xu Kunlin and Zhang Yizhen, chairwoman of the CPPCC Jiangsu Committee, also present.
Wu said the university has nurtured top talent and developed science and technology to the benefits of the country and society over its history of 120 years. He recognized the university’s role in promoting development and progress in both the province and the country.
Wu expected the university to carry forward the fine tradition and help the province achieve new progress in purusing the innovation-driven growth. He also called for the university to train more research-oriented talent and gather top-notch professionals in strategic fields as well as young people committed to technology progress and innovation.
In his video speech, Zhong Denghua, vice minister of education, said SEU as a top university in China should take the 120th anniversary as a new starting point, forge ahead to become a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, and make greater contributions to the country’s educational development.
