Embrace the Age, Go without Dread

Dear faculty and students:

Good morning!

Today, we are glad to celebrate the graduation of class of 2020, even in this special way. You have completed youreducation and are going to venture forth into new lives. Here, on behalf of Tianjin University (TJU), I would like to extend warm congratulations to all the graduates, and heartfelt thanks and respect to your teachers who guided you along the way, parents who raised you, and your family and friends who cared for and supported you.

Today is worth remembering for all of you. At this moment, let’s look back at the past and look forward to the future. A few years ago, with longing for TJU and the future, you came here from all over the world. It has been possible for us to share ideas and master new knowledge as we got along with each other, sang the same songs together, even frequently traveled back and forth between the two campuses. Some of you had been persistently preparing for the opening ceremony of the National Games in the summer vacation when you saw the campus at 4 in the morning and walked in the moonlight at 12. In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), you sang My Motherland and I together in the Peiyang Square on the Weijin Road Campus. Here, you have broadened your horizon globally, and fostered your innovative spirit and practical ability, which lay a solid foundation for your life. Schooldays sure do fly! Now, you are going to pack your bags and head to the distance, the dream destination.

As the world is changing as the global pandemic COVID-19, some of you may be frustrated. However, in my opinion, youhavetakena more vivid lesson about life than the previous graduates, because you are learning in great changes of the times and rising up in challenges of adversity. These experiences, which make you stronger and more determined, will become a great treasure in the rest of your life.

You are a generation born at the right time. Enjoying the fruitful results of reform and opening-up, you grew up in the best period of development since modern China. And you are about to witness an important moment when China will achieve the goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and of the country’s poverty alleviation. China today is striding forward towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.You are also a generation that reshapes the world. The world is undergoing a major change that has not been seen in a hundred years. This epidemic has allowed us to witness the remarkable advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the dramatic impact of this global disaster on the world. The epidemic has pressed the pause button for the whole world. At the same time, it, however, has shortened the distance between countries and between peoples, accelerating the process of building a community of shared future for mankind. In such an era, you have unlimited possibilities, and you can also create infinite possibilities.

As each generation has its own long march and responsibilities, only by actively embracing and striving for the new era can TJU students be worthy of your lives and this age. On the occasion of your graduation, I would like to share three suggestionswith you.

First, respond to the call of the times with profound love for our home and motherland. Looking back on the development of TJU, it is founded as Peiyang University in 1895 when the Chinese nation needed. TJU’s 125-year history is the epitome of the progress of modern Chinese higher education, embodying the TJU’s indomitability and love for the country. Wang Chonghui, the first university diploma recipient in China, graduated as one of the first batch of students of Peiyang University. In the times of poverty and weakness, as a famousjuristand diplomat, he brought patriotism to the stage of international diplomacy, and defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country with wisdom and courage, winning as much respect as possible. Facing the novel coronavirus threat, TJU students also turned patriotism into the action of serving the country. For example, Luo Da, a PhD student admitted in 2015 at the School of Pharmacy, grappled with the epidemic at the front line for 29 days and nights as an interim member of the party general branch of the 11th medical team from Tianjin to Hubei province. Meanwhile, more than 1,200 students volunteered to help the community with COVID-19 prevention. And more than 400 students provided online tutoring for the children of frontline medical staff.

In the past few months, we have seen countless healthcare workers, hailed as heroes in harm’s way, who chose to protect people’s liveswith their lives and stay true to their mission with actions, which have elevated the spiritual level of this era and interpreted the Chinese proverb——to ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth; to secure life and fortune for the people; to continue lost teachings for past sages; to establish peace for all future generations. The former TJU president Li Shusen once told Tianjin University students, "The future of a person depends on the future of the country, while the happiness of a person lies in the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people." Today, we are still moved by these words. Students, I hope that you will always care about your family, your homeland, as well as the world, achieve your life ideals, and strive to be the backbone of the nation in the great cause of national rejuvenation!

Second, work hard to make progress in this era. Struggle, as the brightest color of youth, is the vitality of the Chinese spirit. Yang Xiaotong, an undergraduate admitted in 2016 from the School of Civil Engineering, have been busy with his dream for 4 years and has won the national scholarship for three consecutive years. Not only was he recommended to Tsinghua University for further study as a graduate student, but also included in People’s Daily’s National Scholarship Representative list. He said, “Taking the former TJU president Mao Yisheng as an example, I would like to make efforts and struggle for this deeply loved homeland under my feet.” There are many of youlike him. I’mglad to see that more and more students would like to participate in a volunteer teaching program, work or start a business in China’s western region, in primary-level governments, or in the places where the country and the people most need you. Our alumnus Yuan Guolin, the former chief engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources, has dealt with water for 57 years, 37 of which have been spent in ordinary positions at the grassroots level. He loves it because of his choice and sticks to it because of his love. With his sincere dedication and outstanding achievements on the career of hydropower, his promise of "follow the river for a lifetime, and never go back" is fulfilled. The road of struggle will not be smooth, but the strong one will always rise from frustration and never be discouraged. At present, the international situation is changing rapidly because of the global spread of the coronavirus. This is a challenge that is rare for a century, however, also an opportunity in a lifetime. The times make heroes. Those of you who have experienced the epidemic should know how to face difficulties, adapt to changes, and meet challenges. I hope that you will write a vivid chapter in your tireless life to serve the country and people in the name of struggle and responsibility.

Third, lead direction of the development with innovation and cooperation. In this world of economic globalization, as countries are so closely intertwined, external situation China faces is developing fast, technological innovations have seen a trend-bucking surge of growth, and competition and cooperation are accompanied by each other, all countries are getting increasingly interdependent and becoming a community of shared future. The innovation today, diversified and integrated, has always been a powerful driving force for the continuous advancement of human society. In the final of the 5th China College Students "Internet Plus" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the entry "Rotating Blade Online Monitoring System" of the School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering won the gold medal in one fell swoop. This project, hailed as a solution to the stranglehold problem, fills the gap in the field of rotating blade monitoring as major equipment inourcountry. In this project, 161 graduate students, with bold exploration and continuous struggle, have successively participated in technical research. They firmly believe that we Chinese must rely on ourselves, and they also have become tough and strong through teamwork. Facts tell us that innovation and cooperation are the lights of civilization that mankind has refined in history, and inexhaustible forces that support us to get rid of difficulties and move towards the future. As innovation is an ongoing process, there are always reasons for us to work together for itrelentlessly. I hope that you will uphold the pursuit of TJU students’ commitment to innovation and celebrate the fine tradition of being open and inclusive.

Class of 2020! Youth shines through suffering, and life sublimates through struggle. May you embrace the age, grasp the future, and move forward without dread. Please believe that TJU will always be your strong support and spiritual home. We will always welcome you back here at your alma mater TJU and at the Youth Lake, with begonias blooming.

Thank you!

Translated by: Yin Xiaotong

Editor: Sun Xiaofang