The opening ceremony for the Turing Pilot Class in the School of Computer Science and Technology took place on the morning of November 6th at the multifunctional hall on the second floor of Building 8 in the International Exchange Center on campus. Professor Zheng You, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Professor John Hopcroft, foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turing Award Winner, and professor at Cornell University in the United States, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Professor Jinyu Wen, Assistant to the President and Dean of the Undergraduate School, Professor Ke Changjian, Vice Dean of the Undergraduate School, and Professor Dan Feng, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology, also participated in the event. Hui Yi, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Computer Science and Technology, presided over the opening ceremony.
In his speech, President Zheng You emphasized that HUST has consistently prioritized the fundamental mission of moral education and talent development. As one of the pioneering institutions chosen for the National Top-notch Undergraduate Program 2.0 in the fundamental disciplines, the School of Computer Science and Technology has demonstrated exceptional achievements in nurturing outstanding computer science talents over the past decade. The Turing Pilot Class represents a fresh endeavor in promoting extraordinary computer science talents within the university. President Zheng You expresses his aspirations for the class to serve as a positive exemplar in the coming years with the invaluable support of Professor John Hopcroft. He envisions the students of the Turing Pilot Class standing tall, embracing the fertile grounds of innovation and creation at HUST while pursuing excellence. His firm belief is that they will evolve into outstanding innovators in computer science, equipped with the capability to shoulder responsibilities and contribute their wisdom and strength towards the university's pursuit of technological self-reliance and advancement at the highest level.
In his speech, Professor John Hopcroft conveyed his great honor to be involved in the cultivation of top-notch talents in computer science at HUST. He commended HUST as a premier university renowned for consistently nurturing top-tier individuals. Professor Hopcroft expressed his dedication to actively seeking guidance from the world's finest educators and fostering the students of the Turing Pilot Class. He also expressed his desire for the students to perpetually harbor a sense of curiosity towards computer science, discover their areas of research that ignite their passion, delve into them tenaciously, and ultimately flourish into distinguished talents within computer science.
Representing the School of Computer Science and Technology, Professor Dan Feng reported on the achievements and plans for the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents in the School from three aspects: the development process of the Computer Science Pilot Class, the practice and exploration of the Fundamental Disciplines Top-notch 2.0, and the new initiatives of the 101 Plan - the Turing Pilot Class.
During his speech, Head Teacher Qiang He emphasized his unwavering commitment to accompany the students throughout their academic and scientific research endeavors, embarking on a remarkable journey together. He encouraged the students to embrace challenges without fear of failure, surmount obstacles, derive valuable lessons from their experiences, and steadily enhance their personal growth.
In his speech, Yuxin Lai, a representative of the students from the 2022 undergraduate class, expressed his anticipation for the future and the desire to learn and explore together with academic masters, top scholars, and outstanding peers using the four phrases "I look forward to." He said he will never forget General Secretary Jinping Xi's message to the youth: "Let youth bloom in the fiery practice of building a socialist modern country in an all-around way." He will not fail the times, not fail the best years, be down-to-earth, work hard, and contribute the power of computer science to achieving high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement at HUST!
President Zheng You and Professor John Hopcroft jointly presented the flag to the Turing Pilot Class at the opening ceremony.
All members of the leadership team of the School of Computer Science and Technology, the head teacher of the Turing Pilot Class, and all students also attended the opening ceremony.
