On September 10th, the opening ceremony for the undergraduate students of 2021 was held in the central sports field. The ceremony was hosted by Ma Jianhui, the Vice-Chair of the University Committee.

The opening ceremony commenced with Chinese national anthem. Attendees watched the video Set Sail, produced to welcome the class of 2021. The university leaders badged the freshmen representatives and presented commemorative medals to representatives of teachers who won the “my favourite teachers” award in 2020.

Li Yuanyuan, the president of HUST, welcomed the students on behalf of the university. He hoped that they could learn how to collaborate effectively with others and know the importance of caring for others, so that one day they could become well-rounded talents and make unique contributions to their society and country

Professor Peng Fangyu from the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, the winner of “my favourite teacher” award, addressed the freshmen as the faculty representative. He hoped that the freshmen could study hard, embrace the culture of HUST, and discover their life purpose in the following years.

Sun Wei, the students’ counsellor representative as well as the winner of Hubei Province “Jingchu Outstanding Teacher”, encouraged the freshmen to develop the qualities of self-reliance and self-discipline, to have a well-planned university life, and to be brave enough to dream big and persevere in their life journey.

Tang Kexin, the senior representative from the School of Economics, from the class of 2018, shared her experience in HUST. She called on the freshmen to take on social issues as their own with strength, confidence and a sense of duty.

Guo Yue, the freshman representative and a student of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, expressed her hopes in his speech to gain knowledge, establish collegial networks, and pursue his dreams.

Lastly, the event concluded with a flag-raising ceremony.

Written by: Liu Yikang

Edited by: Scott, Peng Yumeng