Endeavour, 2020

When hour and minute hands meet again at 12 on the clock tower, the 365 days we spent together will come to an end; when the first rays of the New Year leap over the horizon, the new hopes are coming with 2020. At this beautiful moment of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, we would like to extend our sincere New Year greetings and best wishes to all the teachers, students and staff of Soochow University, as well as all the alumni at home and abroad, and all friends from all walks of life who care about and support the construction and development of Soochow University.

 

The year of 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In the past year, we comprehensively reviewed the brilliant achievements we had made over the past 70 years, and made an affectionate confession to ourmotherland with a heart as sincere as a child’s, thus building up the mighty and majestic strength of the new era. The year of 2019 also witnessed Soochow University to forge ahead its ‘double first-class’ construction. In the past year, all Soochowers carried the original mission on their shoulders, and achieved one moment of glory after another with decisive and steadfast actions. Looking back on 2019, we were all working hard, we were all dreamers.

 

2019, we wholeheartedlyimmersed ourselves in the ‘road’, with sonorous and forceful footsteps!

 

In the face of the fierce competition in the higher education sector, we did not hesitate, we werenot impetuous, and we fought with full force and advanced at a gallop. In the year of 2019, we deepened reform and innovation program:the ‘first-class’ undergraduate action plan, the comprehensive reform of graduate education, and the incentive plan for frontier discipline have all been implemented effectively;further progress has also been made in the construction of‘SoochowUniversity in the Cloud’ program, in the reform of personnel system, and in the restructuring of school-affiliated enterprises. In the year of 2019, our students marched forward regardless of trials and hardships to pursue their dreams; our teachers trudged along their none-stop journey of studies for the rose and thorn. Whether it's undergraduate students doing their own research in freshman seminars, or graduate students tracking the frontiers in the lab,whether it is senior professors who stick to the front line of teaching and research, or young talents who are active in the world academic arena,whether it's the dedicated administrative team, or the dedicated logistics staff, there might have been million kinds of embodiments of their dedication and commitment; but all Soochowers strove forward with the same attitude. In the year of 2019, in Soochow University, the hot land for entrepreneurs, on average,1.1 national scientific research projects were approved, 12.2 high-quality papers were published,3.1 provincial-level or above awards were won, 2.8 intellectual property rights authorization were obtained, 3.2 academic lectures were held, and 777.9 books were borrowed and returnedin every single day. In the year of 2019,every stephas been steady and solid, sonorous and powerful, gathered into the school career development of the most magnificent strength.

 

2019, we bravely explored the ‘road’, with upward passion and loyalty!

 

In the year of 2019, we united and relied on the majority of teachers and students, carried forward the enterprising spirit of reform, dared to enter the ‘deep end’, and braved to do the ‘pioneer’. We actively explored the new way of talent training, implemented the undergraduate growth companion plan and graduate student development support plan, and formed a new system of ‘three-all-round education’; we have cooperated with well-known European universities to carry out joint training programs for doctoral students, and was selected into the EU Erasmus project to build a new platform for international collaborative education; we have established the teacher’s college, Soochow college, Pasteur college, Zi Qing college and other teaching institutions to construct a new pattern of training outstanding and top-notch talents. We actively explored the new road of integration of schools and places, deepened the integrated development strategy of famous cities and famous schools with Suzhou city, jointly planed the cooperative development of schools and places for 2035, launched the construction of future campus and other projects, and displayed new vitality in the interactive development pattern of ‘famous cities educate famous schools, famous schools embellish famous cities’. We have actively explored new avenues for international cooperation. The first international college of the Red Cross in the world, jointly established with the Red Cross society of China and the international federation of Red Cross and red crescent societies, was officially inaugurated, and we have worked together to build a community of Shared future for mankind. Cooperate with the international union of geological sciences to build a digital earth science and education integration center, we actively participated in the ‘deep time digital earth’ international science project, and jointly promoted science and education integration.  

 

2019, we modestly asked for the direction of the ‘road’, with clear minds and clarified thoughts!

 

To answer the question of ‘education to the satisfaction of the people’, weneed courage and, more importantly, wisdom. We humbly asked for the direction, and forged ahead following hearts. In the year of 2019, we asked the master of the school for directions, conducted in-depth ‘do not forget the original intention, keep in mind the mission’ theme education.Two grassroots party branches were elected into ‘national party construction work model branch’, and won the ‘Jiangsu civilized campus’ title; we held the staff congress, professors' symposium, students' meeting, and set up the student counselor system, all of which was aimed for ensuring the direction of high quality development of the school. In the year of 2019, we consulted with experts from all walks of life, and invited the national reform pioneer Zhenhua Qin to have a face to face talk with teachers and students, talking about reform and opening up; we held advanced deeds report meetings for Xuesen Qian and Danian Huang, with the purpose of carrying forward the times’ model spirit; we also invited top international scientists to the forum of ‘Heaven Sent Forum’, ‘Academician Forum’ and ‘Master in Soochow Forum’ to guide the development of the discipline. In the year of 2019, we did not forget to remind ourselves of our initial intention of education.The sentence ‘classmates are good, apply for the strongest school in Suzhou’, ignited the applicants’ enthusiasm in the hot admission season; the line ‘wish my student of Soochow University a splendid and picturesque future’ has strengthened the momentum of the class of 2019 graduates to pursue their dreams. With students’ recognition, parents’ satisfaction, social praise, our confidence in educating people for the party and talents for the country has been strengthened.

 

In 2019, we do not stop, do not relax, forward and harvest all the way!

 

Inthe year of 2019, our students thrived. At the opening ceremony, more than 10,000 new students passed the huge national flag and sang the song to ‘thumb up’ the nation, making the dream of youth resonate with the feelings of home and country; thousands of students wrote and read letters home, and the elder's affectionate exhortations nourished the dream of students voyage; more than 30,000 students went to the north and south of the Yangtze river to carry out practical activities, the ‘self-inflicted suffering’ youth action inspired strong sense of national loving and passion for serving the country;9,719 students successfully completed their studies and embarked on a new journey with dreams and confidence. In the year of 2019, our teacher achieved fruitful results. Three teachers led the way and won two second prizes of the state technological progress award and one second prize of the state technological invention award; four teachers were elected as academicians or members of international academic organizations such as the international academy of astronautics; twelve teachers were selected into the national talent program; one teacher was awarded ‘the national excellent teacher’; one was awarded the ‘young science award’ by the ministry of education, and 18 teachers were included in the list of ‘highly cited scientists in the world’.

 

In the year of 2019, our university harvested a lot. We welcomed 12,603 new students and 265 new colleagues, relaying to write a new endeavor story; The effectiveness of talent training has been reported more than 110 times by CCTV, People's Daily, Guangming daily and other national media, and ten reports were published on the platform of ‘learning to make China strong’; breakthroughs were made in the national clinical research center, major national defense projects and international cooperation projects of China scholarship council; immunology, mathematics and computer science were listed in the top 1% of ESI for the first time. At present, 12 subjects are listed in the top 1% of ESI, and 2 subjects are listed in the top 1‰ of ESI.The comprehensive strength of the university keeps rising. We deeply know the importance of the reputation of teachers and students, which weighted much heavier than any award. In the year of 2019,Enling art center was officially completed, ‘360 classroom’ was put into use, ‘5G+VR’ entered the classroom, cross-campus logistics and mobile payment of the whole school were successfully realized, and 60,000 winter solstice meal coupons arrived as promised... Teachers and students were happy, the school was full of confidence.

 

 

In the year of 2019, every Soochower forwarded ahead with concentric pace and day after day of work, practicingthe pace ofbold and pioneering. On the way forward, we are happy for the growth and progress of every teacher and student, and we would like to express heartfelt thanks to all the teachers, students and staff, retired comrades and alumni at home and abroad who have worked hard for the development of the university.

 

Dear teachers, students and friends, this year's New Year bell marks a new era for Soochow University. The 120 years of exploration, 120 years of struggle and 120 years of accumulation have given us a firm and confident heart and a sense of responsibility. The 120 points of hard work, 120 points of confidence, and 120 points of satisfaction are our best wishes to our Alma mater and our solemn commitment to continue our struggle.Each generation has its own mission.At a new starting point to promote the Soochow University, action is the best answer, forward is the only direction! In the new journey of building a high-level research university with ‘people's satisfaction, international recognition and world respect’, let us muster up 120 spirit, hand in hand forward, forward, forward again!

 

The bell of the New Year is about to ring, as for Soochow University who is about to enjoy its 120 anniversary; as for all the teachers, students and staff of Soochow Universitywho have dedicated to their commitments; as for all the friends from all walks of lifewho care about and support the development of Soochow University, we would like extend our 120 percentages of blessings: May our teachers have pupils everywhere and scale new heights! May our students build on their achievements and make further progress! May our alumni accomplish their goals and render meritorious service to the country! May Soochow University continue to flourish and pass on from one generation to another with perpetuity and create splendid achievement continuously! May our motherlandinvigorating, thriving, prosperous and peaceful!

 

 

Yong Jiang

Secretary of the CPC Soochow Committee

Sidong Xiong

President of Soochow University 

December 31, 2020