Opening Ceremony 丨 Opening Ceremony for 2017 Undergraduates in Humanity and Social Category Held

On the afternoon of August 24, the opening ceremony for 2017 undergraduates in humanity and social category was held in the grand auditorium. Prof. Hu Xianzhang, former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua, former Dean of the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences, and former Deputy Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, attended the ceremony. Over 320 freshmen and over 30 teacher representatives from the School of Humanities, the School of Social Sciences and the School of Journalism and Communication as well as some family members and friends also attended the ceremony.

Prof. Liu Taoxiong, Chief Professor of humanity and social category and Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Social Sciences, hosted the ceremony and introduced the enrollment situation, historical origin and educational situation of humanity and social category, and welcomed the freshmen on behalf of the corresponding schools and departments. Then, leaders, teacher representatives and student representatives from corresponding schools and departments delivered speeches in turn.

Prof. Qi Xuemin, Deputy Dean of the School of Humanities, started with the grand auditorium in reviewing the revival path of liberal arts in Tsinghua. Qi encouraged students to face academic challenges head on, improve their morals and discipline themselves, and make the most of their friends and mentors. Qi hoped students may feel the shock of national development and destiny at Tsinghua, dare to assume responsibilities and never cease to learn and make progress.

Prof. Li Zhengfeng, Deputy Dean of the School of Social Sciences, introduced the role undertaken by social sciences and pointed out that Tsinghua’s humanity and social science studies would carry forward the tradition of “integration of the ancient and the modern and connection between liberal arts and science”, stick with the development path of “China-based and globe-oriented scientific innovation”, and focus on key issues in China’s transition process. He would love for the freshmen to join this cause and adopt the ideal for a great society.

Prof. Chen Changfeng, Executive Deputy Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, cited the title “Passion is the World, One Tsinghua for One Person” in the special issue welcoming freshmen of Qingxin Times and stressed the education principle of “quality, practice, main stream and talents” of the School of Journalism and Communication. Chen also urged students to nurture humanistic spirit, possess profound scholarship, carefully study their majors, improve individual cultivation and pursue dreams more independently and bravely.

Prof. Chen Yongguo, Deputy Dean of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, explained two different language learning motives and pointed out foreign language requirements posed by China’s opening-up and the dominant position of English. Chen believed that to understand a country’s culture, one should start from its language. He hoped the students may learn languages with the purpose to “seize the soul of culture and dive into the mind” so as to truly master the essence of language learning.

Prof. Ge Fei from the School of Humanities gave a speech as a teacher representative. He cited literature as an example in explaining the importance of inter-disciplinary reference and integration. He hoped the students won’t confine themselves to their own knowledge categories and fully reflect on boundaries among knowledge categories.

Han Yan from the School of Journalism and Communication gave a speech as a representative of the 2015 undergraduates. She described a “standard Tsinghua map for every Tsinghua student to visit” and hoped her schoolmates may live a splendid life while they are young.

Su Borui, a 2017 undergraduate under the custody of the School of Social Sciences, delivered a speech as a freshman representative. He advocated that students should “accumulate strength in a down-to-earth manner so as to fly high”. He also advised students to return the past glory to a zero state and restart the journey with personal ideals and national concerns.

The opening ceremony concluded with a choir of teachers and students singing Tsinghua’s school song. After the ceremony, a brief meeting for family members and friends was held to facilitate communication between some family members and friends of students and teachers.

This year, a total of 320 people are enrolled for humanity and social category, of which 214 are from the Chinese mainland, 97 are international students and 9 are from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Male students account for 27.57% and female 72.43%. Humanity and social category involve the School of Humanities (including the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures), the School of Social Sciences and the School of Journalism and Communication, covering multiple undergraduate majors such as Chinese language and literature, history, philosophy, English, Japanese, journalism, sociology, economics, psychology and international politics (including the international affairs and global governance orientation) and demonstrating the features of general education and category-based cultivation.