President Yu Shiyou Gives a lecture , Encouraging Freshmen to Shoulder the Mission of the Times

来源：President Yu Shiyou Gives a lecture , Encouraging Freshmen to Shoulder the Mission of the Times      发布时间：2018-09-11      

The morning of September 11 witnessed the solemn opening ceremony of Nanfang College of Sun Yat-sen University. President Yu Shiyou made a speech on the first day of school to the freshmen of Grade 2018.

President Yu Shiyou first extended a warm welcome to the students. Looking at the "Millennium Generation" freshmen, he recalled that 40 years ago he entered the University "with food coupons and baggage on his back". “Students of that time had a quilt on their back, and a few clothes and daily-use articles and walked five to six hundred kilometers in 30 days,” said the president. “On the first day of school, the teachers dedicated most of the first lesson to addressing why our country was so far behind others.”

Four decades of reform has brought about great changes: it is much more convenient to live and work nowadays than as long gone is the age where clothing, catering, housing and travelling were all planned. Considerable progress has been made in national economy and social development, drastic changes have taken place in people’s life, and tremendous improvement has been made in material conditions. Meanwhile, we cannot turn a blind eye to the inadequacies despite the socioeconomic development. China is far better known for “Made in China” than “Created in China”; China is marginalized in the international competition of some core technical areas, and in many international organizations, the discourse power is mainly controlled by advanced countries. “We have spared no efforts in striving forward, reforming and opening up. Nevertheless, we have encountered constraints. We are now standing upright but we are far from standing firm.” In his speech on the first day of school, President Yu once again raised the question to college students, pointing out that contemporary college students are shouldered with heavier and harder responsibilities due to the changes in international and domestic situations in the past four decades.

“Forty years ago, the major problem confronting us was how to meet people’s basic needs; Forty years later, the major problem challenging us is how to promote technical innovation.” In the fortieth anniversary of reform and opening up, it is worthwhile for every Chinese to think about how to mend the inadequacies and boost constant socioeconomic progress. President Yu indicated that technical innovation is one of the driving forces of human progress and the youth are the backbone of our nation’s sustainable development. He urged college students of the new era to undertake greater responsibilities as China’s external and internal situations are calling for young talents with abilities and mentalities of innovation.

“China is in need of creativity, which is the responsibility of our youth.” China has a long way to go before turning into a country of innovative development. It requires efforts of generations of college students. It is imperative for the young generation to undertake the mission, grow into talents meeting the needs of the new era, and make due contributions to the country’s development. President Yu encouraged the freshmen to shoulder the mission and responsibility, become talents with diligent thinking, innovating mindset and spirit of adventure, and learn by constantly engaging in discoveries and practices. “I hope that all of the students from Nanfang College of Sun Yat-sen University, whatever industry or field you take up in the coming ten or twenty years, can boost social progress and shoulder China's mission of moving forward

“President’s Speech on First day of School”, dating back to 2015, has always been expected and welcomed by freshmen. This year, the speech was for the first time made at the opening ceremony in order that all freshmen could listen to it. As freshmen’s first lesson in college, the speech is conducive to inducing them to make a new start if their life, uphold correct cognition, clarify their mission, and pave the way for a fulfilled college life and prospect.

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