Onward and upward
Graduating students and CPC members at Fudan University urged to embrace their social responsibilities in the next stage of their lives, Cao Chen reports.
Ateam of members of the Communist Party of China who have served as volunteers at an exhibition on The Communist Manifesto at Fudan University in Shanghai shared their achievements after receiving a letter from President Xi Jinping last year, at a conference held on Sunday.
In replying to a letter from the team that was unveiled in June last year, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, encouraged CPC members to build firm ideals and convictions and strive to fulfill the Party’s original aspiration and mission.
Xi called on all CPC members, especially the younger generation, to conscientiously study Marxist theory and the history of the Party, New China, the reform and opening-up and the development of socialism.
According to Xu Yayun, one of the team leaders and a doctoral student from the Chinese language and literature school at Fudan, the number of team members surged from 30 to 64 over the past year.
Interpreting skills at the exhibition are improved as well, as all team members are required to read various historical documents before volunteering. In addition, the team is able to serve a global audience now, as multilingual manuscripts covering English, French and Japanese have been created.
Official data showed the team has served 24,000 people at the exhibition at Fudan and received honors including the national pioneering team award for its efforts in spreading Party theory.
More celebration activities were held at Fudan, which is home to 20,858 Party members. In the past year, schools at Fudan took turns to showcase a total of 300 activities held by their Party groups every week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the CPC.
In addition, a total of 806 Party members from Fudan received the “50 years of glory in the Party” commemorative medals awarded by the CPC Central Committee for the first time this year to members of the CPC who have reached 50 years of Party service as of Thursday.
The university also gave customized greetings cards and notebooks to 1,163 Party members who have reached 10 years of Party service as of Thursday as motivation for each Party member to keep in mind their responsibilities to the people and dedication to their career.
This year’s commencement season coincides with the celebration of the centenary of the CPC. Finishing their undergraduate and postgraduate study, over 8,000 students graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai this summer, carrying hopes for the future with them.
At the commencement ceremony held on Friday, the university’s principal Xu Ningsheng encouraged graduates to embrace their social responsibilities as they moved on to the next phase of their life.
Xu motivated graduates to “understand the world filled with changes, grasp China’s role on the global stage, and link individual development with the country’s goals and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind”.
Zhang Jun, dean at the school of economics at Fudan, expressed his expectations of the graduates in his address at the ceremony.
Zhang, also a Fudan alumnus, recalled the time, decades ago, when completing further study at university was the only way to secure a good job and strive for success in China.
“For most people of my age, university admission changed our destiny in a way like no other, which means there was no need to be worried about the future or finding a way to make a living and get out of poverty,” says Zhang.
“It’s completely different today, when younger generations are free to choose whatever path they like for their life. It’s the result of the rapid economic growth, prosperity and technological advancement in the country,” he adds.
“As our university song goes, we should have our homeland in mind, be concerned about the world ... and innovate to make the future. I hope confidence is instilled in you and you will become stronger after graduation,” Zhang told the graduates.
As a student representative, Arshad Hussain from Pakistan majoring in clinical medicine shared his insights on the five years he spent at the university.
He regarded his time at Fudan as the best and the most memorable of his life so far.
“Local residents invited me to dance in open squares in Yangpu district near the university, an impressive experience demonstrating the enthusiasm of Chinese people. I also got familiar with Chinese customs, such as receiving red envelopes with lucky money at New Year’s Eve and when my best Chinese friend took me to a traditional wedding,” says Hussain.
“I didn’t feel unfamiliar in a foreign country, because of the people around me.”
He adds that during his stay in China, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he witnessed the country, with its population of over 1.4 billion, successfully containing the spread of the virus.
“I hope to devote myself to the medical industry when I return to my hometown and contribute to cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan,” says Hussain, who will further his study in the dermatology department at Shanghai’s Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University for a master’s degree.
The bustling commencement season at Fudan was also marked with best wishes to students from the university. Twenty-four moving messages to graduates are projected onto the streets on campus, attracting students to take pictures and share online on social networking platforms.