On October 4th, the 2022 Orientation Ceremony of Jiangsu Open University (Jiangsu City Vocational College) was held at its Yingtian Campus. More than 30,000 open students from 73 cities and counties in Jiangsu and over 2,400 vocational college freshmen from all parts of China gathered online and offline and start a dream-seeking journey. Party Secretary Wang Jianming, President Cui Xinyou and other school leaders attended the ceremony, along with leaders of open universities in cities and counties, leaders of departments and colleges, teacher representatives, freshmen class advisors, academic tutors and counselors. The ceremony was presided over by Jin Lixia, Deputy Secretary of JSOU’s Party Committee.
Cui Xinyou delivered a speech on “First Lesson in College: Confidence is More Important Than Gold—Achieving Certain Growth in Uncertainty. He pointed out that in this era of rapid change, universities are no longer ivory towers, but where students will face more changes, challenges, crises, and difficulties. How to achieve certain growth in uncertainty is a lifelong task. He stressed that we should focus on the worst, always stay prepared for difficulties in peacetime; we should strive for the best, welcome changes and find a way out; we should be ready to innovate ourselves and polish our strength. In the end, he wished all the students in the face of complicated and ever-changing situations could stick to their own heart, do their own thing, and achieve certain growth in uncertainty.
Professor Ji He, representative of the faculty and Dean of the School of Public Administration, shared his understanding of youth and hard work, hoping that everyone will forge ahead with determination and start a new journey at JSOU. Lu Yongming, Party Secretary of Nantong Open University, introduced that this year, the Organization Department of Nantong Municipal Party Committee officially established Jianghai New Talent College based in Nantong Open University, providing academic and vocational education for new businesses and new employees. He said that he would continue to join hands with Jiangsu Open University to provide lifelong education services for people in Jiangsu, help them broaden their growth channels, and continuously empower talents.
Rong Jing spoke as alumni representative. As a member of national fencing team, three-time Olympic champion, flag bearer of Beijing Winter Paralympics, and JSOU’s Class of 2014 Social Work major, she shared her valuable experience of running hard on the field of lifelong learning while training in competition. She gifted a fencing helmet that has accompanied her in training and competition to JSOU, encouraging students to cherish their youth, live up to their youth, work hard and bravely move on.
Then, representatives of freshmen spoke successively. Fu Weiwei, a MBA of Beijing Institute of Technology, chose to major in Chinese International Education at JSOU for her love of Chinese culture and her pursuit of better work. She thanked the University for helping her write her book of life, and encouraged all the students to keep walking and struggling, cultivate extraordinariness in ordinary life, and finish their own book of life. Zhang Guanghao, a freshman majoring in Mechanical Design, Manufacture and Automation is a graduate of JSCVC which he had just left three months ago. Now he returned to his alma mater, and made a summary with eight words: longing, shyness, friendship, experience, goal, maturity, memory and flying high. Yuan Linlin, a Cosmetics Management major called on students to develop the habit of lifelong learning and to be a new-age youth with ideals in mind, responsibilities on shoulders, and strength at feet.
Due to epidemic prevention and control, some of the freshmen still failed to register on time, but their hearts are closely linked with ours. Bian Zhen, a freshman majoring in Big Data and Accounting brought greetings through video from her hometown in Tibet. She stated that she would study hard at Jiangsu Open University, merge into the collective, bring enthusiasm and friendliness of Tibetans to her classmates, and contribute to the construction of Tibet and the national unity of China.
On the ceremony, school emblems were sent to all freshmen, which symbolized the honor of JSOUer and carried on the mission and glory. Students were later led by Han Dongxu, Rotating Chairman of the Student Union, to raise their right arms and solemnly vow to strive for the Party and the country.
At the end of the Ceremony, Jin Lixia encouraged all new students to take university life as a track to accelerate and surpass. She wished students should work hard, reap fruits and take dreams as horses to live up to their youth.
