By Guan Yifan, Secretary of the HQU CPC Committee, and

Xu Xipeng, HQU President

Dec. 31^st, 2019

As we are ushering in 2020, on behalf of Huaqiao University (HQU), we would like to extend our New Year greetings to all HQU faculty, staff and students, retired comrades, Board of Directors and alumni at home and abroad, and leaders at all levels and friends from all sectors who have shown care and support for HQU.   

The past year has witnessed the whole university, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the principles of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC),  follow the guidelines of National Education Conference, adhere to the path of socialism and patriotism, perform the duty of educating students both morally and intellectually, and implement the Special Action Plan on In-depth Study and Application of the Important Speech Delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at Jinan University. Now under the joint construction of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Education (MOE) and Fujian Provincial People’s Government, HQU manages to seize the opportunity and works in collaboration in all aspects for the aspiration of an elite university that features serving overseas Chinese. 

Over the past year, Party building in HQU has entered a new stage. In the new era, the university unswervingly follows the Party’s leadership. An education campaign themed "staying true to our founding mission" has been launched.  Through self-reform, the university sticks firmly to its original aspiration and mission of "educating students and nurturing talent for the Party and the nation". Talent nurturing has achieved new results. Our students have excelled in a variety of fields such as discipline competitions, innovation and entrepreneurship, culture and sports, taking the 75^th position in the National University Discipline Competition Rankings. The practice and education program for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese students has been recognized among the first selected programs of National College Ideological and Political Education. Scientific research has made new progresses. Engineering, Materials Science and Chemistry of HQU remain the global top 1% in the Essential Science Indicators (ESI). The paper by Prof. Wei Zhanhua of Materials Science College and his team has been selected as China’s most influential 100 papers of 2018. Two papers have been published in the Nature sub-journals. Social service has realized new breakthroughs. The Maritime Silk Road Institute has been listed in the “Belt & Road” (B&R) research think tanks by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies (CASSES) and the most influential college B&R think tanks by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Cultural inheritance has taken on new looks. Summer Camp for Overseas Chinese Teens and the like have attracted more than 6,000 participants for a tour of traditional Chinese culture in HQU. 166 Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas Chinese students have headed for 8 countries, spreading Chinese culture in over 40 schools. International communication has reached a new level. The university has strengthened its cooperation with dozens of universities across the world, and has been named Excellent Work Unit of Sino-American Cooperation on Higher Education and Professional Development (CHEPD) 121 Program. HQU is now one of the domestic universities that lead in international vision. In 2019, our students have been immersing themselves in the reservoir of knowledge, our teachers have been devoting themselves to teaching and research, and our administrative staff have been working dutifully on the beautiful campus. Everyone embraces the new era vigorously. On their trivial posts, they have achieved something nontrivial.  

We give our thumbs up to all that we have achieved, and even more to all those who have made it. It is their efforts, determination and commitment that have contributed to the further development of our university. They have earned our utmost respect.

2020 will be the year to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and it is also the final year for the 13^th Five-Year Plan. At the confluence of the two centenary goals, the magnificent future of the new era is unfolding itself, waiting for us to depict a more thriving HQU. In the new year, we will remain steadfast in our mission, advancing the implementation of the Special Action Plan and giving full play to our advantage as a university serving overseas Chinese on the new platform jointly constructed by the UFWD of CPC Central Committee, MOE and Fujian Government. We will recollect our original aspiration, reflecting on what we have achieved in the past, what we are achieving at present, and what we will achieve in the future as we welcome the 60^th founding anniversary of HQU. We will relay our efforts, pushing all work of the university onto a new stage, so that every little delight we cherish will come into full bloom on the large stage as we march toward a high-level university.

To take advantage of the favorable wind, we should dare to plough the waves. Dear colleagues and students, let us wish our motherland, our university, and every one of you a prosperous 2020!