At 1 pm on September 3rd, the opening ceremony for the 2026 freshmen of the School of Life Sciences at Xiamen University was held in the No.3 Lecture Hall of Yihai Kerry Building on the Xiang'an Campus. The school's party and government leadership, representatives of department heads, class advisors for the 2026 freshmen, representatives of party and government management cadres, counselors, and the 2026 freshmen gathered together. The ceremony was presided over by Zhao Lanlan, the deputy secretary of the school's party committee. The opening ceremony kicked off with the solemn national anthem.
On behalf of the school, Dean Deng Xianming warmly welcomed the arrival of the new students of the 2026 grade and gave them a message: always maintain a curious mind, pursue true knowledge.He hoped that no matter where the students were in their academic journey, they would take every step well, with a passion for life sciences, bravely explore true knowledge, and scale new heights, becoming not only persistent dream-chasing students but also strivers who fulfill the mission of strengthening the country, so that one day they can shoulder the responsibility of serving the country through science and technology and safeguarding the health of the people.
Professor Yin Xiangyun, the teacher representative and head teacher of Class 3, Grade 2026 undergraduates, began with the topic of "What will it be like to join the School of Life Sciences?" She encouraged the students to set lofty ideals, make good academic plans, and cultivate a down-to-earth and persevering will. Especially in the era of AI, they should immerse themselves in deep learning, "not only making good use of tools, but also believing in the power of accumulation over time", and take solid steps to embark on their own path of growth.
Jing Zihao, a 2025 master's student, delivered a speech as a representative of current students. Recalling his early days in the laboratory, he admitted to feeling lost due to the gap between his theoretical foundation and experimental abilities. Through trial and error, he gradually understood that "there is no standard answer or fixed path in scientific research." He advised undergraduate students to lay a solid foundation and find their interests through extensive experimentation, while graduate students should make the transition from "learning knowledge" to "creating knowledge.".
Lin Siyuan, a freshman representing the 2026 undergraduate class, shared her reasons for firmly choosing Xiamen University and life sciences. From her meticulous pursuit of "oral record" in her high school research project to her deep understanding of the school motto "Strive for Excellence", she made a youthful vow, "I will not measure every exploration by fame and fortune, nor define every experiment by success or failure", and answered the youthful question of "what is the role of youth in building a strong country" with practical actions.
At the end of the ceremony, all teachers and students stood up and sang the "Xiamen University College Song" in unison.
After the opening ceremony, Ma Jinlong, the Party Secretary of the college, delivered the first ideological and political lecture for the 2026 freshmen. He began his lecture by recounting the 104-year history of the school, encouraging the freshmen to draw strength from this century-long history. He hoped new students: maintain professional confidence, deeply understand the contemporary value of life sciences in safeguarding people's health and serving national strategic needs, and hone oneself with the ambition to join the "national team" of scientific research.
The new journey has begun, and the future is promising. The new students of the 2026 class will take this ceremony as a starting point, carry forward the spirit of "inheriting and innovating, seeking truth and striving for excellence" in life sciences, achieve academic success, apply their research findings, and make a difference.
