18
Jan
Time waits for no men. 2020 has gone by silently as the whole faculty strive forward in unison. 2021 is walking towards us with hope. We would like to, on behalf of the university, extend our heartfelt thanks and good wishes to the whole faculty, retirees, alumni at home and abroad, and friends from all sectors of the society who have shown care and support to the university’s development.
In 2020, we forged ahead with faith. It was a decisive year for delivering the moderately prosperous society and winning the battle against poverty. It also marked the 70th anniversary of the reconstruction of the university. Over the seven decades, the university has been wholeheartedly devoted to the Party, its founding mission of “fostering talents for the Party and country”, and its principle of “education for the people and country”. Last year, 7,758 graduates set sail here and headed for places where they are needed the most; 8,897 freshers were aboard and embarked on their journey of telling stories of RUC people ahead of the times.
The year 2020 witnessed youth tempered by the battle against COVID-19. We have withstood the touch test. It was a sudden attack but we stood united around the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We mobilized the entire faculty and summoned confidence to confront the virus head-on with the rest of the country. With our joint efforts, we got together on the cloud and our Party flag waved high. We didn’t leave one single student behind or one single corner out of control.
The year 2020 witnessed vigorous progress in our grand blueprint. New advances have been made in our “Double-First Class” project. Twenty-two disciplines including philosophy were granted as authorized national first-class undergraduate disciplines of 2019. Our undergraduate community embraced “Artificial Intelligence” as a new discipline. Chemistry was approved to be the authorized first-level discipline doctoral degree program. Mingde Academy and Mingli Academy were officially established. We continued to deepen our study of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and pooled together our academic forces to found the research institute on Xi Jinping’s ideas of rule of law. The fifth round of discipline evaluations was launched on all fronts and intense and substantive steps were taken in our graduate cultivation and educational reform. Under leadership of the dean, we convened the first work report and evaluation meeting on developing disciplines to advance our discipline development. Last year, we also harvested rich fruits from our cultural exchanges with foreign countries. We initiated and founded the Academic Association for International Cultural Exchanges, and made smooth progress with the first ICBRGD and the first “Global Youth Turing Program”. New majors were introduced to our Sino-French Institute and the first Sino-French Maths Experimental Class began to recruit students. Major strides were made in the campus construction. Zhongguancun Campus southeast program has been completed and delivered for use. Our old campus has been open to the whole society upon appointment. Roofing of our new campus at Tongzhou has been completed and another new construction project covering 220,000 square meters was launched.
The year 2020 witnessed rich harvests by the teachers. Good news in teaching and research kept pouring in. Our CSSCI core journal contributions topped at home for the 15th consecutive year. Another two key programs of philosophy and social sciences of Ministry of Education were granted. Seventeen major programs of the National Social Science Research Fund were approved, ranking the first in China. We also ranked the first with 41 National Social Science Research Fund programs and key programs. Several students and teachers were awarded the 2020 Bao Gang Education Prize. Major breakthroughs were scored in science and engineering disciplines when we attained funding for key international cooperation programs in natural science by China and the United States. Our school team led by Lu Zhongyi was awarded the 2nd prize of the State Natural Science Award. Seventy-eight programs were funded by the National Natural Science Research Fund, a new record high. We topped the chart of Beijing municipal planning programs with 30 programs of Beijing Social Science Foundation.
Towards the end of the year, we cannot forget the models of selflessness and devotion. They include 9 people awarded the commemorative model of the “70th anniversary of Chinese People’s Volunteers Aiding North Korea”, our jurists who have worked for decades on the Civil Law Code, our physiologists who have brought home our first National Natural Science Research Fund and Professor Wang Yi of School of Marxism Studies, the “Most Beautiful Teacher of 2020”. They are the embodiment of the righteous ardor of RUCers in “Education for the People and Country”.
On our path towards poverty reduction, we have written pages and pages of stories of us forging ahead together. For a long time, under the principle of “poverty relief through education, intellect and industry”, we have composed moving and poetic lines of poverty relief by instilling faith and reducing illiteracy on the red land of azaleas at Lanping, Yunnan. By completing our tasks, we have contributed to dispelling the darkness of poverty there and helping the local people achieve remarkable progress.
In the large scheme of life and the ever-changing world, just as there could be a big snowfall as we climb Mount Taihang, there can be hardships and setbacks on our way forward. But with confidence to prevail, we will certainly forge ahead like a gigantic ship breaking through strong winds and heavy waves. 2021 marks the start of our “14th Five-Year Plan” and the centennial anniversary of the founding of CPC. As a university named after the people, we shall keep abreast of the times, build upon what we have achieved, synergize our drive to tide over the risks and challenges presented by the new era, and continue to write a new chapter of inheritance, innovation and enterprise.
When the pandemic is ousted in spring, we shall be greeted by the picturesque mountains and rivers. With firm faith and perseverance and in the spirit of racing against time, let’s forge ahead with determination and strive to be ahead of the times!
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