Over 20,000 students join UCAS opening ceremony

Over 20,000 newcomers of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences gathered at the Yanqi Lake campus in Beijing's Huairou district for the school opening ceremony on Sunday.

The campus is a former rocket test base, one of the birthplaces of China's "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project.

UCAS, which nurtures future scientists, has accommodated nearly 500 international students from 58 countries across Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Oceania this year, according to Wang Yanfen, the executive deputy secretary of the Party Committee and vice-president of the UCAS.

Zhou Qi, president of the university, mentioned at the opening ceremony that this campus originated from the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project. It preserves many buildings and trees that bear witness to the history of the People's Republic of China, serving as precious historical landmarks of the campus and embodying the spirit of a great era.

Zhou encouraged the new students to follow the path of the older generation of scientists with unwavering patriotism and dedication to science, to cherish their dreams, to stay true to their original aspirations and to diligently write their own scientific life stories.

Representing the new generation of international students from Denmark, Sara Laursen believes that the greatest achievements come from collective efforts. She hopes to work together with her fellow students at the UCAS to help each other and unlock their potential.

Sun Ninghui, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and dean of the School of Computer Science at the university, said the importance of mastering mathematics, physics and chemistry remains timeless.

"We are now in the era of information and artificial intelligence. AI and large models are emerging rapidly and are poised to change the lives and work of every individual, much like the internet did. Students must keep pace with the times, excel in information technology, possess computational thinking and make good use of AI tools," he said.

Drawing from his own experiences, he hopes that the students will fully leverage the integrated advantages of science and education at the UCAS, engage with cutting-edge science, interact face-to-face with top scientists, participate in research projects, inherit the relay baton of history, and shoulder the important responsibility of seizing the high ground in science and technology.