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The unveiling ceremony of the statue of Lin Liru was held on November 3 in celebration of the 90th anniversary of SCNU to commemorate his great contributions to the university.
Funded by entrepreneur Yang Qinghua, the statue was designed and made by the team of Zhang Haipeng, associate professor of the School of Fine Arts. It took half a year to complete.
Wang Binwei, secretary of the CPC committee of SCNU, pointed out in the ceremony that Lin Liru was not only the founder of SCNU, but also a renowned educator in China. He left an indelible legacy in the university’s history and devoted himself to the cause of education in China. His wise words and virtuous behavior throughout his life make him a role model for all SCNUers.
President Wang Enke stated that the statue is a response to the expectation and respect of the whole university and its alumni. He encouraged the whole university to set up great ambition and make every effort to strengthen the education of our country under Lin’s spirit.
SCNU president Wang presents a speech at the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Lin Liru.
Lin Ling, granddaughter of Lin Liru, expressed gratitude to the university. She mentioned that many descendants of Lin have pursued careers in the field of education and they would follow his example to make contributions in cultivating talents with comprehensive qualities.
Yang Qinghua, the donor of the statue, comes from the same city as Lin. “I feel very honored and proud to contribute to the creation of the statue as well as carry forward an entrepreneur’s passion for education.” Yang said in the ceremony.
Guests take pictures in front of the statue.
On the day following the ceremony, the foundation stone laying ceremony of a building named after Lin Liru was held. Together with another project aimed at providing accommodation for teaching talents, the new building will support the high-quality development of the university.
Born on July 18, 1889, Lin studied hard. When he was very young, he decided to serve his country with knowledge. Later on, he turned to civilian education to awaken the masses’ consciousness. On August 1, 1933, the precursor of SCNU was founded through the efforts of Lin. Though founded during the war, the school managed to maintain itself with Lin’s efforts and support.
Lin was also the director when Qian Xuesen, one of the founders of the Chinese aerospace industry, was in middle school. Once Qian commented, “Running a school in such a difficult time was not an easy job, but Lin managed to develop a first-class school. How remarkable he is!” Qian has listed 17 names of people who had a profound impact on him, and Lin was one of them.
Source from SCNU News Center
Written by Liang Jie, He Anqi, Zeng Wenting
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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