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Dear faculty and staff, students, alumni, and friends:
The pink flowers of the floss silk tree (Ceiba speciosa) still bloom on the branches in winter. Another year has flown by.
In 2024, the People’s Republic of China has traveled a glorious journey of 75 years, the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has sounded the bugle call for further deepening reform comprehensively, and the National Conference on Education has comprehensively laid out a new blueprint for building China into a leading country in education by 2035.
In 2024, the principal leaders of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Provincial People’s Government visited SCNU in person and gave instructions on three occasions. Their sincere expectations to "strive to build the university into a prestigious and strong institution for teacher education" have inspired and spurred on every member of South China Normal University.
In 2024, the historical manuscript of SCNU turned over the chapters of its ninety years and started a new volume. Every word and sentence is sonorous and profound. This is the 91st chapter jointly written by all the SCNUers with their hearts.
In this chapter, we have set the direction, leaving the strokes of aspiration.
We have taken strengthening the Party’s overall leadership as the primary task of political construction. We have established the Party Committee Teacher Work Committee, the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, and the Leading Group for the Work of Opening up Education to the Outside World, thus enhancing the coordinating and leading role of the Party Committee more prominently.
We have benchmarked against the requirement for building China into a leading country in education and building Guangdong into a leading province in education, systematically planned to further deepen reform comprehensively and accelerate the progress of “strive for first-class performance”, drawn up a roadmap for reform and development in the next five years, making our direction clearer and our steps more steady.
In this chapter, we have focused on educating people, leaving the strokes of cultivating talents.
We have deepened the collaborative education of “Party building + ideological and political education”. Brands such as “Pragmatism·Party Building”, “SCNU Role Model ” and “SCNU Music Anthology” have become increasingly influential through inheritance and innovation. Secretaries of Party committees and president have turned the first ideological and political course into a “walking grand class” that nourishes students like spring breeze and gentle rain, moistening things silently.
We have deeply cultivated the fertile soil for students' growth. "The National Excellent Primary and Secondary School Teachers Training Program" has completed its first batch of enrollments.The Research Institute for Physics Teaching Materials of Primary and Secondary School has been designated as a key national research base for textbook construction. The number of Marxist theory textbooks for the new era included in the first batch by the Ministry of Education has ranked first in the whole province.
Our students have dominated the arenas of youth competitions with their solid strength. They have achieved the best results ever in the national finals of China International College Students' Innovation Competition. And in the “Open Bidding for Selecting the Best Candidates” special competition, they have won the only championship in Guangdong in the national finals.
In this chapter, we have striven for excellence, leaving the strokes of strenuous efforts.
We have assessed the development of disciplines. Another discipline has entered newly the top 1% globally in the ESI rankings. Our Nature Index ranking is 198th in the world. We are ranked 25th and 41st among domestic universities in the soft subject strength ratings for arts and sciences.
We have valued talents. We have held talent work conferences, as well as formulating and revising a series of talent policies, with the total number of awards our faculty won in the National Teaching Innovation Contest for College Teachers ranking first in China and the number of high-level and young talents growing consistently.
SCNU’s teachers have dedicated to academic research. For the first time, we have been approved for the integrated projects of major research programs and major project topics of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Top-notch papers were published in both Nature and Science in the same year. We have achieved from-zero-to-one breakthroughs in the projects of academic teams for the research on rare and endangered disciplines of the National Social Science Fund of China and the key projects for Chinese Academic Literature Translation.
We have made efforts in the two tasks of “bring in” and “go global”. We have adopted new ideas for the cooperation in running schools with Hong Kong and Macao as well as the construction of the Foshan campus as an international demonstration campus. The number of partnerships between SCNU and the world's top 200 universities has continued to grow.
In this chapter, we have served the country, leaving the strokes of faithfulness.
We have offered to serve Greater Bay Area Development, becoming the only teacher training and exchange base for Hong Kong and Macao in the mainland, thus helping the integrated development of teacher education in Greater Bay Area to take a solid step.
We have mobilized the strength of the whole university to implement the "Double Hundred Actions". We have played the role of the leading unit of the university alliance for rural public services, made good use of the "three cards" in rural education, governance and industry, and helped the "top project" for the high-quality development of Guangdong to be implemented in a detailed and down-to-earth manner.
We have responded “the need of the society” with “the capability of SCNU”, and implemented the Synergized Quality Improvement Program in Teacher Education, SCNU's Action of "1+N". We have helped to improve the quality and efficiency of the basic education based on integrated and coordinated development of kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and universities.
In this chapter, we have focused on reform, leaving the strokes of innovation.
We have blazed a trail and broken through barriers through reform and innovation. We have deepened the reform of the "super-ministry system", enabling the management and service institutions to "slim down and become more robust". We have optimized and adjusted academic disciplines, majors as well as secondary teaching and research units, and strengthened the construction with connotative, intensive and efficient features.
We have made efforts along the "whole chain" to forge a high-quality contingent of cadres. Through selection and appointment, job rotation and exchange, and categorized training, we have driven the "intermediate forces" to truly become the "backbone forces".
We have gradually promoted the reform of “comprehensive property management”, public housing reform, revenue - increasing and expenditure - reducing reform, finance management reform. All the tasks have been carried out steadily.
In this chapter, we have shown great concern for teachers and students, leaving the strokes of warmth.
We have always been concerned about the well-being of teachers and students at heart by upgrading and renovating sports venues, replacing and renewing dormitory furniture, constructing student community comprehensive service center, popularizing and training campus first-aid skills, etc. We have been doing practical things for teachers and students for 14 years without interruption.
We have promoted the improvement of management and service efficiency through informatization. In addition, we have continued to optimise administrative procedures. The portal of the Teachers and Students Service Center has been built and launched, and the "Digital and Intelligent Campus" system has been upgraded anew.
We accelerated the construction of campus infrastructure. The construction of Liru Building started smoothly; Teachers' Dormitory No.1 was completed on schedule; Engineering Building was completed and handed over. The study and living environment of teachers and students will be better and better in the future.
This chapter has also recorded lots of unforgettable SCNU’s stories. Teacher Lu Xiaozhong, who has dedicated to education for 40 years, has met the demand of the country with action; our students Liang Weikeng and Wang Xueer have overcome numerous difficulties all the way and shone brightly in the Paris Olympic Games; our alumni Liu Kaixiang has been dedicated to rural education for more than 30 years, for which he was honored as “National Excellent Teacher.” Countless SCNUers are writing extraordinary stories in the ordinary.
As we close the book on 2024 and reflect deeply, we have found that every stroke in 2024 was infused with the courage to pioneer and innovate, and the perseverance to overcome difficulties. Every achievement was inseparable from the care and love of leaders of all levels, from the help and support of numerous alumni and all sectors of society, from the wisdom and hard work of all teachers, students and staff. Here, on behalf of the school, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you!
Time engraves immortality, and struggle forges brilliance. The first morning breeze in 2025 will turn to the first preface page of Chapter 92 of SCNU’s historical manuscript. In the new year, let’s act with a sense of responsibility and unity, write hand in hand, and accelerate the development of the world-class normal university with comprehensive strength among the top in the country under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the spirit of the National Conference on Education, and jointly write a new chapter with rich and vibrant content!
Sincerely wish the great motherland prosperity! Wish all SCNUers and friends from all walks of life a happy New Year, happiness and health!
South China Normal University
Secretary of the CPC SCNU Committee Wang Binwei, SCNU President Yang Zhongmin
December 31, 2024
Source from SCNU News Center
Translated by Zhong Yiting, Wu Jiadan, Zhu Ying
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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