From September 9 to 10, on the occasion of the 42nd Teachers' Day, Tan Tieniu, Chair of Nanjing University CPC Council and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tan Zhemin, President of NJU and also Academician of the CAS, along with other university leaders, visited academicians, senior professors, and young academic talents at the university. They extended heartfelt blessings and extended festival greetings to all the faculty members of the university, encouraging everyone to continue spreading truth, inheriting civilization, passing the torch, and maintaining the pursuit of knowledge to vigorously compose a new chapter in the construction of an educationally strong nation.
On the morning of September 10, at the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Tan Tieniu visited and extended greetings to Yang Jingsui, Academican of the CAS. Standing by a cabinet displaying mineral samples, Academician Yang enthusiastically introduced the mineral specimens collected by his team over the years and shared the latest scientific research progress, expressing his deep passion and sincerity for geology. He stated that geological research must serve the country's developmental needs, requiring dedication to theoretical research and a pragmatic approach to implementation. Seeing Yang Jingsui, over seventy years old, still committed to frontline research and deeply involved in geological exploration work, Tan Tieniu expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the university for Yang's outstanding contributions to the nation's geological endeavors and NJU's disciplinary development. He affectionately praised Yang's resilience, likening him to "solid and robust minerals." Tan emphasized that Yang was a treasured asset of the university and a role model for all faculty and students. The university will continue to support the development of academician teams and ensure comprehensive support services.
At the School of Social Sciences, Tan Tieniu visited Professor Cheng Boqing. Professor Cheng presented Tan with a translation of his own work and shared his thoughts on the development of sociology in the era of artificial intelligence. He noted that AI technologies had raised many new questions for sociological research, and sociology should embrace technological changes to inject new momentum into humanities and social sciences. Tan attentively listened and expressed deep agreement. He highlighted that NJU, with its long-lasting cultural heritage, must carry forward its humanities tradition, promote interdisciplinary integration among arts, sciences, engineering, and medicine, and create a highland of humanities and social sciences with distinct characteristics of Nanjing University. He hoped Professor Cheng would continue to contribute to advancing humanities and social sciences, better serving national strategic needs, and addressing present-day questions.
At the School of Chemistry, Tan Tieniu visited Professor Huang Shuo, congratulating him on winning the eighth "Xploration Prize" and learning in detail about the latest advancements in biomimetic nanopore research. Huang shared his experiences and feelings of working at NJU and reported on his recent Party membership. He expressed that, as a scholar who returned after studying abroad, he aims to make his contributions within the land of the motherland, delving deeply into cutting-edge research at NJU. Tan fully affirmed the bold and enterprising spirit of Professor Huang and the group of returned scholars he represents. He assured that the university would continue to strongly support the growth and development of young talent, backing young faculty to focus on research and achieve innovations. He encouraged Huang to persist in basic research, tackle frontier challenges, and produce more pioneering original research results. Upon learning that Huang was the fourth generation in his family associated with NJU, Tan was deeply touched and praised this dedication: "I hope the next generation will also be a part of Nanjing University!"
At the School of Marxism, Tan visited Professor Xiong Qiuliang, paying tribute to her 30 years of dedicated teaching and offering her festival blessings. Combining her teaching experiences, Xiong shared her reflections on education and introduced new reform initiatives aimed at improving ideological and political education outcomes. Listening attentively, Tan expressed full recognition and stressed that ideological and political education courses are critical to instilling foundational values in education. Teachers of such courses should uphold their mission, remain innovative and steadfast, and actively explore new ways to utilize AI technology to empower these courses in today's rapidly advancing AI era. This, he affirmed, would help cultivate a new generation of young talents who possess national feelings and are capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation.
On the morning of September 10, Tan Zhemin visited CAS Academician Zheng Youliao, also a professor at the School of Electronic Science and Engineering, at his residence. Tan presented flowers and festival greetings, expressing deep gratitude for Zheng's important contributions to Nanjing University's scientific research and valuable experiences in talent cultivation. Despite being 91 years old, Academician Zheng remains vibrant and active in academic discussions within scholarly exchange groups, frequently sharing insights and discussing professional matters with young researchers and students. He remarked that the nurturing environment at NJU, which values both teaching and learning, is its most remarkable feature. "Fostering talent is creating the future," he said. Tan Zhemin greatly appreciated Zheng's exemplary dedication to education and his success in building a strong, dedicated research team, mentoring a host of leading and emerging talent.
At the School of Geography and Ocean Science, Tan also visited another vibrant "post-90s" professor—91-year-old Academician Wang Ying—and conveyed warm festival greetings. The two shared a lively and joyful discussion on the unique characteristics of NJU, its academic development, and its historical achievements. Tan introduced the university's recent efforts to expand its educational reach and outlined plans for developing interdisciplinary programs in the "One University, Two Cities, Four Campuses" structure. He expressed his hopes that academicians would continue to play their leading roles in guiding disciplines. Wang, expressing appreciation of the university’s care and support, highlighted how the harmonious, cooperative atmosphere, low-profile scholarship, and innovative spirit at NJUserved as solid foundations for the institution's progress and continual growth.
At the School of Liberal Arts, Tan presented flowers and blessings to Professor Zhang Bowei. "A good university must have a strong cultural heritage," he remarked when informed about Professor Zhang's nearly five decades of commitment to the School. Not only has Zhang consistently advocated for and upheld the academic style of NJU, but this semester, he also introduced a course titled "Selected Readings in Literary Studies from the School of Liberal Arts", aiming to promote the legacy and broader global reach of NJU's culture. Tan highly commended Professor Zhang's deep affection for the university and the far-reaching significance of his research efforts. Zhang humorously explained the original intention behind the course and its structure, expressing his hope to expand its global influence as his "final masterpiece"at NJU.
At the School of Physics, Tan visited Professor Jin Shan, who gained international attention for his groundbreaking proof of the existence of “glueballs.” Tan congratulated Jin on this significant scientific achievement and inquired about his current work schedule and research progress. He encouraged Jin’s research team to seize opportunities of the times, maximize their talent advantages, and continue the excellent traditions of NJU's "flagship discipline" in physics, while striving to establish a new academic frontier. Jin expressed gratitude for the strong support provided by the university, emphasizing that the achievements to date were a result of NJU's rich research environment and outstanding educational initiatives. With the university's growing research capabilities and dedicated talent pool, he firmly believed in producing more internationally leading scientific results from NJU.
On September 9, Zheng Hairong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC NJU Committee Executiv Vice President of NJU, and Academician of the CAS, visited and extended cordial greetings to Academicians Chen Yong, Fu Congbin, and Wang Dezhi. He thanked them for their long-standing contributions to NJU's academic development and service to national strategies, while encouraging them to continue embodying the spirit of educators and making contributions to the nation's educational strength. The trio shared their delight at the university’'s remarkable progress in recent years and expressed their confidence in its future, offering many valuable suggestions for its upcoming development.
Representatives from the university office, human resources department, and relevant schools attended these visits.
