Today, Hohai University's campuses boast a fresh new look, with lush Chinese parasol trees and a lively atmosphere. For 110 years, Hohai University has thrived, advancing education, nurturing talent, and striving for excellence. On the morning of October 27, the High-Quality Development Conference for the 110th Anniversary of Hohai University was held at the Xikang Road Campus.
This conference brought together leaders from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Water Resources, relevant departments of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, local government departments, water resources authorities of various provinces and cities, basin authorities, universities and research institutes at home and abroad, leaders and guests from relevant partner enterprises and social organizations, international special guests, leaders of news media, former and current leaders of Hohai University, heads of alumni associations in various regions, global alumni representatives, and representatives of teachers and students. The university's Party Secretary Yang Guishan presided over the meeting.
At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the conference officially began amidst the solemn strains of the national anthem.
On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Xiong Sihao extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Hohai University. He pointed out that Hohai University is the first institution of higher learning in China to cultivate water conservancy talent and has cultivated more than 300,000 outstanding individuals for the country. In addition, he acknowledged the positive results achieved by the university in developing first-class disciplines centered on water to actively serve China's national river strategies and dual carbon goals, highlighting a series of landmark achievements. Moreover, he expressed several expectations of Hohai University's new journey ahead, hoping that Hohai University would: adhere to the socialist direction of education, resolutely implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, and strive to cultivate a new generation for the great cause of national rejuvenation; adhere to reform and innovation, comprehensively improve the quality of independent talent cultivation, and cultivate more top innovative talent and talent urgently needed for national strategies; strengthen organized scientific research, better serve national strategies and regional economic and social development, and contribute more Hohai solutions to ensuring national water security and participating in global water governance.
On behalf of the Ministry of Water Resources, Zhong Zhiyu extended warm congratulations to Hohai University on its 110th anniversary and expressed heartfelt gratitude to all sectors of society for their concern and support for the development of water conservancy. He pointed out that Hohai University, as a century-old leader in water conservancy jointly established by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Education, has earned the reputation as the cradle of high-level innovative talents of water resources and the vital basement for technological innovation of water resources, and over the past 110 years, the university has cultivated and delivered a large number of high-caliber innovative professionals for society, and provided scientific and technological support for the construction of major national projects and advanced national facilities, as well as for safeguarding the nation's water environment. He hoped that, in the new journey, Hohai University would: adhere to the principle of fostering virtue through education, accelerate the cultivation of innovative water conservancy talent, and build a hub for cultivating outstanding water conservancy engineers; focus on interdisciplinary integration, continuously empower the development of water conservancy disciplines, and promote more distinctive disciplinary characteristics, more prominent disciplinary advantages, and broader disciplinary prospects; serve national strategies, continuously strengthen water conservancy science and technology research, and make new contributions to high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
Xu Ying, on behalf of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, extended sincere greetings to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Hohai University at home and abroad. She pointed out that Hohai University has a long history and profound cultural heritage and has cultivated a large number of high-level leading talent, produced a large number of innovative achievements, and created several firsts in China's water-related fields, making important contributions to safeguarding the nation's water environment and promoting economic and social development. She emphasized that Hohai University is Jiangsu's Pearl on Water, while Jiangsu serves as a steadfast foundation for the university. She hoped that, in the new journey, Hohai University would: firmly adhere to the correct direction, widely gather the strength for reform and development, and stand at the forefront in building a world-class university; uphold its original aspiration in education, pay attention to the inheritance of the revolutionary spirit and dedication to water conservancy, and bravely shoulder the heavy responsibility of cultivating top innovative talent; highlight its distinctive advantages, promote science-education integration and industry-education integration, and strive to be the first in promoting water conservancy science and technology innovation; improve the quality and efficiency of services, offer more insightful opinions and practical suggestions, and bravely write a new chapter in promoting economic and social development.
Yang Guishan stated in his opening remarks that the 110th anniversary of Hohai University also marks the 110th anniversary of higher education in water conservancy in China. Over the past 110 years, Hohai has always adhered to the mission of “advancing education, nurturing talent, and harnessing water for national prosperity” and has composed a brilliant chapter of advancement with pragmatism and responsibility; standing at a new historical starting point, Hohai University will always adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, unswervingly take serving national strategies as its highest pursuit, take serving the high-quality development of water conservancy and the modernization of a strong, prosperous, beautiful, and highly civilized new Jiangsu as its important mission, comprehensively promote the integrated and coordinated development of education, science, technology, and talent, bravely forge ahead with determination, strive to cultivate more useful individuals who are committed to safeguarding the nation's water environment and ready to shoulder significant responsibilities of the times, advance the construction of a world-class distinctive research university with high quality, and strive to write a new chapter in serving the construction of a strong nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation.
President Zheng Jinhai of Hohai University presented a report on the university's strategy for high-quality development. He pointed out that the development of Hohai University over the past 110 years—along the path of water management for saving the nation, serving the nation, revitalizing the nation, and strengthening the nation—has become a vivid microcosm of how China's higher education in water conservancy contributes to flood control and water conservancy and benefits the country and the nation. The university should leverage the strategic construction of a first-class system for specialized talent development, a first-class system for distinctive and advantageous discipline development, a first-class system for talent recruitment and faculty development, a first-class system for technological and industrial innovation, and a first-class system for global engagement and education to consolidate, extend, and transcend its achievements, and strive to lead the way among industry-specific research universities; in the future, the university must firmly grasp the political, people-oriented, and strategic attributes of education, thoroughly implement the master plan on building China into a leading country in education, remain dedicated to building a world-class university with outstanding science and education in water conservancy, and strive to write a new chapter in serving the construction of a strong nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation.
Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director of the International Water Association, delivered a speech as a representative of international organizations. He stated that over the past 110 years, Hohai University has lived up to its name, always serving as a hall where streams of knowledge converge into an ocean of wisdom, a home where the pursuit of knowledge and service to humanity are seamlessly integrated, and a leading hub of education and research in water science and hydraulic engineering; the university, with its outstanding academic pursuits and deep-rooted sense of social responsibility, has become a globally renowned authoritative institution in the field of water conservancy and an academic center with wide influence. Looking to the future, he looked forward to deepening cooperation with Hohai University to jointly promote knowledge advancement, cultivate innovative achievements, and nurture a new generation of leading talent in water conservancy, and wished Hohai University to continue to inspire, influence, and change the world as before for the next century.
Academician Tan Zhemin, who is also President of Nanjing University, delivered a speech as a representative of Chinese universities. He stated that Nanjing University and Hohai University share the same roots and are closely connected, pioneering the joint cultivation of water conservancy talent; the two universities share resources, help each other, and have achieved significant breakthroughs by jointly tackling key problems in areas such as water resource protection and ecological environment governance; they share similar temperaments and missions, and their school mottoes both embody the original aspiration of seeking truth from facts and serving the country and the people. Looking to the future, he stressed that Nanjing University looks forward to joining hands with Hohai University to write a new chapter of striving for excellence through deeper exchanges and broader cooperation, so as to make new and greater contributions to accelerating the construction of a strong country in education, technology, and talent, and advancing the new practice of Chinese modernization in Jiangsu.
Eddy Moors, President of IHE Delft, delivered a speech as a representative of foreign universities. He stated that Hohai University, as one of the earliest higher education institutions in China to focus on the field of water conservancy, has made profound contributions to the sustainable development of China's rivers, lakes, and estuaries, and has powerfully promoted the progress of global water science; both the Netherlands and China are countries that thrive on water, and it is precisely because of the shared spirit of unity and cooperation that the collaboration between Hohai University and Dutch universities has transcended time and yielded fruitful results. On the occasion of celebrating the 110th anniversary of Hohai University, he hoped that Hohai University and IHE Delft would join hands to continue to promote the innovative development of water science, cultivate future leading talent in the field of water conservancy, and jointly build a more resilient and sustainable global home.
Academician Zhang Jianyun, who is also Honorary President of Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute and President of the Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, delivered a speech as an alumni representative. He fondly recalled his wonderful memories of studying at Hohai University, expressing gratitude to the university for teaching him how to be a decent man, how to do things, and how to pursue knowledge, and for inspiring him to make contributions to China's water security and high-quality development. He pointed out that, over the past 110 years, the pulse of Hohai University has always resonated with the fate of the nation, with every scientific research achievement and every technological breakthrough being the most beautiful answer that the university alumni have given to this era. He hoped that the younger alumni would not only look up to the stars but also be down-to-earth, embrace the pursuit of innovative development in water conservancy with patriotism, and write their glorious chapters of youth on the land of their motherland. He concluded his speech by wishing the university alumni to flourish across the world and the university to continue to prosper.
Professor and Academician Wang Chao from Hohai University delivered a speech as a representative of the faculty. He recalled his time at Hohai University, where he acquired advanced water management techniques, explored ways to improve water quality, contributed to cultivating talent for the nation, and developed a vision for restoring the beauty of rivers and lakes. He stated that, now as a teacher at the university, he is dedicated to his work, with every scientific research achievement—from national water function zoning to river and lake water environment management—coming from the nourishment, enlightenment, and strength of the university. He expressed his passion for guiding students in their growth, pioneering new academic frontiers, and faithfully serving the nation and society, emphasizing that the glory of teachers lies in the footprints of students as they explore the world. He also expressed the hope to keep the educational idea of Hohai University vibrant forever, keep the academic torch shining brightly for generations to come, and create an even more glorious and splendid future.
At the conference, 110 student representatives delivered passionate and resounding messages, offering their blessings for Hohai University's 110th anniversary.
The High-Quality Development Conference for the 110th Anniversary of Hohai University was concluded successfully in the chorus of the university anthem, “the Great Hohai University Will Continue to Advance". This conference was broadcast live online, with branch venues set up at the Jiangning and Changzhou campuses. Faculty and students from all campuses witnessed and participated in the grand event both online and offline.
