Each June in the past six years, the commencement ceremony of WHU climaxed with the speech delivered by the man — a man in his fifties, with a round, plump face, a perpetually infectious smile, and keen eyes gleaming behind a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses. His voice was as smooth and suave as his countenance. ‘Wuhan University (WHU) is more than a tourist attraction and a vocational school that only trains employees for corporations, it is the place where you are able to fully discover your potential and pursue your dream. It is the place where your promise is fulfilled.’ attested Li Xiaohong, the former president of WHU. However, his address at this year’s ceremony can no longer be heard as he has left for Beijing to serve as the vice-minister of the Chinese Ministry of Education on October 31st .
For most faculties and students in WHU, the sudden departure of president Li struck them as a bittersweet piece of news. When it comes to comment about the president, there is bound to be a chorus of ‘He is a respectable and successful leader, and above all, a good friend to students.’ Members from dragon boat team said they still remembered the time they had dinner with the president after an unsatisfying competition, his encouraging remarks were heartwarming. It was just one of his many valuable moments with students: every time he played tennis on the court, or had a jog around the playground, the smile was always with him. When he gave an outstanding performance during the 120th anniversary of WHU, lots of people at the scene were surprised and deeply touched by the song he performed. Moreover, his interesting and expressive faces were made into ‘emojis’ and spread among the students.
After hearing the news, many students posted their photos and shared personal stories on WeChat to ‘show off’ their precious moments with the president It is the collegial hope that he could stay longer to serve the campus and his beloved students. His contributions will not be forgotten, least of all his voice, as he was never shy from singing during on-campus activities.
‘The spirit of the university doesn’t lie in the magnificence of its architecture, but in the significance of its masters.’ In his first year in office, there were 68 qualified talents introduced to WHU and five professors becoming new members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Including them, there are now a total of thirteen members of CAS in WHU, which ranks WHU TOP 10 in this regard in Mainland China. In addition, a noticeable increase in research projects is another landmark of academic development. Owing to these progress, WHU has stepped into the TOP 300 universities in the U.S. News & World Report in 2015. As for the discipline development, the number of top 1% Essential Science Indicators (ESI) has doubled since 2011, reaching 14 in total. Chemistry has stepped into the top 1%. All the academic achievements above shows that WHU has made lots of effort to become a world-class university, which was in accordance with the hope of the president.
Another milestone was the reconstruction of the school gate. The irreconcilable conflict between Bayi Road and the school gate used to be a headache, but Li tackled the problem in 2013. With consideration of urban planning and traffic problems, the school gate, with the history of only 20 years, had to be rebuilt. Meanwhile, thanks to the successful construction of the Bayi Underground Tunnel, the two campuses of WHU came to connect with each other, which made it more convenient for students to get around the whole campus. The leadership ability of the president was showcased through the orderly settlement of this issue.
From the perspective of students, the president attaches great importance to teaching quality and student development. First off, he proposed a new evaluation system for teachersso that theteaching and participation in class carried weight. As most universities only attach importance to the academic achievements of professors (like the number of papers published), this innovative practice surely benefits students, who should be the basis of college education. WHU is also famous for its tuition-free policy for all graduate students, which was introduced in 2014. Besides, graduate students are guaranteed to have a subsidy of 609 yuan per month compared with 400 yuan offered by other colleges in Wuhan.
Back in 2011, there were neither the Wanlin Art Museum nor the brand new library gracing the campus, and students had to study in the teaching buildings or libraries in the winter because the dormitory conditions were unsatisfactory. But now, air-conditioners, Wi-Fi and hot water are available for all, so students can have more convenience and enjoy a better studying environment. It is worth mentioning that a number of new teaching buildings are currently under construction, especially for graduate students and liberal arts students. What made us even more thrilled was the reconstruction of the Sakura Castles, they are now equipped with new facilities while maintaining the original styling dating back to the 1930’s, and serve as dormitories for PhD students. Next time when you walk along Sakura Avenue, the name of the president would be recalled again.
Every WHUer may have his or her unique impression of their beloved president and miss him dearly, but each and every student and staff member here at WHU also sincerely wishes their old friend even better development in his future career and, at the same time, to come back to visit WHU from time to time.
About President Li
Li Xiaohong, graduated from Chongqing University, and has made remarkable achievements in promoting the safety of the coal industry as an academic leader of mining engineering. He had been studying in the University of California, Berkeley University and the University of Queensland (UQ) before being employed as an honorary professor at UQ. After serving as the president of Chongqing University for eight years, he became the president of WHU in 2010. In 2011, he qualified to be one of the members of CAS, which was a great recognition of his academic authority.
(Photo by Chen Ziyao, edited by Fang Siyuan, Zheng Xinnian, Edmund & Hu Sijia)
