Peking University, Sept. 24, 2010: On the evening of Sept. 20, Peking University Student Service Team held a party at the Yanyuan Hall of PKU Chaitai International Center, in celebrating the traditional Mid-autumn Festival, the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese luner calendar. Prof. Zhou Qifeng, President of PKU and Member of CAS, attended the party with students whose families are relatively financially disadvantaged.
During the party President Zhou delivered a speech, in which he sincerely wished everyone a pleasant holiday and recalled his days being also a student from a needy family. But for the aids of the university and society, he wouldn’t have finished his study. By telling his own story, President Zhou brought home to student the possibility of turning the needy situation into paving stones for one’s success when dealing with it properly. "Peking University is our family, so if you are in need, don’t hesitate to contact other fellow members, including me,” he said. “Usually I am at the Office Building.”
Words and Hopes
Most of students present were new comers and President Zhou hoped that everyone can treasure the opportunity of studying in PKU and take full advantage of its abundant resources to perfect oneself. The study at universities is not all around classroom learning, but it also includes social practices. As President Zhou put it, “one’s life can be divided into many stages, while university is still a stage of learning. You should settle down to learn hard and face everything with learning attitude. Being a student of PKU, you should look further and be determined to prepare yourself now for the much more responsibilities involved in the future role in the society.”
Principal Mentors Being Followed
Peking University initiated the “PKU Navigating” project to assign teachers as mentors for students from needy families in their daily life so as to provide a more specific and directed growing-up plan.
President Zhou was also invited to be a mentor for freshman Zeng Can from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering (CCME) and exchanged contact information. Zeng Can was so thrilled that he had never thought a president would be his mentor, “President Zhou is a well-renowned academician; with his guidance, I am sure to achieve remarkably in my study!”
PKU President Zhou as Mentor of Freshman Zeng Can from CCME
Letters to Show Gratitude
PKU begins to pay more attention to individual students from this year, offering those in need financial support and a customized growing-up plan according to their situation. Typically, at the beginning of the semester, the "Green Passage” service from the university provides freshpersons in need with several kinds of aids such as special grant for students from disaster-stricken areas, student loan, and gift bags.
The university and the society made joint efforts to prepare gift bags up to RMB 2 million, Including necessities for daily life, studies, and communications. Every new comer receives a gift bag worth RMB 4,000 while those in particular need receive RMB 6,000.
Zeng Can was one of the benefited students. At that special occasion, he presented a letter to show gratitude for those who have offered help, especially his mentor, President Zhou. The letter read: “Under your guidance and with the help of teachers of PKU, especially from the Office of Student Financial Aid, I will exert myself to shoulder my due responsibilities for the future as a world citizen.”
Round Moon, Warm Feelings, and Various Activities
During the party, President Zhou together with students present completed a jigsaw puzzle called “Happy Mid-autumn Festival with Round Round Moon and Mooncakes.”
Ma Wenhua, Deputy Director of China’s National Management Center for Student Financial Aid, saw the sophomore Zhou Fubo from Department of Sociology, who went through the “Green Passage” in 2009. His birthday fell right on the day of registration, on which Deputy Director Ma gave him a birthday cake to encourage him to study. This time, they saw each other once again. Zhou Fubo presented a large bunch of flowers to Deputy Director Ma.
Group Photo with President Zhou
Translated by: Chen Long
Edited by: Jacques
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
