In a heartwarming gathering that blended nostalgia with forward-looking ambition, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (JXUST) hosted its 2025 National Day Alumni Homecoming in the golden autumn of October. The main reunion ceremony, held on the morning of October 2nd in the library auditorium of the Sanjiang Campus (East Garden), resonated with camaraderie and shared memories.
University leaders, including Party Secretary Liu Zuwen, Deputy Party Secretary Xu Zhifeng, and Vice President Wang Hang, extended a formal welcome to the returning alumni. Vice President Wang presided over the event.
In his welcoming address, Secretary Liu Zuwen expressed a heartfelt welcome to the alumni, whom he hailed as vital participants, builders, and supporters of the university's journey. He chronicled JXUST's remarkable progress, underscoring significant gains in comprehensive strength, academic disciplines, talent cultivation, and technological innovation. Tracing the institution's evolution from its earlier incarnations as Jiangxi Metallurgy Institute and Southern Institute of Metallurgy, Liu noted that the alumni have been steadfast witnesses to its rising stature and the enduring spirit of its motto: "Aspiring High, Prioritizing Responsibility." He further outlined the university's ambitious trajectory under the leadership of President Ge Shirong, a fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, rallying the global alumni community to join forces in the collective pursuit of building a world-class university in rare earth and critical mineral studies.
Professor Liu Boxiong, Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, spoke as a faculty representative, detailing the School's proactive engagement with its alumni through dedicated databases, signature events like the annual "Alumni Homecoming Festival," and by involving them in institutional development. He reflected the prevailing sentiment of the day, describing alumni as the "most invaluable asset" of the university and warmly encouraging them to "come home more often."
The reunion featured poignant sharing sessions from distinguished alumni. Mr. Luo Yun, CEO of Beijing Yordon Air Membrane Building Technology Co., Ltd. and a 1995 graduate, distilled his three-decade journey from student to entrepreneur into a narrative of spiritual cultivation. He credited his alma mater for instilling in him and his peers the quintessential "JXUST character"—a unique blend of "a visionary's perspective and a pragmatist's tenacity." For Luo, entrepreneurship was less a business venture and more a test of perseverance, a relentless commitment to mission, value, and transcending challenges. "Every life is a unique structure," he mused, "and its foundation is deeply rooted in this very soil where we once poured out our youth."
Another alumnus, Mr. Zhang Yong, a 2005 mining engineering graduate now serving as Director at the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management, painted a vivid picture of his university days. He reminisced about the unique camaraderie of a predominantly male "monk class," the late-night dormitory talks after lights-out, the sweat on the basketball court, and the glory of choir competitions. For Zhang, these experiences were the crucible where the university's motto was forged into a lifelong sense of duty and responsibility. "Time may have altered our appearances," he reflected, "but it has never eroded the heartfelt passion within us, nor dimmed the purity of brotherhood and mentorship."
The formal proceedings concluded on a stirring note with the resonant strains of the university anthem.
Later, alumni revisited their student days over a nostalgic lunch in the campus canteens, rekindling memories and savoring the familiar taste of "coming home."
The homecoming also featured a dedicated donation ceremony at the Sanjiang Campus (West Garden). The Class of 2001 from the former School of Material Chemistry gifted a commemorative stone engraved with the philosophical maxim "Knowledge and Action Are One." Vice President Wang Hang joined faculty and alumni representatives in unveiling the stone, which now stands as a permanent new landmark on campus—a tangible symbol of the unbreakable bond and enduring affection between the alumni and their alma mater.
The event successfully brought together over 350 alumni, fostering a powerful sense of community and shared purpose.
