On February 8, 2025 (the 11th day of the first month of the Year of the Snake), the “Harmony in Symphony — The Second RUC–Jiaotong University Alumni New Year Gala in New York”, jointly hosted by the New York Chapter of the RUC North America Alumni Association and the Jiaotong University Alumni Association of New York, was held in Manhattan, New York.
Nearly 130 alumni and guests gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year and enjoy an evening filled with joy, warmth, and festive spirit.
Huang Beiqing, President of the New York Chapter of the RUC North America Alumni Association, and Ping Yanni, Vice President of the Jiaotong University Alumni Association of New York, first represented the organizing committee in extending New Year greetings to all guests and alumni, wishing everyone a prosperous Year of the Snake.
They explained that “Jiaoxiang” (交响, symphony) represents the resonance of friendship and the blending of ideas, while “Renhe” (人和, harmony among people) represents the bond of shared emotions and a common hope for a better future.
They also expressed their appreciation to everyone who supports and participates in alumni association activities, as well as to the volunteers and sponsors who contributed to the event.
Yu Yougen, Minister Counselor for Education at the Consulate General of China in New York, along with Consul Sun Fengshou and Consul Liu Weiqi, attended the event as invited guests. Representing the Consulate General, they extended New Year greetings to the alumni and celebrated the Spring Festival together with everyone.
Yu Yougen praised the unity, sense of community, and enthusiasm of the alumni. He said that the Consulate General is willing to provide assistance and support to alumni, and expressed particular appreciation to the two alumni associations for regularly reaching out to and assisting students newly arriving in the United States, helping serve as a bridge for positive China-U.S. relations.
Liu Jing, Vice Chair of the RUC North America Alumni Association; Yue Jingsheng, Board Member; Li Xinwei, President of the RUC Sichuan Alumni Association; Deng Yu, Chair of the Silicon Valley Alumni Association of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Wu Kai, Honorary Board Member of the Shanghai Overseas Friendship Association and Co-Chair of the American Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, also traveled to New York specifically to attend the event and show their support for the joint celebration.
Wu Kai presented gifts from the Shanghai municipal government to the two alumni associations at the event, congratulating them on the success of the celebration.
Highlights of the Evening
Highlight 1: Music to Bid Farewell to the Old Year and Awaken Spring
The evening featured a diverse lineup of performances, including energetic Japanese anime music by Mujame, a New York-based Japanese-pop-inspired band; a humorous stand-up comedy performance by Sang Ziyang of the Columbia University Chinese Crosstalk Club; and a captivating vocal performance by singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and music producer Vivien L.
All of the performances received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The Chinese hip-hop/rap song “Bottom of the Ninth” (《九局下半》), creatively inspired by baseball, brought the crowd to its feet with its catchy chant:
“RUC, RUC, home run! Jiaotong, Jiaotong, home run!”
Alumni spontaneously joined in, cheering along to the energetic hip-hop beats and spirited rap lyrics and becoming part of the hip-hop vibe.
As Mingle sings in the song:
“I have a feeling, 2025 is a pivotal year. All the alumni of Renmin University and Jiaotong University will achieve even greater success in their respective fields in the new year, and all of us will have another successful year.”
Highlight 2: Interactive Games, Friendship and New Connections
Compared with previous years, this year’s event featured a much larger interactive component.
Planned and introduced by Lu Cuili, Vice President of the New York Chapter of the RUC North America Alumni Association, the games included Passing the Parcel with a Drum, Truth or Dare, and a humorous version of the “Fruit and Vegetable Squat” game.
The activities encouraged everyone to interact, get to know one another, and make new connections, becoming one of the highlights of the evening.
Highlight 3: Lucky Draw — Bringing Good Fortune in the Year of the Snake
The lucky draw further energized the atmosphere.
Cheng Zhao of New York-based innovative company InsGlo provided a high-tech beauty device as the grand prize. Lucky alumni took home auspicious New Year gifts, adding an extra element of excitement and anticipation to the celebration.
Liu Hong, an alumnus of Jiaotong University and Founder and President of Battery Park Realty, shared her insights and experience in real estate investment with the audience.
Highlight 4: The Pinky Promise — See You Again Next Year
One of the most memorable moments of the evening was the “Jiaoxiang Renhe” pinky-promise ceremony, held on stage by Wu Yafeng, President of the RUC North America Alumni Association, and Liu Guyan, President of the Jiaotong University Alumni Association of New York.
The two presidents pledged to continue holding the celebration every year.
They also invited everyone to revisit the original idea behind the “Jiaoxiang Renhe” event, which was launched last year: “Jiao” (交) refers to Jiaotong University, while “Ren” (人) refers to Renmin University. “Jiaoxiang Renhe” symbolizes the complementary strengths, integration, and unity of the two alumni communities.
The evening reached its emotional climax with a performance of “As You Wish” (《如愿》), jointly sung by Dr. Chen Zibo, a Jiaotong University alumnus and a physician affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Li Kaidi, a doctoral candidate jointly trained by the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the City University of New York.
As the audience waved the flashlights on their phones, the atmosphere reached its peak, bringing the second “Jiaoxiang Renhe” New Year Gala to a joyful conclusion.
The event was jointly hosted by Liu Bangdi, an RUC alumnus, and Yu Mengyao, a Jiaotong University alumna.
The event received generous support from InsGlo, Battery Park Realty, Jingtian Culture, and other organizations.
Representatives of alumni associations from fellow universities, including Tianjin University, Southeast University, Fudan University, University of International Business and Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, University of Science and Technology of China, Sun Yat-sen University, and Nanjing University, were also invited to attend.
Copywriting: Zhang Yong
Layout: Yin Xilei
Reviewed by: Wu Yafeng
With Appreciation to Our Event Partners
Organizing Committee
Planning: Wu Yafeng, Liu Guyan, Ping Yanni, Huang Beiqing, Lu Cuili
Event Execution: Li Qian, Liu Bangdi, Shi Kaize, Yang Hongyi, Tang Xilin, Yin Xilei, Liu Bin, He Hongbo, Yu Mengyao, Wang Qi, Wang Zengye, Zhang Yong
Special Thanks: C-BIZMEDIA for providing photography support