In May, flowers were in full bloom across the RUC campus, accompanied by gentle spring breezes. On May 18, RUC North America Alumni Association (RUC-NAAA) organized a group of North American alumni to return to their alma mater for the Sixth Alumni Culture Festival and Second Alumni Day. Nearly 20 alumni who had studied in North America or now live in North America registered to participate.
At 10 a.m., the Inaugural Meeting and Entrepreneurs Forum of the RUC Alumni Entrepreneurs Association was held at the Shaw Conference Center, with several North American alumni invited to attend. At the meeting, a number of RUC-NAAA alumni were elected to the association's first Board of Directors. Li Shanquan and Liu Quan, among others, were elected Vice Presidents, while Dawson Lee, Fan Xiwen, Yue Jingsheng, Shi Haiyan, Xiao Zhijie, Li Xufeng, and Yafeng Wu, among others, were elected Board Directors.
At 3 p.m., North American alumni gathered at the Alumni Home for a discussion and were warmly received by Zhang Jianming, former Executive Deputy Secretary of the RUC Party Committee and Vice President of the RUC Alumni Association.
Zhang warmly welcomed the North American alumni delegation and expressed his full recognition of the solidarity among RUC alumni in North America and the work of RUC-NAAA. He introduced the alumni to the university's development and campus construction, as well as the rich program of Alumni Day activities.
He highlighted the newly established RUC Alumni Entrepreneurs Association and expressed the hope that RUC alumni would achieve outstanding accomplishments in business, in addition to the university's traditional strengths in public service and academia, and make new contributions to China's economic development.
Zhang also listened to updates from the North American alumni about their studies, careers, and lives, and wished them and their families good health, happiness, and continued success in their professional endeavors.
During their time on campus, the North American alumni visited the “Revisiting RUC, Enjoying the Moment” Alumni Market & Alumni Food Culture Festival on the lawn of Teaching Building No. 2. They also visited the “Yungang Culture Season” exhibition at the RUC Museum. That evening, the North American alumni joined alumni who had returned to campus from other parts of China for a dinner gathering.
In addition to the activities above, Alumni Day featured a variety of programs, including a chess and card friendship tournament, the “Run Toward the Future” Alumni Marathon, a visit to the university museum, the “Alumni Cup” Golf Tournament, the “Dreaming of RUC Again” Parent-Child Painting Activity, an alumni rowing friendship race, and a visit to the university's new Tongzhou campus. Some North American alumni also participated in these activities.
The homecoming was led by Yafeng Wu, Vice President and President of RUC-NAAA. Other participants included Liu Quan, a member of the Board; Tian Tian, Board member and President of the Montreal Chapter; Zhu Shaobin, Legal Counsel; Chang Jieya, Secretary to the Board; Fan Xiwen, Convener-General of the Advisory Committee; and Lai Yun, Special Coordinator of the Management Committee.
The returning alumni came from across North America, including New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Texas, California, and Washington in the United States, as well as Quebec and British Columbia in Canada.
The North American alumni who participated in Alumni Day said that RUC is their eternal spiritual home. They expressed their appreciation to RUC-NAAA for organizing and coordinating the homecoming, which allowed them to return with a rich and rewarding experience. They said they would carry these cherished memories and emotions with them as they continue moving forward.
Written by: Chang Jieya
Reviewed by: Yafeng Wu
