On the afternoon of November 9, President Li Zhaohu walked into the We-space and chatted to the young students on learning, personal growth and ideals, bringing light to a world strewn with challenges.
Students actively ask questions (Photo\Gao Wanru)
President Li responds to students’ questions (Photo\Gao Wanru)
President Li kicked off the gathering with a warm inquiry about students’ college life plans and their study. After attentively listening to their sharing, he encouraged them to set life goals and make personalized plans so as to progress through each phase of their college life in a down-to-earth manner.
“Should we currently focus on studies or on hands-on experience?”, asked a freshman. In response, President Li emphasized that studies and social engagement can go hand in hand. He urged students to trace social development, though some might have been oblivious to the outside world during high school. He believed that only by actively engaging in extracurricular activities aimed at acquiring hands-on experience can one set clearer goals for future development. To this end, quoting the school motto “Learn and Practice, Achieve and Help Achieve”, he urged everyone to act on what they learned and align themselves with national strategies and industry demands.
Responding to the students’ inquiry regarding whether university studies should be grade-oriented or interest-oriented, President Li remarked that, as interest serves as the best teachers, the pursuit of knowledge in university shouldn’t be solely utilitarian. In addition to acquiring knowledge and skills, students are expected to develop innovative consciousness and critical mind, and nurture the ability to discover, analyze, and solve problems through study. Additionally, he encouraged everyone to continuously develop interest and academic enthusiasm through study. Only by doing so can they eventually revel in the joy brought by the pursuit of knowledge.
On the topic of ways to handle peer pressure, President Li shared his own experience of learning English, “I didn’t begin to learn English until high school. Although I achieved decent grades in the college entrance examination, there remained a significant gap compared with my college classmates who started learning English from primary school. Hence I woke up at 6 a.m. every day to learn English with relentless efforts.” He also noted, “We should not ignore the fact that we may sometimes fall behind others, which is inescapable. Instead, we should transform the gap with others into a driving force for improvement so that we can make continuous progress.”
Towards the end of the event, President Li promptly responded to students’ questions including campus management and college life. He urged them to develop good habits, maintain a balanced lifestyle, engage in more physical exercise, hone practical skills, be an active participant in campus governance, and join hands to build a more humane, inclusive, relaxing and greener campus.
Source: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2023/1110/68332.shtml
Translated by Yan Xin
Proofread by Sun Ying
Supervised by Xie Lujie
