FISF successfully held their 2019 opening ceremony for freshmen

Release time：2019-09-02    

On September 1st, 2019, the Fanhai International School of Finance, Fudan University, held their opening ceremony for incoming freshmen. The event commenced with the national anthem of China, and was administered by Professor Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University; Professor Chu Yongquan, Associate Dean of Fudan’s Graduate School; Professor Wei Shangjin, Academic Visiting Professor of FISF; Professor Chen Shiyi, Secretary of Party Organization; Professor Qian Jun, Executive Dean; Professor Zhang Chunxin, Deputy Dean of Academics; Professor Gao Huasheng, Vice President of Scientific Research; Mr. Wei Gang, General Manager of the Shanghai Stock Exchange; and Mr. Yu Zheng, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of China Oceanwide Holding Group, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Minsheng Holdings, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of Tonghai Investment Group Co., Ltd. One hundred eighty-three freshmen were welcomed into FISF. Professor Zhang Chunxin, Deputy Dean of Academics of FISF, hosted the event.

Chen Zhimin:

Hold onto your ambitions for family, country, and the world; keep a spirit of being honest and doing the right thing.

Professor Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University, was the first speaker to come on stage. In his speech, he asserted FISF’s incredible development over the past two years. “FISF is a major initiative promoted by our university to build a world-class financial discipline program, to serve the financial development strategy of our country, and to stimulate local and industrial development. Over the past two years, under the guidance of Professor Wei Shangjin, the school, by making active plans, conducting open innovations and taking positive actions, has made a series of remarkable achievements through hard work and a job well done.”

For the 183 freshmen, Professor Chen Zhimin expressed his ardent expectations. “Firstly, I challenge you to hold onto your ambition for family, country, and the world, and to do something great in answering and solving the major practical problems in the development of our country, especially in the progress of the financial industry. Keep your feet on the ground and concentrate on your studies. Secondly, I challenge you to keep a spirit of being honest and righteous. Always develop and improve your outlook on life and your value while furthering your career in finance.”

Chu Yongquan:

Cherish the moment. Be a striving warrior in the new era.

Professor Chu Yongquan, Associate Dean of Fudan’s Graduate School, expressed a warm welcome to all the freshmen present at the ceremony on behalf of the graduate school of the university. He said, “To make true academic achievements and lay a solid foundation for the long-term development in the future, you must cherish the moment.” The professor then shared some of his sentiments about being a student at FISF:

“Firstly, I advise you to carefully schedule your studies from the very beginning and make reasonable plans with clear learning objectives at each phase.

“Secondly, I recommend you attach great importance to the study of theoretical knowledge, complete the required tasks of each class, and find a proper balance between course study and practical experience.

“Finally, I advise you to make full use of the vast resources of Fudan and experience the traditional culture of our university to achieve a fuller and better life. You will not only become a qualified graduate in finance, but more importantly, become an excellent inheritor of the Fudan Spirit.”

Wei Shangjin:

Excellence, Responsibility and Innovation.

On behalf of all the FISF teachers, Professor Wei Shangjin, Academic Visiting Professor of FISF, welcomed the students of Elite Master of Finance (EMF), Financial MBA and Financial EMBA to the big family of FISF. At the opening ceremony, Professor Wei Shangjin once again conveyed the school motto of “Excellence, Responsibility, and Innovation” to the 183 freshmen.

He explained, “‘Excellence’ represents our wish that you will grow into strategic, financial and commercial leaders with a broad international perspective and an insight into the financial and economic situations in China. ‘Responsibility’ represents our wish that you will not only take care of your own business, but always remember your social responsibility and strive to promote social progress. ‘Innovation’ means the willingness to explore new fields instead of being just a follower.”

“A frog in a well has a very limited view; the flickering of a glowworm does not shine far.” Professor Wei Shangjin encouraged students to aim high. “Only with ambitious dreams can you really turn into a pioneer of the time. You will also need to keep your feet on the ground and commit to a spirit of persistence. Never give up, and you will succeed. Our school wishes to be a high-quality starting point for you to grow strong enough to fly up and then soar high.”

Wei Gang:

In constructing the Shanghai International Financial Center, FISF students will have the tools to take on new challenges.

“China is now facing the greatest changes its seen in the past 100 years. And how will these changes influence the financial capital market?” Mr. Wei Gang, General Manager of Shanghai Stock Exchange, shared some of his opinions with the students majoring in finance. “For our country, the understanding of finance is changing. This industry has been taken as a strategic field for the whole country. Meanwhile, the environment of the international financial industry is also changing. Now is the time for Shanghai to speed up its pace in constructing an international financial center. So far, we still have a long way to go before Shanghai can be built into a real international financial center. But we should also look on the positive side. We have set up the STAR market, carried out the pilot reform of registration system, and deepened the structural reform of the financial supply side. All these critical measures reflect the determination and courage of China to promote reforms and respond to the changing environment.”

Mr. Wei Gang pointed out that “a sign of development is that experts can make money in this market. From this perspective, all of you here, studying finance, shall take on the challenges of our growing market and go a long way. Here and now, I can see your positive spirit, which gives me hope in the construction of the Shanghai International Financial Center and of the finance industry in China.”

Yu Zheng:

To learn and, at due times, to repeat what one has learnt, is it not, after all, a pleasure?

“To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt, is it not after all a pleasure? That friends should come to one from afar, is this not after all delightful?” Mr. Yu Zheng, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of China Oceanwide Holding Group, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Minsheng Holdings, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of Tonghai Investment Group Co., Ltd., who also studied at Fudan University, welcomed the freshmen class with a saying by Confucius, and talked about his learning experience as a proud alumnus.

“‘To learn and, at due times, to repeat’. The first and foremost task before you is to ‘study’, which, in my opinion, means we should develop a unique theory framework and thinking method of our own to observe and analyze problems; and the second task is to ‘repeat’, feeling the practical insight with your hands and your body, and forming your own theoretical experience. To ‘repeat’, we should cope with the changing world with our unchanged knowledge, develop our unique features and behavioral habits. The third task is to ‘understand’, from which we can gain our original state of wisdom. Above all, we achieve knowledge through ‘studying’, attain ability through ‘repeating’ and reach a state of wisdom through ‘understanding’.”

EMF Freshman Representative:

We will be the bridge connecting China and the world.

Chen Yishuang, the EMF freshman representative in 2019, grew up in the UK, but has always been mindful of his homeland. He stated, “After forty years of reform and opening up, the Chinese economy has been undergoing rapid development, in which finance is playing an unprecedented role. At present, small and medium-sized enterprises are becoming more closely related to finance, and more than ever before, China needs financial talents to support and sustain its economic development. At this stage, as we continue to open the financial industry, what China really needs is not just financial experts, but global, high-end financial experts with both national and international influence. It is under these challenges that China is longing to cultivate world-leading commercial talents to lead in global financial development. For this grand mission, FISF has been founded. We, FISF students, come from all over the world, and we will be the essential bridge that connects the Chinese and world economies in the near future. I look forward to the day when we are able to bring back various advanced technologies around the world and make great contributions to our country.”

FMBA Freshman Representative:

We—pioneers—should hold on to the spirit of daring to be the first.

Li Longxi, Fudan’s financial 2019 MBA freshman representative, expressed his prospects for the next two years. “First, as first-year students of FISF, we pioneers should hold onto the spirit of daring to be the first. We need to develop new ideas, different attitudes, and fresh approaches to break the conventional ways of thinking and reshape a whole new self. Second, we FISF students shall regard ourselves as innovators and fighters, willing to take on what burdens we should and shoulder the greater responsibility and mission of constructing an international financial center. Third, we shall always remember that we are from FISF, for which we shall hold a spirit of being honest and righteous, keep our eyes on the stars, and cherish each moment, taking every step steadily and surely and building a good reputation in finance together with our school.”

FEMBA Freshman Representative:

Be diligent in thinking, be equipped with both integrity and ability, and be honest with ourselves.

“We are proud to have the opportunity to study at Fudan University, and at the same time we are mindful of the great responsibility on our shoulders.” Ding Hai, financial EMBA freshman representative for 2019, talked of his own expectations for the next two years at FISF. “We shall be diligent in thinking to seek true knowledge, and redouble our efforts to study in the privileged academic environment of FISF so that we can make qualitative changes and become our ideal self. We shall be equipped with both integrity and ability, constantly raising the level of our ideological understanding. In study and work, we can make friends with our teachers and learn from our friends, and thus broaden our knowledge and improve our moral cultivation. We shall also be honest with ourselves and be practical doers, submitting problems of enterprise management to classes for exploration and applying theoretical knowledge to real-life practice. Only in this way can we ceaselessly examine what we have learned and what we have thought about.

“Fudan, Fudan, day after day, such a glorious university with a long history. Here we have academic autonomy and can be free-spirited, with no fetters for ideological education. No fetters makes us go further. Forward, forward, go forward.”

The opening ceremony concluded successfully with Fudan’s school song.

Just as Professor Chen Zhimin noted in his expectations from all the FISF 2019 freshmen, “My hope is that you always keep your eyes on the stars and on the future during your study here at Fudan, to lay a solid foundation for a brilliant life on a greater stage.”