On the evening of September 9, Shenzhen University (SZU) officially launched the 2025 academic year with a grand opening ceremony held simultaneously on its Yuehai and Lihu campuses. The event was attended by university leaders and heads of colleges (departments), administrative departments, teaching and support units, as well as independent research institutions and affiliated organizations. Faculty representatives, along with the incoming Class of 2025, also participated in the ceremony.
Steady improvement in undergraduate and graduate enrollment, with another record growth in doctoral admissions
Wu Baoshui, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen University Committee, and Zhou Hui, Vice President of SZU, introduced the incoming Class of 2025. This year, SZU welcomed a total of 14,648 new students, including 7,594 undergraduates and 6,696 graduate students (6,015 master’s and 601 doctoral students). Additionally, 358 international students from 50 countries chose SZU as their destination for higher education.
President Mao Junfa’s “First Ideology Lesson”: The land beneath your feet is Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, and China
“You’ve arrived at just the right time! A warm welcome to you all!” At the opening ceremony, President Mao Junfa delivered a speech titled “The Land Beneath Your Feet”, offering a heartfelt welcome and words of encouragement to the incoming students.
Faculty representatives inspire new students: stay passionate, and embrace challenges
Faculty representative Bao Xiaohua emphasized that “it is persistence and passion that truly change lives”. She encouraged the freshmen to be bold in trying new things, embrace new experiences, and discover their passion—the field that “makes their eyes shine”.
Another faculty representative, Chen Ying, shared her advice for the new students: “May you inherit the pioneering spirit of Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone where exploration and innovation lead the way. On the fertile ground of SZU, let knowledge be your foundation, and courage be your wings, as you chart an ambitious, exciting course in life.”
Freshmen share their aspirations: “be the protagonists of your own lives”, and former students return to campus
“SZU has never been a confusing multiple-choice question, but a journey where your heart leads the way. Choosing the Artificial Intelligence major, for me, feels more like a ‘deliberate plan’ where romance and reason intertwine,” said new student representative Tang Jialu. She shared her four-year academic plan and encouraged her peers to be grounded, fearless in exploring new opportunities, and focused on their goals. Tang urged them to see university as a “launchpad” for personal growth, and under the guidance of their “mentors”, to face challenges with independence, stay true to their original intentions through self-discipline, and forge a bright future through self-strengthening.
“SZU doesn’t provide ‘standard answers’; it gives us the confidence to ‘try, explore, fall, and rise again’. What we need to do is take that confidence and boldly become the protagonists of our own lives,” said new student representative Li Xincheng. Reflecting on his experience at SZU, Li encouraged his fellow students to cultivate a strong sense of patriotism, embrace the challenges of the times, and pass the baton of history, striving together toward a common future.
