On the morning of September 21, the college held the Welcoming Ceremony for the Class of 2025 and the Undergraduate Advisor Pairing Ceremony in the Small Theater on the third floor of the Sports and Arts Center at the Yangzijin Campus. All college leaders, heads of various departments, and the director of the college experimental center attended the ceremony and were seated on the rostrum. Teacher representatives, alumni representatives, class advisors for the Class of 2025, undergraduate advisors for the Class of 2025, teachers from the College Youth League Committee (Student Affairs Office), and all new students of the Class of 2025 attended the ceremony. The ceremony was conducted in two stages: the first stage was presided over by College Deputy Party Secretary Xu Ting, and the second stage was presided over by Vice Dean Zhang Bing.

Stage 1: Welcoming Ceremony for the Class of 2025

The welcoming ceremony commenced with the resounding national anthem. Dean Deng Shejun, on behalf of the college, welcomed all the new students of the Class of 2025 and addressed them with a speech titled "Ascending Peaks and Gazing at Mountains: Building a Foundation with Strength, Using Confidence as Beams, and Erecting Bridges with Assurance". He emphasized that without ambition, nothing significant can be accomplished in the world. He expressed hope that all new students would use "strength, confidence, and assurance" as three steps to bravely scale their own academic and life peaks. He urged them to use specialized knowledge as a blade to cut through the fog of uncertainty, continuously solidifying their strength by deeply engaging in the classroom, innovating and expanding dimensions, and actively practicing. He advised them to use the college's legacy as a shield against the storms of the times, inheriting the academic traditions accumulated over the years and the fighting spirit of generations of civil and transportation professionals who "build roads where there are mountains and bridges where there are rivers". He encouraged them to use youthful responsibility as wings to soar into the future sky, correctly understanding industry cycle fluctuations, breaking through stereotypes, and actively embracing the new wave of technological revolution. He looked forward to all new students growing into civil and transportation professionals with skills in hand, responsibility on their shoulders, and a path under their feet, using strength as the pen, confidence as the ink, and assurance as the scroll, jointly writing a glorious youth chapter belonging to this era.

Professor Li Shengcai, as a teacher representative, extended a warm welcome to the Class of 2025. He reflected that the industry chosen by the students is both ancient and young, carrying ancient wisdom like Yu the Great taming the waters, while being rejuvenated under the wave of digitalization and intelligence. Combining the era and the profession, he proposed three hopes for the new students: First, carefully "train" the "algorithm" of life, establishing clear and lofty goals that resonate with national strategies. Second, continuously "iterate" oneself, possessing firm belief and strong "robustness", unafraid of challenges and progressing steadily. Third, bravely engage in "cross-border integration", breaking down professional barriers to become "intelligent agents" of exploration and innovation. Finally, he wished all new students to create more miracles for the world with their wisdom and hands.

Dong Zewei, General Manager of Jiangsu Times Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. and a 2012 alumnus of the Engineering Management program, shared his growth insights with the younger schoolmates based on his personal struggle experiences, focusing on "Study habits determine work habits, learning ability determines work ability," "Ability determines the lower limit, opportunity determines the upper limit," and "A step ahead leads to steps fast, a step slow leads to steps slow." He inspired everyone to detect trends like a radar, locking onto upward tracks; to deeply root themselves like a big tree, cultivating internal skills; and to await the harvest patiently like a farmer, precipitating themselves. He wished everyone to take root downward and grow upward like a tree, and to light their own light on the canopy of the era like scattered stars.

On September 3rd this year, Zhang Yunfeng from Class Civil Engineering 242, as a member of the reservist forces contingent, honorably received the review of the motherland and the people. As a senior student representative, Zhang Yunfeng, in his speech, shared his experience participating in the September 3rd Military Parade, calling it a significant life lesson about persistence, precision, and belief. Months of training transformed him into a more determined and responsible youth. He believes that the civil engineering profession possesses the characteristic of "building foundations for enterprises, connecting mountains and rivers," and its professional achievements continuously strengthen the foundation of a powerful nation. Finally, he advised the new classmates to uphold courage, surpass themselves in classroom learning, club activities, and experimental practice, and build a better future with solid responsibility.

Xu Ye from the Master's Class of 2025, Engineering Management direction, spoke as the new student representative. She proposed three thoughts to share with everyone: First, always maintain the original aspiration and mission, being Yangzhou University youths full of passion. Second, focus on cutting-edge technology, being Yangzhou University youths committed to innovation. Third, integrate into national development, being Yangzhou University youths who unite knowledge and action. She called on everyone to integrate the spirit of the university motto "Perseverance and Self-reliance" into daily actions and achieve better selves at Yangzhou University.

The college attaches great importance to the construction of the class advisor team, appointing 10 outstanding young teachers as class advisors for the Class of 2025. Vice Dean Zhang Bing read the college's "Decision on the Appointment of Class Advisors for the Class of 2025." The main college leaders presented appointment letters to the new class advisors for the Class of 2025.

Stage 2: Undergraduate Advisor Pairing Ceremony for the Class of 2025

The second stage of the ceremony was the Undergraduate Advisor System Pairing Ceremony for the Class of 2025. Vice Dean Kou Changjiang read the college's "Decision on the Appointment of Undergraduate Advisors for the Class of 2025." The main college leaders presented appointment letters to the 49 undergraduate advisors for the Class of 2025. The advisors presented the "University Student Career Manual" to the undergraduate students of the Class of 2025.

Li Congqi, Director of the Civil Engineering Department and representative of the undergraduate advisors, shared three reflections on the undergraduate advisor system as an educational mechanism, combining his personal experience and describing it as a "glorious responsibility" and a "warm cultivation": First, by establishing relatively fixed teacher-student connections, the advisor system can achieve substantive empowerment beyond just a "title". Second, through phased targeted measures, helping students establish professional cognition, enhance professional identity, and ultimately gain professional satisfaction, realizing a mutual pursuit between teachers and students. Third, the benefits of the advisor system can be fully unlocked only when students are "proactive" and advisors are "dedicated".

Lü Jiawei from Class Transportation 2201, as a student representative who has benefited from the undergraduate advisor system, shared bits and pieces of his interactions with his advisor since enrollment. From adaptive education at the beginning of university, to guidance on the path of academic exploration, and to companionship and support when facing major life choices, the true charm of the advisor system lies in transcending traditional classroom teaching and becoming a comprehensive, in-depth educational model. He called on all new students to seize the precious opportunity to walk alongside their advisors, fully temper themselves, and realize their personal value.

College Party Secretary Zhang Yan, with a speech titled "The Great Era and Small Goals," explored the meaning of university and the advisor system with everyone, revolving around the famous ultimate three questions in philosophical history: "Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?" Regarding "Who am I," he hoped the advisors would be guided by the spirit of educators, nurture student growth with the heart of parents, let their words be models for scholars and their actions exemplars for the world, enlighten wisdom and moisten hearts, and delight in teaching and love students. Speaking of "Where do I come from," he shared his own university story, encouraging students to cherish their youth and live up to their prime time, study diligently and cultivate themselves, establish themselves and help others under the care of their advisors, and become who they want to be. Concerning "Where am I going," he shared thoughts about the college's yesterday and our future, promising that the spiritual home of civil and transportation would definitely support students' urgent difficulties and worries and aid their glorious dreams. Finally, Zhang Yan adapted a famous quote from "How the Steel Was Tempered," wishing the paired advisors and students achieve mutual teaching and learning and a mutual pursuit.

The ceremony concluded with the entire audience singing the university anthem in unison.