On the evening of September 27^th, 2024, the School of Marine Science and Engineering held a orientation meeting for of the newly admitted 2024 graduate and undergraduate students.

Professor Zhichao Shen delivers a speech and extends a warm welcome to the freshmen.

At the beginning of the conference, Professor Shen started with a thought-provoking question: 'What is the path to modernization with Chinese characteristic?' He then detailed the modernization process of China in various fields such as economy, infrastructure, livelihood, industry, and technology since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Professor Shen particularly emphasized the importance of the national strategy of becoming a maritime power and encouraged the students: 'Innovation is the leader of the era. As oceanographers of the new era, you should be brave in innovation and contribute to the Chinese path to modernization.'

Professor Shen also introduced the history and development of the school. He mentioned that the Guangzhou International Campus represents a new initiative in the domestic internationalization of higher education in China. The university is dedicated to cultivating outstanding marine professionals through innovative training models. He encouraged students to appreciate their excellent learning environment, strengthen their academic foundations, improve their overall qualities, and aspire to become future explorers, innovators, and practitioners.

By sharing his own engineering learning experiences, Professor Shen encouraged the students to be down-to-earth, not only to learn new knowledge, but also to learn to be a better person, so as to live a beautiful and fulfilling campus life. He said that in this era full of challenges and opportunities, everyone stands at a new starting point in life and should closely link their personal aspirations to the development of the country. We should strive to grow into ambitious, virtuous, and capable young people who are willing to take responsibility, and help build the country into a strong maritime power.