Dear teachers, students, alumni and friends,
Warm greetings to everyone! As vitality surges following the Winter Solstice, we stand on the brink of saying goodbye to the old year and embracing the new. From Beijing, I wholeheartedly extend my best wishes for the New Year to each one of you!
With the dawn of the new year, a fresh chapter unfolds. On the eve of the arrival of the year 2024, it is with great pleasure that I extend heartfelt New Year greetings and earnest best wishes to all our esteemed faculty members, dedicated students and staff, esteemed retired colleagues, alumni both near and far, and friends from all quarters who have consistently offered their care and unwavering support to the advancement of Beijing Forestry University!
The year of 2023 has witnessed steady progress in pursuing China's high-quality development. The Chinese economy has maintained its recovery trajectory, while our modernized industrial framework has undergone further enhancements. Waters have become clearer, and mountains have grown greener. Rapid advancements are evident in the Xiong'an New Area. Assurance has been given through concrete actions towards the comprehensive establishment of a modern socialist nation.
The year of 2023 also marked the beginning of BFU's pursuit of high-quality development. We have been full implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress on all fronts, firmly promoting the study and implementation of the theme education of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, bearing in mind the spirit of Xi jinping's encouragement throughout the entire development process, and establishing a new mechanism for co-building and supporting BFU with the Ministry of Education, National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality.
In embracing the construction of ecological civilization as fundamental to its establishment and integral to its development, the entire BFU community has been diligently engaging with the significant inquiry: "How can we contribute to shaping a leading nation in education? What is our role in advancing ecological civilization? How can we effectively develop a dual-campus university?" In pursuit of these questions, we convened a high-quality development symposium and sketched out a strategic plan for "forging a world-class university that bolsters ecological civilization." We have articulated the critical "five points" that are essential for propelling BFU's superior development, tailored to its current circumstances. Additionally, we have kickstarted the construction of the BFU Xiong'an Campus, marking a substantial advancement in the innovative "One University with Two Campuses" development framework.
This year, we have firmly carried out the theme education of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and have diligently undertaken strategic planning aligned with the requirements for becoming a leading nation, solidifying the consensus within our university to actively contribute to the construction of ecological civilization. We vigorously promoted the "three entries" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and took the lead in plans, mechanisms, and standards for its implementation.We consider the formulation of a blueprint for our university's centennial and the realignment of our focus to serve the nation's ecological civilization construction as the most significant "new achievement" of our theme education. This undertaking has been meticulously crafted in congruence with the five-fold framework of ecological civilization, prompting a strategic mid-to-long term planning trajectory for our university. Furthermore, we have initiated an extensive strategic planning discussion across the university, guiding all members of our university community to identify their roles in contributing to the construction of ecological civilization.
This year, we have been guided by the guiding principles of Xijinping's encouragement directed at our university. We've dedicated ourselves to enhancing ecological civilization through education and the promotion of green science and technology innovation, while also reinforcing the awareness and commitment to partake in the actions contributing to the construction of ecological civilization.We proactively excelled in the research and dissemination of Xijinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization by establishing an ecological civilization think tank center. We faithfully executed our responsibilities as the secretariat for the National University Research Center on Xijinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, spearheading the formation of both the University Study and Research Alliance on Xijinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and the National University Alliance for Ecological Civilization Advocacy. Additionally, we organized the inaugural National Ecology Day events and led the initiation of the first National Youth Green Technology Innovation Competition.
This year, we prioritized our core responsibility and concentrated our efforts on enhancing the quality of talent development. We bolstered the talent cultivation framework to robustly support the construction of ecological civilization.In alignment with the Party's educational directives, we established the "five education" committee under the Party Committee, convened sports education meetings, and Beijing Forestry University was recognized as the nation's inaugural "Demonstration Base for Labor Education through Logistics Services." We articulated the undergraduate talent cultivation philosophy of "One Core, Two Transformations, Three Strengthenings, and Four Integrations," unveiled the undergraduate "Talent Cultivation Action Plan," and advanced the graduate "1358" Training Initiative. Furthermore, we developed a discipline system aligned with the five principal systems of ecological civilization construction. Notably, the first College of National Parks and the pioneering undergraduate program for national park construction and management were launched in China.
This year, we steadfastly held "the nation's top priorities" and exerted significant efforts to boost our capacity for scientific and technological innovation. We meticulously organized scientific research endeavors to align more closely with the overarching strategy of ecological civilization construction. Our university was granted official endorsement to establish the National Facility for the Preservation of Forestry and Grassland Germplasm Resources at the Xiong'an Campus, and construction began on two vital national key laboratories: the National Key Laboratory for Efficient Production of Forest Resources and the National Key Laboratory for Forest Genetics and Breeding. Moreover, we provided intensive support to the development of Yunnan and other national pilot zones for ecological civilization, as well as to the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park and other components of the national natural protection system.
This year, we tirelessly championed the ethos of educators and scientists, diligently working on the development of talent pool to fortify the strategic talent contingent at the forefront of ecological civilization construction. We organized a series of events to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Liang Xi's birth and to promote the legacy of educators and scientists. We established a long-term, focused political theory learning "biological clock" system and secured approval as the first base dedicated to scientist spiritual education. To further the deep-seated application of the "talent-driven development" strategy, we selected 22 scientific research and innovation teams, recruited 6 strategic scientists, and through flexible employment policies, brought on board 2 international strategic scientists, while also adding 7 new high-level national talents to our ranks.
This year, we centered our efforts on the concerns of faculty and students, with a heightened focus on refining our governance system and enhancing the support framework for their involvement in ecological civilization construction. Committed to the university's rule-of-law administration, we methodically advanced institutional reforms underpinned by refined systems and regulations. We established the "One School, One Policy" mechanism for college governance reform and introduced the "Resolve a major issue within one year" mechanism to tackle grassroots obstacles. The scope of our "Immediate Response to Complaints" service was broadened to include not just students but also faculty members and retired colleagues.Our inclusion in the central CPC and government organs' endowment insurance plan removed a significant bottleneck that had constrained our progress. The 37th basic education group in Haidian District was formed to foster integrated and coordinated development between higher education and basic education sectors. Additionally, we comprehensively enhanced our intelligent emergency response capabilities, ensuring a secure campus environment.
This year, we have persisted in expanding our horizons and embracing global opportunities, making substantial strides in international exchanges and collaborations to further develop our network for global ecological civilization construction. We forged new cooperative relationships with 18 overseas entities, including the Ethiopian Forestry Development Authority and the University of Strasbourg in France. We established China-France and China-New Zealand international joint laboratories and actively contributed to the establishment of the China-Mongolia Desertification Control Center and its associated demonstration base.
When savoring the sweetness of fruit, we should remember the trees that bore them; when quenching our thirst with water, we should reflect on the river's source; and as we journey forward, we ought to keep in mind the path we've traveled. The progress of BFU could not have been realized without the comprehensive support and assistance from all quarters. As the New Year approaches, we extend our sincerest gratitude to leaders at every level, members of society from various sectors, our retired comrades, faculty, students, and alumni for their invaluable contributions!
Next year, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a pivotal moment for BFU to transform our strategic development blueprint into actionable "working drawings" and actualize it into a tangible "reality". It will also serve as a "Year of Quality Improvement," where the entire university is dedicated to enhancing and validating our development through the lens of quality.
In the coming new year, we must bear in mind the Xi jinping's encouragement, continue to promote the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Sustaining high-quality development is essential for BFU's lifeline. We must hasten the construction of the Xiong'an Campus and energetically carry out our strategic plans with elevated spirits, increased motivation, and bolder actions. By doing so, we aim to advance BFU's "Five key initiatives" towards high-quality development. Our goal is to build a world-class university that serves ecological civilization construction and to achieve new milestones on the steadfast path toward China's modernization.
To all BFUers and friends around the world who hold a special place in their hearts for BFU, I wish you happiness, good fortune, and robust health in the coming year!
Happy New Year!
Wang Hongyuan, Party Commitee Secretary of BFU
An Lizhe, President of BFU
January 1, 2024
