On the afternoon of September 9, 2026, the Opening Ceremony for undergraduates, academic masters, Masters of International Business, doctoral candidates and international students of Beijing Normal University Business School (BNUBS) was held at the Student Activity Center. School Party and administrative leadership, department heads, tutors for new students, faculty representatives, heads of relevant departments, and the 2026 intake attended the ceremony. The event was presided over by Wang Jun, Associate Party Secretary of the School.

 

 

Wang Jun, Associate Party Secretary of the School, Presides over the Ceremony

Qi Yudong, Dean of BNUBS, extended sincere congratulations and a warm welcome to all new students on behalf of faculty and students of the School. Citing profound reflections from Karl Marx’s Reflections of a Young Man on the Choice of a Profession, Dean Qi encouraged students to take this moment as a fresh starting point. When choosing careers and navigating life journeys, they should always keep the nation and people in mind, look to the broader public, and proactively pursue vocations that bring welfare to more people, so that personal value can achieve enduring and noble significance through serving society. He emphasized that academic planning aims to foster professional growth and shape mental frameworks. He urged students to manage their time prudently, leverage the “three classrooms” to achieve all-round development, and strive to become future economists, management scholars and entrepreneurs equipped with “five types of intelligence and five favorable bonds”. He hoped that students would uphold the University motto: Learn, so as to instruct others; Act, to serve as example to all, as well as the School mission Promoting business and culture to serve the nation and the world by creating knowledge and developing talents, and grow into new-era youth capable of undertaking the mission of national rejuvenation.

 

 

Dean Qi Yudong delivered a speech

Professor Lin Yongsheng from the School’s Department of Finance spoke as the faculty representative. Professor Lin elaborated on the profound meaning of the School mission. He pointed out that economics and management disciplines are never merely studies of profit and efficiency; they are also inquiries about humanity, society, and how to build a better world. He urged students to embrace “Serving the Nation and the World” as their aspiration and “Advancing Business and Enriching Culture” as their pursuit. With solid professional expertise, independent critical thinking and deep patriotism, they should strive to become BNUBS scholars with knowledge, vision and a strong sense of responsibility in this great era.

 

 

Faculty Representative Lin Yongsheng  delivered a speech

 

Ma Yuankun, an undergraduate student majoring in International Economics and Trade from the 2023 intake, delivered remarks on behalf of continuing undergraduate students. Sharing his learning insights through three keywords: “humanity”, “possibility” and “responsibility”, he noted that the School combines the rigor and pragmatism inherent to economics and management with a warm humanistic atmosphere. He encouraged new students to interpret the real world from an integrated economic and humanistic perspective. He hoped they would uphold the values of “inclusiveness, diversity, innovation and accountability”, contemplate economic issues against social development and public wellbeing, fully utilize the School’s interdisciplinary framework and practical platforms, retain curiosity and courage to experiment, and boldly explore diverse possibilities for growth.

 

 

Undergraduate Representative Ma Yuankun delivered a speech

Xiao Xinru, a master’s student in Applied Economics from the 2024 intake, spoke on behalf of continuing graduate students. Her speech was themed “Shouldering the mission of benefiting the world through economics, forging a new chapter through integrating knowledge and practice”. Drawing on her own academic journey, she shared reflections. She stressed the need to consolidate ideals, nurture patriotism, learn theories from books and seek truth from practice, cherish love for the motherland, aspire to serve the nation and build capabilities for national development. She urged students to delve deeply into academic research, integrate knowledge with practice, traverse the land to understand grassroots demands and people’s aspirations, serve national priorities, shoulder the mission of the times, and fulfill youth responsibilities through down-to-earth efforts.

 

 

Graduate Representative Xiao Xinru delivered a speech

 

Yuan Yifeng, an undergraduate freshman in Business Administration (Digital Economy and Management Experimental Program) of the 2026 intake, spoke as the undergraduate freshman representative. She recounted her journey to BNU, interpreted the profound connotation of the University motto while reflecting on the University’s history. Standing at this new starting point, she shared three keywords — “taking root”, “breaking barriers” and “benefiting the wider community” — to encourage all new students. She called on everyone to deepen professional knowledge, dismantle mental boundaries, cultivate patriotism, and calibrate their pursuits with humanistic care while pursuing commercial efficiency, embodying the vision of BNUBS scholars.

Undergraduate Freshman Representative Yuan Yifeng delivered a speech

 

Cui Bohan, an undergraduate freshman in the Social Science Experimental Class of the 2026 intake, spoke as another undergraduate freshman representative. Drawing on his experience in table tennis, mathematical competitions and public welfare practices, he illustrated perseverance, rigor and empathy gained from liberal arts and science practice. Rooted in BNU’s motto and talent cultivation objectives, he highlighted the contemporary value of interdisciplinary liberal arts-science integration and technology for good. He called on all new students to study diligently, reflect critically, cultivate moral integrity and clarify their aspirations, analyze economic challenges with scientific spirit, care for public wellbeing with humanistic sentiment, and translate professional expertise into forces for social service and public good.

 

 

Undergraduate Freshman Representative Cui Bohan delivered a speech

Liu Yuetong, a master’s freshman in Accounting of the 2026 intake, spoke as the graduate freshman representative. Combining her academic learning and corporate internship experience, she described the transformation of finance amid the digital and intelligent wave. She advocated that students keep pace with the times, embrace technological innovation, integrate knowledge and practice, and sharpen practical capabilities. She stated that BNUBS students should cherish a devotion to the nation, perceive the trajectory of social development through economic data, integrate personal academic growth into national development, and shoulder youth’s mission with a dedicated scholarly attitude.

 

 

Graduate Freshman Representative Liu Yuetong delivered a speech

 

Associate Dean Jiang Jie delivered the First Lesson of the Semester. She first guided the audience to review the School’s 47-year development journey, pointing out that the institutional and disciplinary evolution of BNUBS is deeply embedded within the broader context of China’s economic and institutional reforms. She elaborated on the School’s educational philosophy: cultivating talents with profound humanistic and scientific literacy, global vision, strong social responsibility and the “four virtues”. She detailed concrete measures to implement this philosophy across eight dimensions including curriculum development, international exchanges, social practice and faculty development. Combining the School’s mission, vision and values, she interpreted the School’s culture and ethos, encouraging students to strive to become new-era economics and management professionals who “serve the nation and people as persons of paramount importance to the country”.

Vice Dean Jiang Jie Delivered School History and Orientation Education

 

Wang Jun delivered closing remarks. He noted that September 9, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Comrade Mao Zedong. He urged students to keep the great man’s exhortations in mind, consciously integrate personal aspirations into national development and national rejuvenation, study diligently, think critically and act steadfastly. They should shoulder the mission of the times with youthful commitment, write a brand-new chapter for the younger generation on the new journey of building a powerful country, and live up to the great cause forged by predecessors.

 

 

Wang Jun Delivered Closing Remarks

 

The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 intake of Beijing Normal University Business School concluded with the University anthem, Ode to the Majestic BNU. Standing at this brand-new starting point, may all 2026 freshmen bear the exhortations in mind and live up to their youth. May they embrace the courage to forge ahead and maintain persistent drive, pursue knowledge with dedication, dare to pioneer, and march forward toward their dreams. With youthful vigor, they will take on the mission of the times, leave footprints of growth through inquiry and practice, merge youthful ideals into the tide of national development, and compose a brilliant chapter for BNUBS students in the new era.

 

 

Group photo of all attendees

 

Contributed by Student Affairs Office

Photographed by Liu Changyu

Edited by Liu Changyu

Reviewed by Wang Jun