On May 16, the 11th Role Model Awards Ceremony kicked off at Zhuoyu Auditorium in Boyuan Building to reward outstanding individuals and groups who received various scholarships and honorary titles in 2023. Present at the ceremony were Wang Wenju, CUEB Party Secretary; Wu Weixing, CUEB Deputy Party Secretary and President; Xu Fang, CUEB Deputy Party Secretary; Li Xiaomu, Vice President; Mao Baizhan, Member of the CUEB Party Standing Committee and Secretary of Commission for Discipline Inspection; and Yin Zhichao and Chen Yanbin, Members of the Standing Committee and Vice Presidents. The ceremony was presided over by Meng Bo, CUEB Deputy Party Secretary.

In his speech, Wang Wenju noted that the role models inspire us to keep moving forward, demonstrating actions that we can emulate. He stated that in various fields—be it scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship, military service, or social contributions—these role models epitomize the pursuit of youthful dreams. Wang stressed that excellence comes in many forms and that with the right approach and efforts, everyone has immense potential and boundless possibilities. He encouraged everyone to see themselves as key players in this great era, capable of creating remarkable lives.

He stressed that the coming period is essential for the university’s growth. He called on all students to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, speeding up efforts to achieve the goals set by the Fifth Party Congress of CUEB. He encouraged students to advance with firmer ideals, make breakthroughs with creative thinking and take proactive responsibility. In doing so, they can showcase CUEB’s wisdom and strategies, contributing to the modernization with Chinese characteristics and Beijing’s development in the new era.

The ceremony commenced with the video “Full Blossom”. Following this, Feng Bo, Minister of the Student Affairs Department of CUEB Party Committee, presented an overview of the 2023 Annual Awards. The school has persisted in its fundamental task of fostering virtues through education, emphasizing the integration of moral and academic education. By giving full play to the incentives and guiding roles of rewards, the university aims to encourage students to excel in their studies. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the university conferred a total of 29 scholarships and honorary titles among full-time undergraduates, graduates, and overseas students.

Chen Yanbin presented awards to the representatives of individual scholarships for graduate students. A total of 2,711 received Academic Scholarships, and 76 received Research Scholarships. Among the international students, 6 were awarded Chinese Government Scholarships, 4 earned the title of Excellent Overseas Student, and 2 graduates received excellent grades.

Yin Zhichao presented awards to the representatives of individual scholarships for undergraduates. Among the undergraduates, 2,042 were awarded Academic Scholarships, 425 Social Work Scholarships, 85 individuals and 81 teams Research and Innovation Scholarships, and 26 individuals and 41 teams Cultural and Sports Competition Scholarships.

Fan Donghai, the representative of Academic Scholarships, winner of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and a student from the International School of Economics and Management School shared his entrepreneurial journey titled “When Tea Latte Art Meets Cross-border E-commerce” (Tea Latte Art, a unique technique that creates a pattern on the surface of tea soup via water injection and agitation in Song Dynasty, later becoming a cultural favor of Chinese literati). “College life is a valuable journey that not only equips us with knowledge and abilities, but also fosters our creativity to realize our dreams,” Fan said. In the future, he plans to embody the “camel spirit” by bravely pursuing his dreams, continuously exploring, and writing a fantastic chapter of youth through hard work in the new era.

Mao Baizhan presented individual honorary titles to the representatives. A total of 1,032 students were honored, including 21 Municipal Merit Student titles, 8 Municipal Outstanding Student Cadre titles, 562 University-level Merit Student titles and 441 University-level Outstanding Student Cadre titles.

Li Xiaomu conferred the group honorary titles. 7 classes were awarded the Beijing Advanced Class, and 28 classes CUEB Advanced Class. On top of that, 28 classes won the title of CUEB Excellent Learning Style Class and 5 classes won the title of CUEB Top Ten Class. Moreover, 45 dormitories were awarded the Five-star Dormitory title, and 8 student Party branches were awarded in the Party “1+1” program activity.

Representing the Top Ten Class, Class 1 of Grade 2021 from the School of Labor Economics performed a play titled “Empowering Labor with Digitalization, Youth Soaring in the New Era”. Their innovative performance used a two-act stage play format, featuring a themed class meeting and interviews with food delivery riders, vividly illustrating how they applied their professional skills in hands-on practices. By leveraging the digital economy and empowering digital labor, they are exploring new directions in labor science, contributing to the development of new productive forces, and infusing youthful energy into China’s modernization efforts.

Xu Fang presented National Scholarship and National Encouragement Scholarship. Altogether, 89 won the National Scholarship and 262 won the National Encouragement Scholarship.

Wu Weixing presented the President’s Scholarship. Recognized as the highest award for students at CUEB, President’s Scholarship is bestowed upon undergraduates (or junior college students) with excellent moral qualities, professional skills, outstanding innovation abilities, and excellent comprehensive qualities. A total of 11 students were honored this year.

Li Ruichen, a representative of President’s Scholarship winners and a student from the School of Foreign Studies, shared his inspiring journey in a speech titled “Chasing Light and Walking in Light”. In his story, he forged ahead through constant efforts, strengthening capabilities through critical thinking and practical practice. He said that there are no shortcuts; achieving our dreams necessitate great efforts and perseverance. He urged everyone to stay passionate, grounded in their studies, and consistently take actions to achieve their goals.

The veterans and members of our university’s military service discharge representatives and the national flag-raising team presented a captivating performance titled “Setting Sail for Dreams, Returning with Honor”. They shared their experiences of serving in the army and dedicating themselves to national defense, showing how their dedication and hard work allowed their youth to shine brightly. Their remarkable endeavors left a profound impression on both teachers and students.

This year, the Student Affairs Department of the Party Committee composed an original theme song titled “Forging Dreams” for the award ceremony. Every note of this song seems to extol spirit of resilience and determination among CUEBers. It seems to describe CUEBer’s journey of pursuing dreams and creating glory. Wang Xinbo, Cai Zimo, Ji Xiaowei and Ma Congyuan sang the song live, eliciting applause from the audience.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Meng Bo hoped that more students would carry on singing this song, gaining power and inspiration from it. He encouraged CUEBers to embrace the message conveyed by the lyrics, challenging themselves and going beyond themselves, ultimately realizing dreams through hard work.

Present at the ceremony were leaders of the Institutional Affairs Department of CUEB, and Party Secretaries, deans, deputy Party Secretaries, counselors, and student representatives of each school.