At 10:00 on September 4, representatives from Aston University (UK) and theCollegeofCivil Engineeringheld an orientation for 2018 freshmen in the conference room on the 4th floor ofChengdongBuilding. Li Shunlong, vice president of NEFU, Fiona Lacey, vice president ofAstonUniversity, Geoff Pakes, and others attended the orientation. The orientation was chaired by Liu Zhiming, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office.

At the meeting, Li Shunlong delivered a speech. He pointed out that life in university is different from that in junior high school. Students should strengthen their competency in self-management. He recommended that students read more, think more, and be full of love. Jeff Pocks, vice president ofAstonUniversity, expressed his welcome to the students who will study in Aston, and introduced the academic atmosphere, comfortable and convenient living conditions as well as the teaching mode inAstonUniversityto ensure the improvement of students’ professional skills. The experience shared by excellent alumni in the advertising video made the freshmen even closer psychologically toAstonUniversity.

Professor Cheng Peifeng, dean of theCollegeofCivil Engineering, expressed his warm welcome and ardent hopes. John Elgy, head of the engineering management program atAstonUniversity, illustrated the skills that engineering management students should master.

In the Q&A session, students actively participated in the interaction, and raised questions they were concerned with, such as the mastery of English skills, course assessment, future planning (further study or work) and the consumption level in Aston. The teachers at the meeting patiently answered all the students’ questions.

Before the orientation, the Chinese and British sides had held a teaching seminar. The two sides held consultations on the refinement of the training program and the issues of common concern in teaching. Fiona Leahy participated in the teaching seminar and expressed her satisfaction.