Seventy years have witnessed great progresses and a new journey has begun to promote development. On the occasion of welcoming the 20th CPC National Congress, Northeast Forestry University ushered in its 70th birthday on July 10, and the celebration meeting was grandly held in the new gymnasium. The meeting was broadcast live to the world online. More than 3 million people from all walks of life at home and abroad who are concerned about the development of NEFU watched the broadcast, reviewing the 70-year glorious history and looking forward to the bright prospects. As of press time, tag of “The 70th Anniversary of Northeast Forestry University” ranked 23rd in national top searches, and first in the city. The topic was read about more than 30 million times online, and was liked by netizens on various platforms more than 10 million times.
Attendees included He Liangjun, member of the Standing Committee of Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department; Gu Zhenchun, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Congress, President of the Provincial Institute of Socialism, and an alumnus of our school; Sun Dongsheng, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province; Zhao Yusen, Vice Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Political Consultative Conference and an alumnus of our school; Zhang Qixiang, Deputy Secretary of the Harbin Municipal Party Committee, Mayor, Secretary of Leading Party Group of the Municipal Government, an alumnus of our school, and leaders of the Ministry of Education and National Forestry and Grassland Administration, leaders of relevant units directly under Heilongjiang Province, leaders of various cities, leaders of relevant units directly under Harbin City, and some counties ( district) leaders, leaders of some fraternal institutions and friendly units, current leaders of NEFU, representatives of former school leaders and retired comrades, representatives of teachers and students, representatives of alumni, and representatives of people from all walks of life who care and support the development and construction of NEFU. Zhang Zhikun, Secretary of the NEFU Party Committee, presided over the celebration.
The celebration opened with a solemn ceremony where all members present faced the national flag and sang the national anthem.
Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Chairman of the China Zhigong Party, President of the China Association for Science and Technology, a 1975 NEFU alumnus, delivered a speech via video. He extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all teachers, students and staff, as well as alumni around the world. He said that NEFU, as a well-known university established and prospered because of the forests, should give full play to its advantages, take the initiative to take responsibility, and act actively in the great historical process of building ecological civilization. He raised three expectations for the future development of NEFU: focus on serving the country’s “two-carbon” strategy, conducting in-depth research on biodiversity, and deepen international exchanges and cooperation.
Zhong Denghua, member of the Leading Party Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, delivered a speech via video. He affirmed the important contributions and achievements of NEFU in forestry construction, ecological civilization construction, and economic and social development over the past 70 years. He hoped that NEFU would take its 70th anniversary as a starting point, base itself on the “two overall situations”, and harbor the “The Top Priorities of the Country”, grasp the general trend, dare to take responsibility, be moral and ethical, and strive to create a new situation of high-quality development. He put forward three hopes for NEFU: uphold overall leadership by the CPC; stick to the socialist orientation in running schools; insist on morality education; strive to cultivate new talents who can take the important mission; insist on taking root in the Northeast area, and continuously improve their ability to serve the country.
He Liangjun, member of the Standing Committee of Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, read out a congratulatory letter from the Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government for NEFU’s 70-year anniversary. The congratulatory letter expressed the expectations that NEFU will actively participate in the implementation of the “Six Longjiang” policy and the “Eight Revitalizations” policy; better serve the all-round revitalization of Heilongjiang Province, and welcome successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress with practical actions and excellent results.
President Li Bin delivered a speech at the celebration meeting. He pointed out that over the past 70 years, NEFU has actively participated in national construction and the development of higher education, adhering to the spirit of the school motto “learn from heaven and earth, be virtuous and be natural”, taking root in northern border of China, preserving lucid waters and lush mountains, and committing to ecological civilization. NEFUers inherit the sentiments for forests, forging ahead and dedicating to thriving the forest development in China. NEFUers adhere to the character of forests, determining to nurse young generations with knowledge and good qualities. NEFUers learn the wisdom of forests, insisting on innovation and creativity. NEFUers follow the green steps of forests, being eager to share and cooperate and regarding the characteristic culture as its soul in development.
Li Bin pointed out that currently NEFU is standing at a new starting point for building a high-level research university. NEFU should uphold the leadership of the CPC, adopt morality education, foster the school culture and preserve the ecological environment, cultivate outstanding talents who know forests, love forests and undertake the task of great rejuvenation of Chinese nation, closely around the “double carbon” goal and focus on the needs of economic and social development, accurately serve the development of forest and grassland industries, focus on solving major problems in the fields of global climate change and carbon neutrality, protect the ecological security in Northern China, continuously improve the ability to serve regional and local development and take the initiative to help boost all-round revitalization of Heilongjiang Province.
In order to express gratitude to the special contributions of our predecessors, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary, Lifetime Achievement Prizes were awarded to five professors: Zhu Zhengxian, NEFU’s famous wood drying expert, a pioneer of high-efficiency and energy-saving wood drying technology and equipment research and industrialization promotion; Zhou Xiaofeng, a famous ecologist, the founder of the Mao’er Mountain Forest Ecological Station, the founder and pioneer of operation theory “plant conifers and protect broad-leaved trees”, forest ecological benefit compensation system and researches on forest ecosystem localization; Ding Baoyong, a famous silviculturist, the founder of the restoration of degraded forest ecosystems, the inventor of effect zone afforestation and dynamic tending technology of artificial forests; Ma Jianzhang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a famous Wildlife Management scientist, national teaching master; Li Jian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, academician of the International Academy of Wood Sciences, famous Timber Scientist, forestry educator, former President of NEFU.
Representatives of domestic and foreign universities expressed their best wishes for the school’s 70th birthday: Han Jiecai, President of Harbin Institute of Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Dawn Frashwater, President of the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Wang Gang, alumni representative (1991), Secretary of the Qiqihar Municipal Party Committee of Heilongjiang Province; Mai Xinnian, a student representative and 2021 master’s student of the School of Marxism, also expressed their sincere wishes for the birthday of their alma mater.
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Li Jian from College of Materials Science and Engineering delivered a speech on behalf of all NEFU’s teachers. Professor Li Jian reviewed his study and work life in NEFU, described the achievements of himself and his team in scientific research, expressed the pride and honor of being a NEFUer, and promised on behalf of all teachers to give better guidance on students’ study, behavior and morality.
On behalf of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration), Li Shuming, member of the Leading Party Group and Deputy Director of the NFGA, expressed his gratitude to NEFU for its contributions to national forestry construction, ecological civilization construction and social development over the past 70 years. He hoped that NEFU could take Xi’s thought on ecological civilization as the guide, and together with other forestry colleges and universities in China to undertake the mission of achieving the modernization of forestry and grassland; give full play to its advantages of scientific and technological innovation in the forestry and grassland industry; focus on core technologies and key links, and strengthen basic research and applied research; comprehensively improve the ability to serve the country’s development and continue to promote the development of forestry and grassland industry to a new level.
Sun Dongsheng, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, on behalf of the Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, expressed warm congratulations to the school on its 70th birthday. He said that over the past 70 years, the school has always focused on the cultivation of high-level talents, adhered to the pursuit of extraordinary quality, concentrated on serving local areas and has made important contributions in Heilongjiang’s shouldering of the country’s ecological security. He also said that at present, forestry development has shouldered more important missions and responsibilities in building an ecological civilization, promoting green development and addressing climate change. Standing at a new starting point, he hoped that NEFU will better undertake the national mission, effectively promote local development, focus more on pursuing first-class lofty goals, and accelerate the construction of a world-class forestry university rooted in the northeastern China.
At the celebration meeting, 70 representatives of teachers and students had a live performance of the poem “Green Inheritance”, expressing the firm belief of contemporary NEFUers in fulfilling the green mission and carrying forward the green spirit.
Zhang Zhikun said that looking back on the past is to better face the future. NEFU’s teachers and students will unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, keeping in mind the “two overall situation”, “The Top Priorities of the Country”, staying true to the original mission, forging ahead to the future, pursing the excellence, and going forward to building a world-class forestry university with Chinese characteristics, welcoming the successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress with new attitude and excellent results, and making greater contributions to building a beautiful China and achieving the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation.
The celebration meeting came to an end when all the participants sang the school song “Forward, Northeast Forestry University”.
During the school celebration, NEFU also received more than 180 congratulatory letters and telegrams from relevant departments, the education groups of Chinese embassies abroad, brother colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, enterprises and institutions, etc.
