Recently, the list of recipients of the 2025 Chinese College Student Self-Strength Star Scholarship was officially announced. Lu Hongmin, a doctoral student at Northeast Forestry University’s (NEFU) College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, was awarded the “Chinese College Student Self-Strength Star” title and received the New Oriental Self-Strength Scholarship for Chinese College Students.

Lu Hongmin is a delegate to NEFU’s 14th Party Congress and a 2023 Ph.D. candidate in Forestry at the College of Wildlife and Protected Areas. He previously served as a member of the Graduate Student Union Presidium and as the Organization Committee Member of the doctoral student Party branch in Animal Protection. He was also selected for the inaugural Doctoral Student Track of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Young Talent Support Program. Throughout his academic career, Lu has received more than 70 honors and awards at the national, provincial, and university levels, including the National Scholarship for Doctoral Students, the National Scholarship for Master’s Students, the National Encouragement Scholarship, and the Liang Xi Outstanding Student Award, as well as honors such as Provincial Outstanding Student, Outstanding Graduate, Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Communist Party Member, and one of our University’s Top Ten Students. As first author, Lu has published 10 SCI papers in Q1 journals, including three in Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Zone 1 TOP journals, two ranked among the world’s top 1% most highly cited, and one recognized among the world’s top 0.1% most highly cited papers. He has also led one doctoral innovation project funded by the central universities, which received an outstanding completion evaluation, and has been granted two national invention patents. Beyond academic research, Lu has been actively involved in rural revitalization and volunteer service. He has accumulated 1,043 hours of volunteer service, including serving as a volunteer teacher under China’s Western Development Volunteer Program at Taiping Primary School in Bawang Village, Zhaihao Town, Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, where he completed 732 class hours of rural teaching. Authoritative media outlets, including China Youth Volunteer, Western Volunteer, Harbin Daily, and Northeast Forestry University, have widely reported his inspiring story. It has also been published in book form by the China Youth Press.

The 2025 Chinese College Student Self-Strength Star Scholarship recommendation and selection program was guided by the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee and the All-China Students’ Federation and jointly organized by the China Youth Development Foundation and New Oriental Education & Technology Group. Centered on the theme “Confidence, Self-Reliance, and Responsibility,” the program encourages young students to take the initiative in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, rural revitalization, green development, social service, and national defense. It aims to showcase the ideals, sense of responsibility, perseverance, and dedication of Chinese youth in the new era and to promote role models who embody patriotism, moral integrity, resilience, and self-improvement.

Since the scholarship was established in 2007, Northeast Forestry University has had one student recognized as a Model Chinese College Student Self-Strength Star, 14 students honored as Chinese College Student Self-Strength Stars, and 21 students receive the Chinese College Student Self-Strength Star Nomination Award.