Tracing back to the roots to inherit the predecessors' aspirations, enlightening wisdom and nurturing the soul to cultivate new medical talents. On the morning of September 28, the Huankui Medical Ideological and Political Lecture Hall & First Lesson for the Class of 2024 Freshmen was grandly held at the He Huankui Memorial Hall in Sanli Township, Jinxian County — the hometown of Mr. He Huankui, a founding pioneer of Nanchang University and the first president of Jiangxi Public Medical College. Luo Sihai, Secretary of the University Party Committee, personally delivered the opening ideological and political lecture to the freshmen. Xu Qiang, Secretary of the Jinxian County Party Committee, Qian Taigao, Member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, outstanding alumnus He Jianguo, Mr. He Huankui’s descendant He Danian, as well as responsible persons from the University Party Committee Publicity Department, Library, and Medical School, along with teachers and students of Huankui Academy, attended the event.

Commemoration: Visiting the Huankui Memorial Hall and Understanding the Spirit of the Predecessor

Led by the docent, Secretary Luo Sihai and the 2024 freshmen visited the He Huankui Memorial Hall and listened to the story of Mr. He Huankui’s lifelong struggle in pursuing knowledge and serving the country. Looking at the exhibits in the memorial hall, the students glimpsed Mr. He Huankui’s diligence and dedication during his academic years through the yellowed books; felt his perseverance and commitment to the medical cause via the old medical instruments; and absorbed his lofty ideals of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying with medical skills and rejuvenating the nation through education from the precious photos. The documentary about Mr. He Huankui further reproduced the details of his founding of Jiangxi Public Medical College, promoting medical education, and advancing medical technology, enabling the students to deeply comprehend his patriotic feelings of rejuvenating the nation through education and his pioneering spirit of forging ahead in running the school.

Inheritance: Launching the First Ideological and Political Lesson and Building the Foundation of Education

The ideological and political education class was hosted by He Haixiang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Medical School.

Secretary Luo Sihai encouraged the students of Huankui Academy to never forget their roots, carry forward the academic heritage, and inherit and promote Mr. He Huankui’s spirits of patriotism, perseverance, hard work, innovation, optimism, self-confidence and selfless dedication. He emphasized that entering Huankui Academy is both an honor and a great responsibility. The students should make solid academic plans, set lofty ideals, live up to their youth, and forge ahead bravely. They should be confident and self-reliant, and strive for long-term progress to become new era talents with the distinctive characteristics of Nanchang University. They should be self-disciplined and self-reflective, and keep their feet on the ground to become new era medical workers with benevolence and excellent medical skills. They should pursue innovation while adhering to fundamental principles, and aim high to become medical professionals who uphold integrity and drive innovation, contributing their strength to Healthy China and Healthy Jiangxi initiatives.

Secretary Xu Qiang talked about Mr. He Huankui’s outstanding contributions to the development of medical and health undertakings in Jiangxi, and expressed his gratitude to the teachers and students of Huankui Academy for carrying out cultural exchange activities at the He Huankui Memorial Hall every year. He hoped that in the future, both sides would further deepen university-local cooperation, join hands to promote the integration of industry, academia and research, and jointly boost industrial innovation and development.

Lawyer He Danian reviewed the touching stories of Mr. He Huankui studying abroad twice in his youth, healing the sick and caring for the country and its people, showing his noble medical ethics of benevolence and boundless love. He encouraged the students of Huankui Academy to study medical majors diligently, change their destinies with knowledge, fear no hardships on the path of learning, step out of the campus with excellent achievements, and repay their families, the university and the country.

Professor He Jianguo recounted the process of renovating, raising funds for and officially opening the He Huankui Memorial Hall. He stated that the memorial hall is an important witness to the century-old history of Nanchang University. Its establishment aims to strengthen cultural confidence, practice socialist core values, carry forward excellent traditional Chinese culture, inherit the red gene, gather striving forces, and tell the story of medical education in Jiangxi.

Dean Zheng Liping, on behalf of the teachers and students of the academy, expressed her gratitude and respect to the university leaders, government leaders, Lawyer He Danian and Professor He Jianguo for their long-term care, support and help to the students of Huankui Academy. She reviewed the development history of Huankui Academy and encouraged the students to inherit the virtues of noble medical ethics and superb medical skills, adhere to integrity and innovation, and become outstanding "Four-Having" students of Huankui Academy who "have light in their eyes, love in their hearts, aspirations in their chests, and a clear path under their feet".

Ding Runsong, representative of the freshmen, expressed his vision for college life and made a youth oath. He said that he would cherish the hope of passing on the torch, maintain unwavering perseverance, shoulder the mission of strengthening the country, fulfill the medical oath, and become a Nanchang University student and a medical professional of the new era with noble medical ethics, superb medical skills, courage to forge ahead, and confidence to take on responsibilities.

After the visit and study, the 2024 freshmen of Huankui Academy all said that they would take the predecessors as role models, inherit their spirits and forge ahead; they would embrace boundless love for medicine, dare to explore and innovate continuously; and they would use their benevolence and medical skills to bring hope and light to patients and contribute their youth and wisdom to the medical cause.

Editor: Yu Xiaochun