Yan Zhen/Shanghai Daily news
Thousands of Fudan University graduates from around the
country and abroad gathered at the school's Handan campus over the weekend to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first modern university founded by
Chinese people.
The graduates were among more than 7,000 people, including
current students and faculty members, to take in the celebrations at the
school's current campus. They gathered for an anniversary ceremony in front of
the newly built Guanghua Tower on Saturday night.
At newly completed Chia-Tai
Stadium, about 5,000 Fudan students dressed in blue, red and orange T-shirts -
the three colors on the school's logo - kicked off another ceremony at 9:30am on
Saturday by passing a Fudan banner from hand to hand around the
arena.
Renowned Fudan scholars, scientists and other notable graduates, such
as He Huixian, vice president of the China Olympic Committee, were invited to
Saturday's event, along the granddaughter of Fudan's founder Ma
Xiangbo.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and the United Nations'
Secretary-general Kofi Annan sent congratulatory letters to the century-old
university.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress attended the celebration and said that a century of brilliant
history has turned Fudan into a world-renowned university and led to many
achievements.
"Since a university's development is closely connected with
that of a whole nation, it's of great significance for universities such as
Fudan to build themselves into world-class schools that can provide innovative
and powerful scientific support to the country," Wu said.
Speaking on behalf
of the city, Party Secretary Chen Liangyu said that Fudan has become a name
Shanghai can boast about to the outside world.
"The city government will give
full support to Fudan to make it a vigorous magnet for high-level professionals
from around the world," Chen said in his speech.
Returning graduates were
treated to campus tours, including stops at the new Guanghua Tower, campus
history museum, and teaching and dorm buildings they used to study and live
in.
Zhang Shousheng, a Fudan graduate who is now a tenured professor at
Stanford University in California, said that the tour reminded him of his time
on campus 27 years ago.
"No matter where I go, I'll be proud of the big
progress and achievements Fudan has made," said Zhang, who donated his
grandfather's diploma to the school, the oldest diploma in its
collection.
Meanwhile, Fudan alumni around the world also raised money to
plant an alumni forest at the university's under-construction Jiangwan campus.
Located to the left of the main campus gate, the forest - which will cover
5,000 square meters - was inaugurated on Friday.