To warmly celebrate the 41st Teachers' Day, Dalian Maritime University (DMU) held the 2025 Teachers’ Day Celebration and Awards Ceremony, themed “Shaping Teachers with the Spirit of Educators and Composing a Magnificent Chapter in Building a Powerful Education Nation,” in the Gymnasium on the afternoon of September 10. University leaders including Xu Minqiang, Shan Hongjun, Luo Zhongshan, Zhao Youtao, Zhao Baogang and Zeng Qingcheng, 1979-enrolled alumnus of the university Zhang Yao, retired teachers, teachers with 30 years of teaching experience, newly recruited teachers, commended teachers as well as teacher and student representatives from various schools and departments attended the ceremony.

At the ceremony, a Congratulatory Letter from the Ministry of Transport was read, and teachers who had received various honors at or above the provincial level during the 2024-2025 academic year was introduced.

Party Secretary Xu Minqiang presented "Gratitude Certificates" to representatives of retired teachers and delivered a speech. On behalf of the university, he extended Teachers’ Day greetings to all faculty and staff, expressed high respect to the senior teachers and old comrades who had devoted their efforts to the development of the university, and offered warm congratulations to the outstanding teachers who had been commended.

He pointed out that on the eve of the 41st Teachers' Day, Liu Wei, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of the Ministry of Transport, visited the university for research and investigation, during which Liu Wei expressed regards to the teachers of Dalian Maritime University, affirmed the university's achievements in running schools, and clarified the goals, directions and key tasks for the university's development orientation in terms of serving national strategies, meeting industrial needs, and accelerating the building of a "domestically top-tier and world-class research-oriented maritime university". On Teachers' Day, Li Yang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, specially sent Teachers' Day greetings to all teachers of the university. These fully demonstrate the care and attention of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Transport for the teachers of Dalian Maritime University, as well as its earnest expectations for the university's construction and development.

He noted that over the past year, all members of DMU have remained true to the mission of “educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the nation.” Guided by the spirit of great educators, they have worked with unity, pragmatism, dedication, and responsibility. As a result, the quality-improvement initiative for cultivating innovative and top-tier talent has begun to bear fruit; university-driven, organized research outcomes are gradually emerging; the “No. 1 Project” has effectively advanced talent cultivation under targeted guidance; and the university’s international influence and voice have been comprehensively enhanced. The year 2025 marks a crucial stage in fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, a breakthrough year in advancing the building of a strong education system, and, for the university, the most critical year for planning the “15th Five-Year Plan” and pushing forward the “Double First-Class” initiative. DMU will seize opportunities to achieve tangible progress in its undertakings, promote the integrated development of education, science, and talent, and continue to serve the country, the industry, and local development. He emphasized that teachers are the core strength of the university’s development and the primary resource for higher education. Teachers at DMU should take the spirit of great educators as their guide to hold the helm firmly and be teachers of unswerving patriotism; to anchor themselves in moral integrity and be role models of virtue; to harness professional competence and educational skills and be seekers of truth and innovation; and to raise their sails with international vision and global perspective and be leaders in teaching and academic exchange. By becoming practitioners, doers, and actors of the spirit of great educators, DMU teachers will contribute their strength to the grand journey of building a world-class maritime university and to the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

President Shan Hongjun presented “Letters of Expectations” and university badges to representatives of newly appointed teachers and awarded the “Dedication Award” to representatives of teachers who had completed 30 years of service by 2025.

Luo Zhongshan, Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection presented awards to representatives of the recipients of the 2024 Dalian Maritime University Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Vice President Zhao Youtao presented awards to representatives of winners of the 2024 DMU Teaching Competition for Theory-Based Courses and the Teaching Innovation Contest.

Vice President Zhao Baogang presented awards to the Top Ten Instructors of DMU for 2024.

Vice President Zeng Qingcheng presented awards to representatives of the 2024 DMU Distinguished Teaching Award winners.

Alumnus Zhang Yao presented awards to representatives of winners of the 2025 DMU Outstanding Young Maritime Faculty Award.

Professor Li Zhenfu from the Transportation Engineering College spoke on behalf of outstanding teachers. He provided an in-depth analysis of the current challenges in education, emphasizing that teachers must uphold integrity and innovate with professional determination and educational passion. He stated that teachers must develop strong skills, create high-quality courses and academic brands, guide students in building systematic knowledge structures, and turn knowledge into action. Moreover, in the context of intelligent education, teachers must preserve “genuine care”, responding to students’ doubts with attention, guarding their growth with patience, and illuminating their path with sincerity. While leveraging technology, they should become educators who meet the demands of the times.

Qiu Shaoyang from the College of Artificial Intelligence spoke on behalf of newly recruited teachers. He fondly recalled his growth experiences as a student at DMU, expressing gratitude for his alma mater’s cultivation and the care of his teachers. He expresses that, in his new position, he will stick to the original mission of fostering virtue through education and ride the trend of education innovation. Specially, he is committed to deeply integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with teaching, piloting smart classroom initiatives, and promoting audience-based education. Through this, he aims to meet the demands of the industry with scientific research innovation, and to pass on the DMU spirit with youthful enthusiasm.

The ceremony paid tribute to all DMU teachers who have remained dedicated to imparting knowledge and educating people diligently through video clips titled “New Horizons•New Hope”, “Riding the Current•Scaling the Summit”, “Heritage•Continuity” and “Greetings on Teachers’ Day”.

Faculty representatives express their much respect and gratitude to the teachers by performing the songs “The Brightest Star in the Night Sky” and “Miss Forever”.

A choir composed of retired teachers, current faculty, and some alumni perform the song “The Same Song”, expressing their deep attachment to the university.