On September 14, the “DMU Impression” Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Intake of Dalian Maritime University (DMU) was held at Xishan Stadium. University leaders including Xu Minqiang, Shan Hongjun, Luo Zhongshan, Zhao Baogang and Ji Yulong attended the ceremony, together with heads of administrative departments, teaching and research units, support and service units, and university-affiliated enterprises, as well as faculty representatives, student-affairs staff and military training instructors. Undergraduate students, postgraduate students and international students of the 2026 intake took part in the ceremony.

The ceremony kicked off with the stirring national anthem, as powerful and majestic singing resounded throughout the venue.

Xu Minqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the university, pinned university badges on Liu Yuanshu, Hu Haonan, Nie Fangchen and Fa Zi’an, representatives of freshmen of the 2026 intake. He also presented them with a three-volume series of oral histories of DMU alumni. All members of the 2026 intake donned their university badges on site. Serving as the distillation of the university’s spirit and campus culture, the university badge leaves the exclusive mark of a DMUer on every member of the 2026 intake the moment they wear it on their chests. As a cultural legacy of the university, this set of books recount the dream‑chasing journeys, perseverance and commitment of successive generations of DMUers. They convey not only the sincere expectations of the university for incoming students, but also the DMU spirit passed downed from one generation to the next.

Shan Hongjun, President of DMU and President of the Alumni Association, extended a warm welcome to the 2026 intake on behalf of the university’s faculty, staff, and alumni worldwide. In his speech themed “Pursue Truth and Beauty, Cultivate Scholarship, and Strive to Temper Yourselves into Good Young People of the New Era with Ideals, a Sense of Responsibility, Resilience, and a Spirit of Endeavor,” he shared his reflections and expressed his hopes. He emphasized that the journey of the new era calls for young pioneers with ideals, a strong sense of responsibility, resilience, and a spirit of endeavor. In their pursuit of truth and excellence, students should remain rigorous and pragmatic, stay true to their passion, and embrace their responsibility to serve society. He encouraged students to pursue truth and build a firm foundation for their ideals, charting the course of their lives with their country in mind. They should remain steadfast in their pursuit of truth, align their personal aspirations with the broader development of the nation, and become DMU students with lofty ideals and a strong sense of responsibility to society and the country. He called on students to pursue excellence and strengthen their sense of responsibility by contributing to China’s maritime development. They should strive to be pioneers at the forefront of their times and help shape the future of the shipping and maritime sectors, contributing their talents to China’s efforts to build a strong transportation nation and a strong maritime nation. He urged students to cultivate themselves and develop the resilience to face hardship, building strength of character through challenges and experience. They should go beyond simply learning from books to deepen their knowledge and understanding, develop the perseverance and capabilities needed to withstand difficulties, and become DMU students ready to weather the challenges ahead. Finally, he encouraged students to devote themselves to learning and develop the practical capabilities needed for sustained endeavor, building extraordinary lives through steady and dedicated effort. They should study diligently with focus and commitment, think independently and critically, and put what they learn into practice by integrating knowledge with action. Meanwhile, he encouraged the students to develop and maintain two daily habits throughout their university years: reading and exercising. Through sustained reading, they could broaden their horizons and enrich their inner lives; through consistent exercise, they could strengthen their bodies and temper their willpower. In closing, he urged the students always to remember DMU’s motto, “Gathering knowledge from myriad sources, extending virtue to the boundless seas”; carry forward its tradition of “Helping each other in adversity; enduring hardships with unparalleled perseverance; navigating the seas with scientific approach and taking patriotism as our deep-rooted foundation”; uphold its spirit of “resolve, rigor, diligence, and innovation”; and embrace the DMU approach to learning: “Having an in-depth quest for the acquisition of truth, fostering moral integrity for the benefit of all, striving hard for the service of homeland and the people and achieving excellence for the development of maritime industry”, and dedicate their youthful and striving selves to contributing tremendous strength to building a strong country and advancing national rejuvenation.

Vice President Ji Yulong presided over the ceremony.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Faculty representatives from the respective schools and colleges presented shoulder insignia to representatives of the 2026 intake from provinces and regions along the route of the Long March. Through this ceremony, the new generation of DMU students were encouraged to remember history and remain mindful of their responsibilities, setting out across the vast blue waters with wholehearted dedication and paving the way toward their dreams through sustained and practical efforts.

Professor Li Guoqiang of the Law School spoke on behalf of the faculty. Drawing on the characteristics of learning in the digital age, he encouraged the students to cultivate a critical mindset and learn to question, reflect and think discerningly. He urged them to approach artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies rationally while safeguarding their capacity for independent thought. He also encouraged them to move beyond passively receiving knowledge and become active seekers of truth, charting their own course at DMU and setting out toward the boundless horizons that await them.

Wu Yuze from the Navigation College spoke on behalf of the incoming undergraduates. He shared how his bond with the sea began in childhood and how he ultimately made the firm decision to choose DMU. He called on all new students to set their sights on the deep blue, pursue their goals with steadfast determination, hone their professional skills, and develop the courage and sense of responsibility needed to brave the winds and waves, thereby contributing their youthful energy to building China into a strong transportation and maritime nation.

Sun Chuning from the School of Foreign Languages spoke on behalf of the incoming postgraduate students. She shared the insights she had gained from serving teachers and students through student organizations, as well as her experience of volunteering as a teacher in Xizang. She encouraged the new students to devote themselves to their chosen fields, align their knowledge and expertise with the needs of the country, and channel their youthful aspirations into the tide of the times.

During the ceremony, attendees watched the themed short film Mountains and Seas. The film told heartwarming stories of the 2026 intake beginning their journey with DMU and vividly portrayed a future in which DMU students set sail for the deep blue and the vast oceans. It deeply moved the teachers and students present and resonated strongly with them.

Li Yiming, an incoming undergraduate from the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering College, led the 2026 intake in taking a solemn oath. The ceremony concluded successfully with the students’ resounding pledges echoing throughout the venue.

This year’s opening ceremony was livestreamed simultaneously on China Youth Daily, the official WeChat Channels account of China Transport News, China College Student Online, and DMU’s official accounts on WeChat Channels, Tiktok, Weibo and Kuaishou. Faculty members, students, alumni, parents and members of the wider public watched the ceremony online.