Wang Li, Chancellor of WKU: Only with Beliefs Can One Go Far

Dear student,

By the time you receive the offer of admission, you are already a student at Wenzhou-Kean University. This is something worthy of congratulations and remembrance in life. Since then, you have entered the sacred hall of knowledge of WKU and also started a wonderful journey of brilliant youth in your life. On behalf of WKU, I extend my sincere congratulations to you and your family!

It was signed to establish WKU in 2006, and the application for establishing WKU was officially approved in 2011, so last year was the tenth anniversary of the university. In the past decade, many milestones have been set up by WKU: In July 2014, WKU was listed on the fifth round of the deliverables of the China-US High-level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange; in 2019, In 2019, WKU was approved to offer 11 graduate-level programs; as of July 2022, WKU had trained more than 2,700 graduates, and about 60% of the graduates chose to pursue postgraduate studies. The postgraduate rate of undergraduate graduates ranks among the best in China’s colleges and universities. WKU is forging ahead in creating a “high-level and world-class university”.

At the moment, when you are about to enter WKU, as your new friend and Chancellor of WKU, I have three questions for you to think about carefully, hoping to inspire you to have more insights into life and clarify how to spend your university time.

First Question: What kind of person do you want to be?

Follow the way to go far. The key to the future is to set our hearts in the direction of life.

Li Yue, a graduate of English of 2021 from WKU, was admitted to the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University, which ranks first in the United States. “Four years of university life opened my eyes to a small world,” she said. It is the future goal of Li Yue, a newsman, to try to restore the truest and most vivid China stories to the world. Sun Changyi, a graduate of B.S. Biology of 2022 from WKU, has suffered from eczema since childhood. During his university time, he conducted research on the mechanism of eczema and published papers in international academic journals. “Improving academic ability, making scientific research achievements, and benefiting the community” has become the driving force and goal of his future development.

At present, more than 60% of the graduates of seven years cultivated by WKU choose to continue their studies, and the rest choose to work or start their own businesses. However, whether for further studies or employment, these graduates have used their four years in WKU to do a good job in the present and take the present road rightly and have gradually found the orientations and significance of their future life.

Now, I also ask you to think about this question and find your original aspiration seriously.

Second Question: How do you become the person you want to be?

“Dare to strive for dreams” is the quality of the young, but it’s also the quality of every WKU student. Every second you live at WKU, you learn to have your own independent thoughts.

From daily group discussions to international academic conferences to volunteer life all over the world… These are powerful means for you to recognize the world, establish a worldview, and understand the rules of the world. With a minor in biology and mathematics, Dou Wanying, a graduate of Computer Science in 2022, successfully unlocked the niche of bioinformatics and entered Harvard University. With a minor in art history, Gao Chen, a graduate of English in 2022, was finally accepted by University College Dublin as an art history major with a full scholarship based on her experience as a volunteer at the Chen Tianlong Art Museum in WKU. They seize every opportunity to learn to create ideas in travel and shape themselves in attempts. This is the meaning of “Start Here, Go Anywhere”.

Third Question: What can you do when the era needs you?

At WKU, I often praised WKU students’ desire to express their concerns and thoughts about society and the world beyond their individuals. In this era, you may be small but never weak. You can still utilize your wisdom and courage to contribute to the era and to the country. During the pandemic period, Fu Qingyun, a graduate in 2021, participated in the establishment of the Chinese Anti-pandemic Translation Volunteer Group, which gathered more than 1,000 volunteers within three days. Jiao Jinzhu, a WKU graduate of 2018, studied as a postgraduate at the School of Transnational Law of Peking University and provided legal assistance to Chinese women who suffered domestic violence in Belgium in the battle against COVID-19. “Giving back to the community through what I’ve learned is the most important lesson I’ve learned in WKU,” she said.

In the next four years, I hope you will always think about how to integrate your youth ideals, enthusiasm, and beliefs into the development of the country and the era, to become a practical part of this era.

Only with beliefs can one go far. The four years of university life will pass quickly. I hope that you will work hard at WKU to get true knowledge, develop skills, and become the pride of your parents, hometown, and WKU.

Finally, I have a suggestion. Please keep the habit of reading forever because the influence of reading will accompany people throughout their lives.

In August, I will greet you at the beautiful campus of WKU!

Chancellor of Wenzhou-Kean University

Foreign Academician of The Russian Academy of Engineering

Wang Li