On the afternoon of October 21, Lishui University held the opening ceremony for its 2026 international student cohort, together with the first orientation lecture, in the conference room on the ninth floor of the Library. Wang Jiu, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Lishui University Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department, and Xi Huiping, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Lishui Municipal People's Government, attended the event. All faculty and staff of the School of International Education joined representatives from functional departments and secondary schools — including the Office of Academic Affairs, the Student Affairs Office, the Security Department, the Graduate School, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange (International Student Affairs Office), the Communist Youth League Committee and the Logistics Service Center — together with freshman advisors and all members of the 2026 cohort. The ceremony opened with the singing of the national anthem.
This year, the total number of international students has doubled and the number of programs open to them has nearly tripled. For the first time, the university has enrolled international students at graduate level, establishing a complete pathway from language students and undergraduates to master's candidates — a substantial step forward in the university's internationalization.
On behalf of the university, Wang Jiu extended a warm welcome to the new students and expressed sincere gratitude to the municipal foreign affairs office, the municipal public security bureau, the municipal center for disease control and prevention and other agencies for their long-standing support. She shared three hopes with the students. First, uphold virtue and act with integrity: abide by Chinese laws and regulations as well as university rules, and maintain academic honesty — the university applies the same standards to international and Chinese students alike. Second, unite knowledge with practice: in line with the university's applied orientation, step out of the classroom and into laboratories, training rooms and internship bases, and take an active part in academic competitions and innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Third, keep a global vision: learn Chinese history and culture, observe China's modernization in practice, understand local industries in Lishui, and upon graduation serve your home countries as a core force for exchange and cooperation with China. She also set out three requirements for the secondary schools and freshman advisors: raise your perspective and incorporate international student education into your unit's overall talent development plan; combine strict management with genuine care, balancing rule-based governance with humanistic support, and resolve students' pressing difficulties in study and daily life; and strengthen coordination between schools and administrative departments to build strong synergy in teaching, management and service.
On behalf of the Lishui Foreign Affairs Office, Xi Huiping congratulated the new students. He noted that international education in China is an important vehicle for advancing people-to-people exchange and mutual understanding, and pledged the office's continued support for the university's work in this field. He encouraged the students to make the most of their time in China, take the initiative to learn about Chinese culture and grow into grassroots ambassadors of friendship between China and their home countries.
The head of the School of International Education welcomed the new students and outlined the school's programs and training system. She said the school pairs strict management with genuine care: every international student is assigned a class advisor, and platforms such as the international student union and various cultural clubs are in place to provide end-to-end support from registration and academic guidance to daily-life assistance. She encouraged the students to overcome their fear of the language barrier, take part in campus activities, make friends from China and abroad, and grow through exchange and practice.
At the ceremony, leaders on the rostrum presented university badges to the new student representatives. The badge carries more than a century of the university's heritage; it marks the students' new identity as members of the Lishui University community and conveys the university's hope that they will put down roots on campus and succeed in their studies.
After the ceremony, the first orientation lecture began. Lei Lei, Chief of the Law Enforcement and Management Brigade of the Exit-Entry Administration Detachment of the Lishui Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Liu Wujing, Deputy Chief of the Infectious Disease Control and Immunization Program Section of the Lishui Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, gave presentations on exit-entry administration, visa and residence policies and infectious disease prevention. Wang Yalei and Zhang Haibo of the School of International Education outlined arrangements for international student education and management in the new semester to help students settle quickly into study and life in China.
The ceremony both welcomed the 2026 international students and marked a concrete step by the university in deepening internationalization and raising the quality of international education. Going forward, the School of International Education will continue to refine its integrated training system, improve education management and support services, and provide a broad platform for international students to grow and succeed, contributing Lishui University's share to the opening up of education and to people-to-people exchange between China and other countries.
