On April 19, the university held a return-to-campus event for the Class of 1996 on the 30th anniversary of their graduation, themed "Thirty Years of Wind and Rain, a Lifetime of Devotion to USTB." The School of Economics and Management (SEM) actively assisted in organizing the related activities.
In the preparatory stage, the School actively cooperated with the university's Alumni Association to contact and compile information on the alumni of the 1996 class, prepared supplies for their return, and assigned volunteers to handle on-site check-in, guidance, and photography on the day. That morning, after checking in upon their return to campus, the alumni of the SEM's 1996 class attended the 30th Graduation Anniversary Commemoration held in the gymnasium.
Xu Xiaoping, Secretary of the university's Party Committee, introduced the university's achievements in development in terms of serving national needs, enhancing its institutional strength, deepening talent cultivation, and the construction of the Xiong'an campus, and encouraged the alumni to visit their alma mater often and to pool their wisdom and strength to jointly build a world-class university. Former President Yang Tianjun affectionately recalled the youthful years of rigorous study and courageous practice of the alumni of the 1996 class during their time at the university, highly praised their outstanding achievements in taking root on the front lines and serving the country through practical work, and encouraged them to keep forging ahead and to often return to their alma mater to support its development.
In the afternoon, the School made careful preparations and warmly welcomed the alumni of the 1996 class back to their home school, opening classrooms, laboratories, and the SEM Study Corner for them to visit and exchange views as they commemorated the 30th anniversary of their graduation together. After an absence of thirty years, long-awaited reunions moved many alumni beyond words; they embraced one another and exchanged the greeting, "Long time no see." Sitting together, the alumni reflected on the present and the past, chatting from their youthful days to their now lightly grizzled temples, and shared their struggles and perseverance. Strolling through the Economics and Management Building and seeing the School's new changes, everyone was filled with genuine pride. Thirty years took away their youthfulness but left the deepest bonds between teachers and students and among classmates. No matter how far they have gone, the School will always be the warmest home in their hearts. Finally, the alumni posed for a group photo amid laughter and joy, their hearts still closely linked, as warm as ever.
The successful holding of this return-to-campus event for the 1996 class would not have been possible without the diligent efforts of the class liaisons and the enthusiastic response of the alumni. This reunion after thirty years was not only a heartwarming gathering across time but also a new starting point for building consensus and pooling strength. In the future, the School will continue to devote itself wholeheartedly to alumni services and to build more platforms for alumni exchange, so that this bond with USTB, spanning thirty years, will grow ever stronger with time and become the warmest source of strength on each other's journey ahead.
