On October 17, more than 30 alumni of the 2004 MBA class of the School of Economics and Management (SEM), gathering from all corners of the country, returned to the alma mater they had left twenty years before for a return-to-campus event marking the 20th anniversary of their graduation, themed "Twenty Years of Striving USTB MBAs, Deep Affection Endures from Afar". Twenty years ago, they set sail from here carrying their dreams; twenty years later, they return laden with achievement and honor.
Around 8 a.m., the alumni arrived one after another at the first-floor lobby of the Economics and Management Building to check in and collect the commemorative gifts thoughtfully prepared by the organizing team. After so long apart, a simple "long time no see" and a long-awaited embrace instantly turned the clock back to those vibrant years of studying side by side. The group then gathered in Room 1205 of the school for an animated exchange. The school had arranged a warm setting: a welcome message lit up on the large screen, and gentle melodies flowed softly through the room. Stories of the past and bonds of friendship that could never be fully told turned this meeting room into the day's cozy "station of time". Around 10 a.m., the alumni moved to the first-floor lobby for a group photograph, the camera capturing one smiling face after another, still radiant as ever.
Afterwards, the alumni visited the exhibition room for the important reply letter written by President Xi Jinping and the university history museum. Guided by the docent, they first entered the exhibition room for the important reply letter, listened attentively to the narration, and relived the alma mater's history of shouldering its mission while serving national strategies, feeling deeply inspired. They then proceeded to the university history museum on the second floor, where old photographs and physical exhibits were laid out in turn, unfolding the alma mater's more than seventy years of education. The alumni frequently paused to gaze closely, marveling at the rapid development of their alma mater, their conversation filled with pride.
In the afternoon, the return-to-campus symposium was held in Room 404 of the school. Wu Sen, Party Committee Secretary of the school; Zhang Qun, former Dean of the school; Lü Dianping, a representative of the teaching faculty; Zhang Jian, the class teacher; and Wen Ya, the counselor, attended the symposium. Alumnus Yang Zhiguo hosted the meeting. At the start, the teachers and alumni present watched a youth-themed micro-film together. Frame by frame, yellowed old photographs and familiar campus scenes flashed across the large screen; the classrooms of those days, the teachers of those days, the selves of those days all came flooding back. Many alumni's eyes welled up as the youthful memories treasured by time were gently awakened in that moment. After twenty years have passed, those who return are still the young they once were.
On behalf of the school, Party Committee Secretary Wu Sen extended a warm welcome to the alumni, recalled the unforgettable time of teaching them, and introduced the school's development achievements in recent years in terms of discipline construction, scientific research, talent cultivation, and alumni affairs. She highlighted a series of signature activities of the school's alumni association, including study tours of the Entrepreneurs Chapter, the MBA Alumni Association's empowerment of rural revitalization, milestone-anniversary return-to-campus events, alumni interviews, the Alumni Enterprise Visit series, the Alumni Lecture Series, alumni growth mentors, and the SEM Entrepreneurship Practice Camp, as well as the management of the school's alumni fund. She stated that the school would always be the alumni's warm harbor, welcomed them to come home often, and encouraged them to continue caring for and supporting the development of their home school.
In a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere, the alumni took turns speaking, sharing their growth and reflections on life over the twenty years since graduation. Among them, some are rooted in the front lines of scientific research, some deeply engaged in finance and investment, some devoted to management consulting, some standing firm at the lectern as teachers, and some who have started their own businesses. They fondly recalled the little moments of studying at the alma mater, expressed gratitude for the teachers' careful cultivation and earnest guidance, and felt sincerely that the two years of MBA study had not only equipped them with the ability to transition across industries but also cultivated a lifelong commitment to learning and a character of seeking truth from facts. The alma mater is where their dreams set sail and an eternal spiritual home. Seeing the school's rapid development in recent years, the alumni felt greatly inspired and expressed their willingness to keep working hard in their respective posts to bring honor to their home school.
Zhang Qun recalled the unforgettable time he spent with his students back then and shared his personal experience of persisting in exercise and staying in good health after retirement. He encouraged the alumni to cherish the present, carry on the bonds of classmates, take care of their health, and keep making progress. Zhang Jian mentioned that the 2004 MBA class was the first class she had taken on after joining the School of Economics and Management; seeing the outstanding achievements her students had made across all industries filled her, as their teacher, with unparalleled pride, and she wished everyone success in work and happiness in life. Wen Ya recalled the years she served as counselor and grew together with the students, feeling that teachers and students had each been witnesses to one another's youth. She wished all the teachers and alumni every success. Lü Dianping also exchanged warmly with everyone, reliving the bonds between teachers and students.
Representatives of the alumni presented bouquets of flowers to their beloved teachers, each bunch carrying the bonds between teachers and students that have remained unchanged over twenty years, with a thousand words turned into deep respect and gratitude. Finally, all the teachers and alumni gathered for a group photograph in the first-floor lobby, the camera capturing this reunion and warmth spanning twenty years. The return-to-campus event came to a successful close amid laughter and reluctant farewells.
Twenty years of striving, enduring affection. This return-to-campus event was not only a reunion of classmates across time but also a two-way flow of emotion between the home school and its alumni. We look forward to gathering again for the 30th anniversary of graduation!
