(Written by Xie Yuqian) Every season has its charm, but none is better than autumn. On the morning of September 24, the opening ceremony for the 2024 freshmen of Zhongfa Aviation Institute of Beihang University was held at the Exhibition Hall of Beihang Hangzhou International Campus. The institute welcomed 179 undergraduate students and 16 double-degree master’s students.
Beihang University President Wang Yunpeng, Education Attaché of the French Consulate General in Shanghai Benjamin DEMIÈRE, Director-General of the French National Civil Aviation University (ENAC) Olivier CHANSOU, President of the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Toulouse (INSA Toulouse) Bertrand RAQUET, Beihang University Vice President Zhang Hailan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education Lan Jingjing, Vice Director of ENAC Nicolas CAZALIS, Vice President of INSA Lyon Damien FABRÈGUE, Deputy Director of the Beihang University Council HE Xinzhou, Party Secretary of H3I Sun Qingfeng, Chinese Dean of the Zhongfa Aviation Institute of Beihang University Hong Guanxin, and French Dean Frédéric GENTY, among others, attended the event. The ceremony was jointly hosted by Hong Guanxin and Frédéric GENTY.
In her speech, Lan Jingjing welcomed the distinguished guests and friends who had traveled from afar. She highlighted the long-standing history of cooperation between Zhejiang Province and France in education. Over the past year, Zhongfa Aviation Institute has made significant strides in fostering integration and has crafted a unique chapter in its development. She encouraged the students to remain committed to their original aspiration of serving the nation through aviation, to courageously take on the mission of building China into a strong aviation power, and to strive to achieve their dreams.
Wang Yunpeng and Olivier CHANSOU jointly presented awards to the freshmen who received the President’s Scholarship.
Wu Yitong, the undergraduate representative of the 2024 freshmen, shared his experiences and reflections since starting university, as well as his eager anticipation for the vibrant college life ahead. He called on his fellow students to strive for excellence in their studies, to be bold in exploring the unknown, and to embrace innovation and practice. He encouraged them to study diligently, live up to expectations, and work hard to grow into outstanding engineers with innovative thinking and a global perspective.
Vincent VONG, the Mathematics Coordinator of the institute, shared his extensive teaching experience in French university preparatory classes as a faculty representative. He noted that the French engineering education system is unique in its ability to cultivate highly specialized professionals and industry elites. He encouraged the students to make full use of the Sino-French integrated training model to build a solid and efficient knowledge system.
Zhang Hailan, Nicolas CAZALIS, and Damien FABRÈGUE jointly awarded plaques to the schools for excellence in training talents and for the recruitment of top-level students.
The leaders of four companies—Dassault Systèmes, Supor, Antwork and Wasu —along with Bertrand RAQUET and Sun Qingfeng, jointly launched the university-enterprise strategic partnership program.
Samson KHAOU, Executive Vice President of Dassault Systèmes, Asia-Pacific, extended his congratulations to the new students. He stated that the aviation industry integrates innovation, science, and technology. Dassault Systèmes has been deeply involved in aerospace for over 30 years and has been collaborating with Zhongfa Aviation Institute to establish the Centre de I'Éducation Excellente de ZFAI-Dassault. He looks forward to future collaboration with Beihang University, ENAC, and INSA to jointly advance aviation training and research projects, continuously expanding the boundaries of human imagination.
Bertrand RAQUET stated that over the past 18 months, the INSA and Beihang University have worked closely together to build and deepen comprehensive cooperation in talent training and scientific research, making solid progress at the Hangzhou International Campus. He expressed the hope that deepening educational and research collaboration would further strengthen the friendship between China and France, promote in-depth cooperation toward carbon neutrality, and jointly advance toward a sustainable future by 2050.
Olivier CHANSOU pointed out that ENAC enjoys a prestigious reputation in international aviation education and is recognized as one of Europe’s top higher education institutions in aviation. Its partnership with Beihang University means that the institute’s education model integrates the best educational resources from both China and France. This will equip students with widely recognized professional skills in the aviation industry, first-class expertise, and a global perspective. He encouraged students to maintain a strong sense of curiosity, an open and inclusive mindset, a humble attitude, and a relentless spirit of innovation, making it their mission to solve complex problems and to drive society towards a more sustainable future.
In his speech, Wang Yunpeng, on behalf of Party Secretary Zhao Changlu and all the faculty, staff, and students of the university, extended heartfelt congratulations to the students who were admitted to Zhongfa Aviation Institute with outstanding academic performance. He also warmly welcomed the Chinese and French guests attending the ceremony. He noted that over the past year, with strong support from both Chinese and French partners, the institute has made new progress in talent training, scientific research, and campus culture. What awaits the students is not only a more beautiful and intelligent international campus but also an exclusive training model that combines a continuous bachelor-to-master program with the French “preparatory-to-engineer” system. The students will experience customized courses taught in Chinese, French, and English, have the opportunity to enter national key laboratories, and will be privileged in their exploration of the scientific world under the guidance of top academic masters from both China and abroad.
As the students embark on their journey to become outstanding international engineers, Wang Yunpeng offered his message to the freshmen in the form of a “3C” formula. The first “C” is curiosity, which means to stay curious. He encouraged the students to maintain curiosity, remain humble, ask more “why” questions, and say “that’s just the way it is” less often. He urged them to pursue their academic journey with passion and continuous improvement, ultimately becoming the best versions of themselves. The second “C” is courage, meaning bravery in trying new things. He advised the students to step out of their comfort zones, muster the courage to take bold actions and find new personal values through self-exploration and realization. The third “C” is cooperation, meaning teamwork. Wang Yunpeng encouraged the students to carry forward Beihang’s tradition of “unity and hard work,” to improve their communication skills, and develop a sense of teamwork. He highlighted the importance of working together to solve complex problems in technological innovation, setting records in sports competitions, and growing collectively through teamwork.
“The friendship between nations lies in the closeness of their people, and the closeness of people relies on the youth”, Wang Yunpeng remarked. He emphasized that, as the new generation of Zhongfa Aviation Institute, the students will inevitably become ambassadors of Sino-French friendship and exchange. He encouraged them to carry forward the Chinese cultural value of “all under heaven are one family and the world belongs to all”, to build a solid foundation, hone their skills, and take on important responsibilities. With their energy and vibrancy, they can contribute to world peace and development, bringing more of Beihang’s strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Before the opening ceremony, Wang Yunpeng met with Olivier CHANSOU, Bertrand RAQUET, and their delegation to engage in a friendly exchange focused on deepening practical cooperation in talent cultivation and scientific research. Olivier CHANSOU remarked that the operation and development of Zhongfa Aviation Institute has smoothly entered its second year. He was delighted to see that the Institute’s admissions have reached a new level this year and that the construction of its research laboratories is already well underway, expressing his immense surprise and satisfaction. Bertrand RAQUET was amazed by the rapid changes on campus. He emphasizes that INSA will actively promote comprehensive cooperation between the two universities in talent cultivation and scientific research, facilitating the implementation of more projects at Beihang’s Hangzhou International Campus. He looks forward to continuously expanding the partnership’s boundaries and exploring more collaborative opportunities. Wang Yunpeng noted that Beihang University has a solid foundation of cooperation with ENAC and INSA, which has already yielded many achievements. He expressed the hope that both sides would further expand the scope and depth of their collaboration, jointly promoting innovation in the mechanisms and models for training outstanding international engineers.
(Approved by: Hong Guanxin, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran)
(Edited by Yuan Xiaohui)
