On the afternoon of December 31, the NEU 2026 New Year Concert was held at the Cai Guanshen Auditorium in Hanqing Hall on the Nanhu Campus. Over 500 attendees participated in the event, including university leaders, heads and representatives from various colleges (departments and key laboratories), faculty, staff , and students. Guo Hai, Secretary of NEU Party Committee, presided over the concert.
Guo Hai expressed gratitude to all teachers, staff, and students for their contributions over the past year and extended New Year’s greetings. He stated that in 2025, the entire NEU community, bearing in mind their mission and with gratitude and determination, forged ahead to create a new phase in building a world-class university. In 2026, he urged all members of NEU to be more confident and self-reliant, to diligently carry out their duties, to open new frontiers through hard work and dedication, to faculty and students with sincerity, and to unite and strive together to shape the future. He emphasized the need to transform the grand vision into reality step by step, to pass the baton of progress to accelerate the university’s development, and to write more splendid chapters for NEU in the new century.
President Feng Xiating delivered a New Year's speech, offering a comprehensive summary of the university's remarkable achievements over the past year and outlining new aspirations for the coming year. On behalf of NEU, he extended sincere respect and heartfelt gratitude to everyone. President Feng Xiating stated that over the past year, all members of NEU had risen to the challenges and forged ahead, continuously driving NEU to achieve new progress and open up new prospects. In 2026, we will focus on the central themes of talent cultivation and technological innovation, concentrate on securing additional educational resources, emphasize the integration of science and education and integration of industry and education, prioritize the needs of faculty members and students, and uphold the ethos of our motto—"Strive for Self-Improvement and Combine Knowledge with Action." We will accelerate the development of a world-class university with Chinese characteristics that plays a leading role in China's new industrialization process.
This concert is presented jointly by the NEU Symphony Orchestra and the Choir from the College of Arts. Centered around three themes—"Songs of China, Global Celebration," "Echoes of Time, Timeless Classics," and "Ties to Our Homeland, Embarking on a New Journey"—the program featured nine classic musical pieces. Finally, the concert concluded with an encore performance of "Ode to the Motherland," sung in unison by the entire audience. The uplifting melody united every member of NEU in patriotism and a shared determination to strive forward.
