On the afternoon of June 12, the University held a send‑off ceremony for its 2026 Western Plan volunteers. The ceremony was attended by Li Hongyan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the University; heads of relevant administrative departments; deputy secretaries of the Party committees of each school in charge of student affairs; counselors for the Class of 2026; and the 2026 Western Plan volunteers and all members of the 28thgraduate teaching support team. The ceremony was presided over by Liang Xiaoxiao, Secretary of the Youth League Committee of the University.
Attendees watched a special video on the graduate teaching support team titledPassing the Torch, Embarking on a New Journey. All members of the 28thgraduate teaching support team presented an original situational poetry recitation,To the Mountains and Seas, Setting Off Again, expressing the firm conviction of SCMU youth to go where the motherland and the people need them most and to make their mark there.
Situational Poetry Recitation in Progress. (Photo by Huang Qifan)
Three representatives of the Western Plan volunteers delivered speeches in turn: Pang Xinhui, a 2022 undergraduate graduate from the School of Education; Liu Zhen, a current graduate student from the School of Ethnology and Sociology (Class of 2025); and Xiao Rong, a 2022 undergraduate graduate from the School of Mathematics and Statistics and captain of the 28thgraduate teaching support team. They fondly reviewed their academic growth and volunteer service experiences during their time at the University, shared their motivations for choosing to go to the western region, and unanimously expressed that they would bear in mind the inspirational guidance of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping they had received, uphold lofty ideals, strive with dedication, and take on responsibilities by making a difference where the motherland and its people need them most.
Li Hongyan presented the flags to the University’s Western Plan volunteer service team and the 28thgraduate teaching support team, and delivered a speech. She noted that the University has consistently regarded the Western Plan as a key practical vehicle for strengthening education on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and a vital instrument for advancing the “Great Ideological and Political Course”, guiding young students to serve the motherland and the people. Generation after generation of SCMU youth have infused the western grassroots workforce with “fresh blood”, added “youthful energy” to economic and social development, and built “bridges of youth” for ethnic unity and progress. She put forward three expectations for the volunteers about to depart for the western region: first, to strengthen their ideals and convictions, becoming aspiring young people with a deep commitment to their country; second, to develop solid capabilities, becoming competent young people ready to shoulder important responsibilities; and third, to take on responsibilities through concrete action, becoming dynamic young people who strive for excellence. She expressed the hope that all volunteers would embrace the mindset that “I may not claim the success, but I will not be absent from it”, and write a brilliant chapter in the vast expanse of western China that honors the times, serves the people, and lives up to the promise of youth.
Group Photo of the 2026 Western Plan Volunteer Service Team. (Photo by Huang Qifan)
The ceremony concluded with all volunteers taking a solemn oath.
