Throughout the history of Beihang University, there is a bridge that connects the past to the present. It begins from where the first generation of Beihangers set out and always provides the university with a direction in current times. As the university reaches its 67th milestone, it is also a great opportunity to revisit the bridge, whose name is Beihang Spirit.
Since day one, Beihangers have been the pioneers dedicated to serving their motherland. Responding to the national strategic need for China’s own aviation industry, founders of Beihang University, many of who were scientists returning from abroad, devoted themselves to the newborn university and aviation industry of the young China without hesitation. After them, generations of Beihangers have chosen to synchronize their personal development with national needs and contributed greatly to many breakthroughs ranging from Beijing 1, the first light passenger airliner of the People's Republic of China, to C919, China’s first large passenger plane, from Beijing 2, the first sounding rocket in Asia, to Long March, China’s rocket family, and from Beijing 5, China’s first unmanned aircraft, to BZK, China’s unmanned aerial vehicle series. Today, a mass of Beihang graduates are playing an active role in the aerospace industry as well as the social and economic development of China.
Starting from the original aspirations, Beihangers have also developed various other interpretations of “patriotism”, “dedication” and “pioneer”, the keywords of Beihang Spirit. Since 2004, Beihang researchers have won the first prize of China’s highest honors in science and technology 14 times, exemplifying the combination of national missions with the exploration of scientific and technological frontiers. Every year there are around 60 Beihang students who join China Marrow Donor Program, and several of them have already made the donation, bringing hope to others and encouraging more to follow their steps. Devoted to the cause of afforestation for over a decade, a Beihang alumnus has built three afforestation bases and organized volunteers to plant over a million trees in the deserts in Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia, and he strives to motivate as many people as possible to be “seeds” against desertification. The list goes on and on as time goes by, and the meaning of Beihang Spirit is increasingly colorful because of these efforts.
The past 67 years witnessed the vigorous growth of Beihang Spirit, an unfading inspiration for Beihangers of all times. As the university makes progress towards the goal of being a world-class university with world-class disciplines, there is reason to believe that it will continue to offer solid spiritual support to Beihangers as always and obtain new connotations in a new historical era. May the bridge of Beihang Spirit extend into the far future and keep its vitality forever!
Written by Li Mingzhu
Reviewed by GEOOS
Please send contributions togeoos@buaa.edu.cn
