On October 24, one day before the university's 70th anniversary, the History Museum of Beihang University was opened officially. Beihang Secretary of the Party Committee Zhao Changlu, President Wang Yunpeng, Vice Presidents Tao Zhi and Liu Shuchun, and Vice Secretary of the Party Committee Cheng Bo, attended the opening ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Cheng Bo.
Secretary Zhao Changlu and President Wang Yunpeng inaugurated the museum together, marking the official opening of History Museum of Beihang University.
Secretary Zhao Changlu extended his grateful thanks to the elder leaders, seniors, and alumni as well as students, faculty and staff, and volunteers who participated in the building of the museum in his speech. He noted that Beihang University, as New China’s first university of aeronautics and astronautics, has always been following the instructions and guidance of the Party in cultivating talent for economic development and construction of the national defense. Learning and summarizing the history of the past 70 years, passing on and carrying forward the experience of teaching and governing, and building a first-class history museum of the university have always been important issues and projects that the university Party committee focused on.
Secretary Zhao also pointed out “studying history will make us aware of the belief and provide some hints and different understandings for present and future growth”. He stressed that all Beihangers shall stick to the spirit of serving the country in the fields of aeronautics and astronautics as the core values, and learn and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress. It is also asked to take advantage of the museum in educating students on the university history as a practice of Beihang to promote learning histories of the Party, New China, the reform and opening-up, and socialist development.
President Wang Yunpeng issued the certificates for the first 23 voluntary narrators recruited by the museum from the whole university in order to better publicize the history through telling Beihang's stories and passing on the spirit of serving the country in the fields of aeronautics and astronautics.
Volunteer Liu Xu, a postgraduate from the School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, said that he felt extremely proud to be a narrator to learn and relate the history of Beihang. He promised to follow the lead of the Party in the future and contribute to the modernization of the country, and determined to be a good youth in the new era who has ideals, dares to take on responsibilities, can bear hardships, and is willing to struggle.
In his speech, Prof. Zheng Yanliang, a member of the expert advisory group for the museum construction, said that during his 50 years of study and work at Beihang, he has personally experienced and witnessed the reform and development of the university step by step. Some retired senior teachers and leaders have made outstanding results in talent cultivation and discipline designing, which is his pride and joy. He hoped that Beihang can achieve spectacular success in the pursuit of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.
The Party Committee of Beihang has strengthened the study of the university's history and promoted the construction of the history museum. It is reported that in August 2021, Beihang set up a special working group for building the history museum of the university. In May 2022, the university fully promoted the exhibition of the museum of history in the Run Run Shaw Science Museum which has been renovated lately. After nearly half a year of construction, a fine exhibition hall with distinct topics and rich meanings was presented.
The exhibition hall covers a total area of nearly 4,500 square meters, with a sculpture of “serving the country in the fields of aeronautics and astronautics” on the patio. The first floor exhibits some scientific and technological achievements with “four orientations” as the main thread, showing the fruitful result of sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels. The second to the fourth floors record and display the history of Beihang through more than 1,500 pictures and 300 pieces of objects, unfolding the journey of Beihang in serving the country for seven decades and pursuing a world-class level in a new era. The fifth floor is an art gallery.
Reported by Wang Qing
Photographed by Di Bailu
Reviewed by Li Jianwei
Edited by Jia Aiping
Translated by Li Yifan
