On the afternoon of January 28, under warm sunshine and blooming plum blossoms, the university held a ceremony in the conference room on the 3rd floor of Lingnan Center to honor 24 faculty members on their retirement and welcome 123 new teachers. Liao Xiangyue, Deputy Secretary of the CPC HUTB Committee and President of HUTB, Zhang Ling, Yang Liangqi, Hou Junjun and Mo Xiangyi, Vice Presidents of HUTB, attended the event. Retired faculty and staff as well as new faculty and staff of 2025, along with leaders of relevant functional departments and secondary units, participated in the event. The ceremony was presided over by Mo Xiangyi.

During the ceremony, Yang Liangqi announced the list of retired faculty members, and Zhang Ling announced the list of new faculty members. Liao Xiangyue presented retirement certificates and souvenirs to the retirees, and representatives of new faculty members presented flowers to them. Chief Leaders pinned university badges for the representatives of new faculty and staff and presented them with souvenirs and books. This warm and compact ceremony witnessed the passing of the torch of HUTB and carried forward the original mission of nurturing talents for the Party and the country.

Tang Yi, a representative of retired faculty members from the School of Sports and Health, delivered a speech. She affectionately reviewed the beautiful memories and striving experiences of decades of teaching, and expressed gratitude to all colleagues for their strong support and companionship along the way. She said that the extraordinary years of growing together with the university and advancing alongside the educational cause had left the most precious marks in her life. Retirement marked a new chapter in life; no matter where they were, the campus where they had worked hard would always be the place the retired faculty cherished most. Their hearts would always remain closely connected with the university and resonate with the development of education. They were ready to contribute to the best of their ability whenever the university called. She wished the university steady progress and greater glory on the path of high-quality development.

Cai Kangning, a representative of new faculty members from the Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, spoke at the ceremony. He said that the solemn and warm ceremony brought not only the joy of joining the university but also the commitment of taking over the relay baton. Generations of HUTB members had devoted their most precious years to the development of the university, making it thrive as it is today. The perseverance and dedication of the predecessors set the most vivid and genuine examples for young teachers. In the days to come, young teachers would take over the baton, live up to the times, the university and the students, and live up to the shared identity and mission of being "HUTB members" with down-to-earth work and steady accumulation.

Liao Xiangyue delivered a speech at the event. He stated that in the 76-year history of the university, generations of faculty members had remained true to their original aspiration and strived relentlessly, making indelible contributions to the university's construction and development and laying a solid foundation for its high-quality development. Most of the retired faculty members present had worked at the university since the 1980s and 1990s, sharing the arduous pioneering years with the university. Every leap forward, every progress and every honor of the university embodied the wisdom and efforts of generations of pioneers and builders. He wished retired teachers a peaceful and enjoyable life after retirement, and sincerely hoped that they would continue to care for and support the university.

Liao Xiangyue hoped that new teachers would quickly integrate into this vibrant land of endeavor and integrate their personal ideals into the surging tide of the university's development. First, they should stay true to the original aspiration of education and bravely undertake the mission of building a strong country through education. Second, they should devote themselves to teaching and research and become guides for students' growth and success. Third, they should cultivate noble ethics and practice the demeanor of "great educators" in the new era. Fourth, they should integrate into the team, carry forward the heritage and continue to uphold the spirit of HUTB.

(Written by Chao Jinwen and photo by Wang Xujun)