On October 27, WUT’s Third Transport Culture Festival was held in the Yujiatou Campus of WUT. Notable attendees included Yan Xinping, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the Director of the University Academic Committee; Wu Chaozhong, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Hubei University of Arts and Sciences; Li Shigang, alumnus from the Class of 2003 and Deputy Director of Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration; Bai Xiang’en, recipient of China Youth May Fourth Medal, professor of Shanghai Maritime University and the first female navigator of research ship going across the Arctic Ocean; Zhao Jing, the Deputy Secretary of the CPC WUT Committee; Luo Rong and Zhang Di, Vice Presidents of WUT; and Liu Zuyuan, Deputy Director of the University Affairs Committee.

Zhao Jing announced the opening of the Third WUT Transport Culture Festival.

Luo Rong emphasized in her speech that the festival is an important initiative for the implementation of “5-30” national education digital strategy action, talent training, and improvement of the overall quality of students. After years of cultivation and accumulation, it has become one of the school’s iconic cultural brands. In the future, the university will continue to give full play to the characteristic advantages of the “major transportation discipline group”, focus on the cultivation of digitally empowered top-notch innovative talents, and promote the research on intelligent transportation, eco-friendly ships, and intelligent shipping, so as to make greater contributions to our country’s self-reliance in science and technology and the building of a great modern socialist country in all respects. We hope that students would actively engage in the Transportation Culture Festival, learn about the transportation industry and feel the transportation culture in the activities, devote themselves to the construction of a strong country in transportation, maritime, and shipping, and strive to become the leading talents of science, industry, and regional development.

Li Shigang expressed his gratitude to WUT for its cultivation. Based on his personal work experience, he suggested the students in WUT to broaden horizons, set great ambitions and keep pace with the development of the nation so as to contribute to the development of the national transportation industry and scientific and technological progress, and to be realistic, diligent, courageous and innovative.

At the opening ceremony, Capt. Bai Xiang’en delivered a keynote speech, “Riding the Waves and Being the Captain of Your Own Life”, in which she shared her own experience of growing up from a navigation technology student to China’s first female navigator and pilot going cross the Arctic Ocean, an outstanding young teacher in colleges and universities, and a volunteer for popularization of science. She also encouraged the students to become the captain of their own ship in the best time and sail to a broader future. Meanwhile, at the Employment Service Plaza of Haihong Student Community, Luo Xiaofeng, a 1986 alumnus and senior consultant of China Classification Society for major projects, gave a lecture on Development and Prospect of New Energy Waterborne Application Technology.

This year’s Transportation Culture Festival theme, “Blending of Times and Transporting to the World” continues to revolve around six main segments: “Transportation Builds Dreams”, “Journey of Transportation”, “Innovations in Transportation”, “Students majoring in Transportation”, “The Beauty of Transportation”, and “Build on the Past Achievements and Open up the Future”. These segments integrate resources from WUT, alumni, and the society and aim to further innovate and enrich the forms and content of the festival. More than 20 activities were organized including lectures on transportation culture, transportation technology innovation competitions, and transportation career planning competitions with commitment to creating atmosphere of transportation culture, disseminating cutting-edge knowledge, and deepening the professional thinking of the discipline.

The Transportation Cultural Festival aims to develop the comprehensive academic system within the major transportation discipline, closely aligning with major national strategies, meeting the development needs of the industry, and linking enrolled students, alumni, specialists, scholars and WUT in order to cultivate top high-tech talents in transportation. The festival manages to cultivate well-rounded transportation leaders through organizing a variety of scientific, cultural and sports activities. Since its inception in 2022, the festival has been held annually and warmly received by WUT, industry partners, and alumni.

Chief professors, secondary professors and responsible professors of special majors in the field of major transportation disciplines, heads of relevant functional departments, heads of teaching and research units in the field of major transportation disciplines, representatives of teaching masters, representatives of young teachers and students have also attended the opening ceremony.

Written by: Yang Liquan, Xie Xinyao

Rewritten by: Mei Mengqi

Edited by: Wang Jingjing, Li Tiantian, Liang Muwei

Source: School of Navigation, School of Transportation and Logistics Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering