Speech at the Opening Ceremony 2022,

HEBUT Finland Campus

Prof. Ma Guowei, Vice President of HEBUT

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen：

It is my great privilege to address this opening ceremony on behalf of Hebei University of Technology. A warm welcome and congratulations to all the new students present, and huge thanks to my Finnish colleagues who have made this wonderful ceremony happen!
    Our collaboration and friendship dates back to 2019 when we first visited Finland, which has been a happy and unforgettable memory ever since. We have found ideal places, both Lahti and Lappeenranta to live in, and an ideal partner, LUT University, to work with. As is well known, Lahti is a leading environmental city in Finland, European Green Capital for 2021 as well as a renowned sporting city. Lappeenranta, on the other hand, is also an international green city with the European Green Leaf Award for 2021, a European pioneer as part of the EU’s Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Both cities are cozy and quiet in terms of a small town, while they boast modern facilities and services of a major city at the same time. As for LUT, We are proud to collaborate with a high-ranking university where curious people inspire curious people to solve problems impossible in the eyes of many others.
    HEBUT Finland Campus, as China’s pioneering undergraduate program in a developed country, is therefore the right project by the right people at the right place. We will gather necessary resources from both universities and make our students proficient in expertise, graceful in cross-cultural communication, creative in thinking and broad in vision. With its remarkable Sino-Finnish characteristics, our students will be surely proud of this unique learning experience.  
    I’d like to deliver two messages to the newcomers of HEBUT Finland Campus.
    The first message goes to my fellow Chinese students. All of you here are supposed to live up to the expectations of many people, including yourself. All of you here will give full play to your initiatives in this new encouraging environment. Of course, you will face many challenges --- challenges in languages, international travel, academic studies, homesickness and financial burdens, just mention a few out of so many. However, you will learn to overcome all these challenges through self-determination and strong support from your family, your teachers and both universities. Let us get started and fully committed to your studies, Furthermore, we encourage you to tell China’s true story when you arrive in Finland. You shall be decent, honest and diligent, thus bridging the understanding as well as friendship between China and other countries.
    The second but equally important message goes to the international students who just joined the community of Finland Campus. We warmly welcome you to gain new insights into this promising Sino-Finnish collaboration. You will not only obtain your double degree, but also your double learning and life experience. We believe that you will have a better understanding of China on her way to modernization and a better understanding of the Chinese people. You may realize that China, one of four ancient civilizations in the world, has demonstrated her resilience, hospitality, creativity, generosity, vigor and vitality to anyone who approaches her, including all of you here. You will be proud ambassadors between China and your mother nation in terms of cultural and technological exchange.
    To conclude, we are fully confident that the Campus will bring real impact to your present and future life. We are fully confident that you will seize this opportunity and we cannot wait to hear your story as exciting as it can be.
Welcome to Finland Campus and welcome to China!