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November 1st is a special day to commemorate the 86th anniversary of The National SouthWest Associated University’s opening in Kunming. On this day, more than 110 alumni from Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University participated in the activity of "Re-taking the Long March Road of the United Nations General Assembly", and crossed the Wanling of Qian Shan to Kunming. They couldn’t restrain their inner excitement. Holding the flags of that year and today, they came to the former site of The National SouthWest Associated University in high spirits, showing the world the endless inheritance of The National SouthWest Associated University spirit.
On the land of Yunnan, a temporary university was moved from Changsha 86 years ago. The school was formed by the merger of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University, so Kunming was the base, and later branches were established in Mengzi, Yunnan and Xuyong, Sichuan, which is still called "a monument in the history of education and revolution in China". The National Southwest United University, which was jointly established by these three universities during the Anti-Japanese War, has continued the blood of Chinese culture and created a miracle in the history of higher education in China under extremely difficult conditions. This history has also made the teachers and students of the three schools form a deep friendship and a strange bond with this land of Yunnan.
On May 4th, 1946, The National SouthWest Associated University officially ended. The Kunming Normal College, which The National SouthWest Associated University left for the people of Yunnan, stayed in Spring City to continue the blood of that year, which is the predecessor of Yunnan Normal University today. The famous The National SouthWest Associated University ruins, including the The National SouthWest Associated University Memorial Hall, the old classroom and the "Meiyuan" donated by President Mei Yiqi, are still located in the old campus of Yunnan Normal University. Teachers and students set up the "National Southwest Associated University Monument" on the campus. Seventy-eight years later, it still stands tall and is admired by people from all directions. Little known is that this monument has set up replica monuments in Tsinghua, Peking University and Nankai respectively.
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Gu Binglin, Xu Zhihong and Rao Zihe, academicians of China Academy of Sciences, served as presidents of Tsinghua University University, Peking University University and Nankai University respectively in the early 21st century.
The three presidents continued the friendship of the General Assembly decades ago, that is, during their tenure, Nankai University and Tsinghua University established a replica of the The National SouthWest Associated University Monument. In 2009, the three presidents attended the unveiling ceremony of the The National SouthWest Associated University Monument of Nankai University, and decided to hold a joint meeting of the presidents of the three universities every year to inherit the spirit of The National SouthWest Associated University. Since then, the three principals have kept close contact with Yunnan, and hope to continue to carry forward the spirit of The National SouthWest Associated University and do something for the people of Yunnan.
At the end of 2020, three old principals who have retired from the position of principal came to Tengchong together. They feel that Tengchong has beautiful scenery and pleasant climate, and its advantages such as altitude, geographical environment, history, culture and biodiversity are very similar to those of the Swiss town of Davos. They can learn from Davos’s experience in hosting the World Economic Forum, make use of regional advantages, give play to the gathering effect of scientists, and help local scientific and technological innovation and economic development. Therefore, the three old principals proposed to hold a sustainable forum for scientists in Tengchong with high starting point, distinctive features, great influence and strong appeal.
December 1, 2022 — On the 3rd, the first Tengchong Scientists Forum was successfully held, and the Declaration of Tengchong Scientists Forum was published. Under the leadership of the three presidents, alumni from Tsinghua, Peking University and Nankai University joined the volunteer team and actively participated in the organization of the forum. Together with the teachers and students of Yunnan Normal University, they wrote the song of friendship of the three schools (three plus one) again after more than 80 years.
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The National SouthWest Associated University once trained 175 academicians of the two academies for the Republic, and famous scientists such as Yang Zhenning, Li Zhengdao, Zhou Guangzhao, Zhou Peiyuan, Hua Luogeng and Wu Zhengyi were teachers or students, all of whom were edified and blessed by The National SouthWest Associated University. Nowadays, scientists have reunited with Yunnan on a large scale by holding the forum, which is exactly the induction and echo of The National SouthWest Associated University spirit in Yunnan after more than 80 years.
In the "Declaration of Tengchong Scientists Forum" issued by the first forum, scientists declared passionately: strive to become a world-class forum in the field of science and technology with China characteristics, promote the dialogue between China science and technology and the world science and technology, and promote the common progress of global science and technology. Provide a high-level dialogue platform for top scientists, government officials, entrepreneurs, scientific research institutions and universities around the world, promote international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, meet various challenges, provide scientific and technological solutions, and clarify their respective scientific and technological views. It is a global consensus that it is the only way to promote the sustainable development of all countries to focus on building a global innovation community, promoting cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary exchanges among scientists and constantly enhancing scientific and technological innovation. Create a good scientific and technological ecology, let more young scientists show their talents, and let more scientific and technological resources be shared globally.
In December 2023, three academicians, Gu Binglin, Xu Zhihong and Rao Zihe, met again in Tengchong, and joined hands with more than 100 academicians and famous scientists at home and abroad to participate in the Tengchong Scientists Forum. Mr. Yang Zhenning, a 101-year-old student from The National SouthWest Associated University, delivered an online speech at the opening ceremony. The winners of the first Tengchong Science Award were announced at the opening ceremony, and Professor Feng Zhang from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Academician Lu Yuming from the Chinese University of Hong Kong won the honor. Teachers, students and alumni from Peking University, Tsinghua, Nankai University and Yunnan Normal University have taken active actions again, either as organizers or as volunteers, and devoted themselves to the forum service.
The city at the extreme edge once again lit up the light of science, and the voices of the release of scientific research achievements, the collision of ideas and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements echoed in various halls in Tengchong for a time.
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In less than 30 days, Tengchong will usher in another grand event on December 6. Scientists, educators, entrepreneurs and financiers from home and abroad meet again, and return to the extreme city together to discuss the project of "Science, global innovation and scientists’ mission".
The 2024 Tengchong Scientists Forum will undoubtedly be an annual event that scientists yearn for. At this forum, the results of the world-renowned 2024 Tengchong Science Award will be grandly announced. On the basis of the previous two standing traditional sub-forums, such as the President’s Forum, the Young Scientists Forum, the Life Science and Great Health Forum, the Biodiversity and Modern Agriculture Forum and the Entrepreneur Innovation Forum, this year, the Women Scientists Forum, the Artificial Intelligence Forum, the Culture and Tourism Innovation Development Forum and the ‘ Technology+Finance ’ Forum "is divided into forums, and where the stars shine, it is the time when the forum shines."
At the same time, Mr. Xu Rongkai, the former governor of Yunnan Province and a member of the advisory committee of Tengchong Scientists Forum, and Mr. Wan Li, the composer, specially wrote the theme song "We Raise a Beam of Light" for the forum. Mr. Yang Zhenning, one of The National SouthWest Associated University’s most outstanding alumni and Nobel Prize winner, who has delivered video messages at the opening ceremony of the past two forums, translated English lyrics for this theme song together with his wife Weng Fan this year. The theme song will be sung by the children of the Mountain Fairy Tale Choir for the first time at the opening ceremony. In addition, the 2024 Tengchong Scientists Forum will also hold the first "Science and Art Night" party, so that the beauty of science and art will once again bloom in the ancient city of Tengchong.
Thirty days is a vision and expectation. Let’s hold up the light of The National SouthWest Associated University again, pursue our dreams with scientists and feel the infinite charm of science and technology benefiting mankind!
December 6, 2024 — On the 8th, at the 2024 Tengchong Scientists Forum, in Tengchong, the extreme land where the heroes gather, no matter whether the sun rises or the moon sets, the beam of scientific light we hold high under the vast starry sky will always shine!
November 6, 2024
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