On the afternoon of January 11, the inaugural meeting of the Alumni Chapter of the School of Materials Science and Engineering (SMSE), Peking University Alumni Association, was held in Lecture Hall 231 of the Materials Building at the New Yanyuan Campus. Li Cunfeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Alumni Association and Deputy Director of the Alumni Affairs Office, Zou Ruqiang, Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, along with other school leaders, faculty representatives, and alumni from various regions, gathered to mark the occasion. The meeting was chaired by Li Ming, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School.
In his remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Li Cunfeng commendedthe School’s strong disciplinary foundation and outstanding achievements in talent cultivation. He noted that the establishment of the alumni chapter provides a platform for alumni to strengthen connections and enhance collaboration. He also expressed the hope that the chapter would foster lasting bonds, focus on development, pool collective strength, and contribute to national strategic needs.
Dean Zou Ruqiang delivered a keynote address “Building Dreams with Materials, Advancing Together with Alumni,” outlining a shared vision of mutual growth and prosperity between the School and its alumni. He emphasized that alumni are a vitalsupporting the School’s development, and stated that the School will continue to strengthen ties with alumni to jointly promote the advancement of materials science.
Subsequently, Zhang Jing, Deputy Secretary of the School’s Party Committee, presented the Alumni Affairs Report, reviewing the key initiatives and achievements in alumni work over the past five years since the School’s establishment, introducing the preparations for the Materials Science and Engineering Alumni Chapter, and outlining future directions for alumni engagement.
Through a combination of online and offline participation, the meeting reviewed and adopted the regulations governing the alumni chapter and elected the first Council and Board of Supervisors. Subsequently, the first meeting of the inaugural Council was convened, during which the Standing Council and the executive leadership—including the President, Vice Presidents, and Secretary-General—were elected.
To leverage the mentoring and role-modeling impact of outstanding alumni, the School simultaneously launched the “Alumni Mentors for Career Development” program. Appointment certificates were presented to senior alumni mentors, including Professors Guo Shaojun and Wang Qian. These alumni, who have long been dedicated to the field of materials science and have accumulated extensive industry experience and life wisdom, will serve as mentors for younger students as they navigate their paths of growth and development.
After the inaugural meeting, participants visited the laboratories and achievement exhibition hall of the new building of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and attended the New Year’s gala, bringing the event to a celebratory close.
The establishment of this alumni chapter marks not only an important milestone in the alumni work of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, but also a new starting point for all Peking University materials scholars to unite and collaboratively pursue development. Looking ahead, the alumni chapter will fully leverage its role as a bridge and link, closely align with the School’s development goals, and actively promote deep collaboration between alumni and the school in areas such as talent cultivation, scientific research, and technology transfer. In doing so, it will provide strong support for materials scholars into Peking University’s “the Double First-Class” initiative and contribute to writing a new chapter in the advancement of materials science in China.
