Author: Luo Cheng

Photographer: Yang Zile

Date: November 7, 2025

On October 31, 2025, Jinan University held the Closing Ceremony of the fifth session and the Opening Ceremony of the sixth session of its "New Faculty Teaching Fundamentals Camp" at the International Conference Hall of Zeng Xianzi Science Building. Chen Ying, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, along with heads of relevant functional departments, college leaders in charge of undergraduate education, directors of teaching and research offices, academic affairs staff, and new faculty members attended the event. The ceremony was hosted by Zhang Mo from the Teacher Development Center of the Undergraduate College.

In her speech, Chen Ying emphasized that building a strong teaching faculty is fundamental to the university's development. She stated that upholding the mission of fostering virtue through education and continuously enhancing teaching competence are essential. Chen Ying highlighted the importance of fostering a community of teacher development guided by the spirit of educatorism and strengthening collaboration across departments to refine the camp as a platform for growth, thereby supporting new faculty in achieving comprehensive teaching improvement.

(Photo: Chen Ying delivers a speech at the ceremony.)

A total of 139 faculty members from 33 colleges successfully completed the fifth session of the camp, with a number of units and individuals recognized as outstanding contributors and models of teaching-research collaboration. Chen Ying reviewed the outcomes of the fifth session, noting that the camp had effectively strengthened the teaching foundations of new faculty through measures such as refining the mentorship system, organizing teaching competitions, and providing multi-level training and exchange opportunities.

For the upcoming sixth session, Chen Ying outlined three key priorities: first, to further strengthen the development of grassroots teaching organizations, enhance university-college coordination, and deliver discipline-focused training; second, to diversify the camp's activities in both form and content by adding specialized lectures and workshops, while incorporating emerging educational trends such as AI-enhanced teaching and industry-education integration; third, to continuously improve incentive mechanisms by linking participation and outcomes in the camp with the undergraduate teaching award system.

Liu Tao, Executive Dean of the Undergraduate College and Director of the Academic Affairs Office, announced the list of awardees for outstanding units and models of teaching collaboration. The ceremony included a recognition segment for these recipients. Luo Xin, Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, and Li Shu, a faculty member from the College of Chinese Language and Culture, shared their experiences and insights as representative awardees.

(Photo: Chen Ying presents awards to honorees.)

Professor Ma Li from the College of Chemistry and Materials Science delivered a special lecture titled "Opportunities and Challenges in the Mutual Enhancement of Teaching and Research" as part of the opening activities. Drawing from her own experience, she shared pathways for translating teaching practice into research outcomes and academic breakthroughs. Using her participation in teaching competitions as an example, Professor Ma illustrated the value of "using competitions to enhance teaching and innovation," encouraging new faculty to proactively renew their educational approaches and refine their teaching skills.

The "New Faculty Teaching Fundamentals Camp" is a year-long professional development platform co-organized by the Undergraduate College, relevant functional departments, and colleges across the university, operating through coordinated efforts at both university and college levels.