Ladies and gentlemen, Happy New Year!

The New Year’s bell will soon toll to usher in the year 2006. At this special moment, in saying goodbye to the past and looking forward to the future, I on behalf of the University would like to extend New Year’s greetings to all of you. I wish you all happiness and good health in the New Year.

The year 2005, as a critical year for the University, witnessed our entire faculty and students’ incessant efforts to build the University into the first-class in the world. Based on the review on our work during The Tenth Five-year Plan of the University, we conducted an in-depth discussion on The Eleventh Five-year Plan and the medium-term and long-term developing strategic plan, established a strategic objective of constructing a comprehensive, open and research-oriented university. In 2005, the faculty and students worked hard and new achievement has been made in all aspects. The University maintains a momentum of good development.

In 2005, the University further optimized the course systems in disciplines of information and mechanical science etc. and general discipline-based talent cultivation pattern was formed. The University continued to further reform on the teaching content, methods and improve the quality of talent cultivation. More achievements have also been made in the regulation and optimization of the discipline structure. A structure of 11 disciplines except for military subjects was established. There was a breakthrough in the construction of The 211 Project and The 985 Project. The University broke the limitation of traditional discipline, integrated the resources from different disciplines, and further enhanced the platform construction for the technology innovation.

In the past year, HUST established a three-level technology innovation system with longitudinal deployment, namely, basic research level which had national, ministerial or provincial key labs at the core, high-tech research level pioneered by National Engineering Research Center and techniques development level focusing on National Technology Transfer Center and Joint Labs. For our contribution to the national economy, we broadened the technological achievement transfer channels, greatly increased and improved the quantity and quality of the horizontal scientific research. The University has become one of seven National Technology Transfer Centers. President Hu Jingtao and other national leaders gave high praise when they were inspecting the achievement of our technological industries.

All the achievements result from joint efforts of the faculty and students of the University. At this special moment, I, representing the University, would like to deliver my sincere gratitude to every member of the University.
The Year 2006 is the first year of The Eleventh Five-year Plan and a crucial strategic opportunity period for the reform and development of the University. Guided by the important thought Three Represents, the spirit of 16th National Congress of the CPC and our objective to build a world-famous university, let us rally closely and work with one heart and one mind in a joint and unyielding effort to advance the cause of creating a better future for our University and for us all!
Thank you!

--------Translated by Miss WU Xia, a student assistant