In memory of ten years’ ups and downs, alumni gathered to go over friendship established on campus. On June 15, in the conference room at 2/F of Forensic Science Department, reunion for the tenth anniversary of forensic class alumni of 2004 was successfully held. A decade after departure from the university, alumni pouring from various places nationwide, and return to the site where the dream was initiated. Recalling the past, life is a song; viewing the present, reunion after a decade occurs as if the gathering were among a group of youngsters.

The seminar was chaired by the Head of Department of Forensic Medicine – Daixin Huang, with Party Committee Secretary of Department of Forensic Medicine – Xuemei Ren, Deputy Head of the Department – Yiwu Zhou, Deputy Party Committee Secretary – Haibo Qi, a number of teaching representatives and more than 30 alumni attending the scene.

To start the meeting, Department Head – Daixin Huang, on behalf of the Department of Forensic Medicine, extended his warm welcome to the alumni who were back to the university. As Huang stated, in the middle of the graduation season, a new round of students were about to leave the university. However, graduation should rather be the beginning of next reunion than the end of the current journey. Every alumni on the scene evinced such point. Huang further introduced to the alumni institution of the Department, overall information of students and teaching staff, accomplishment on the path of development and obstacles faced in the process. It was further emphasized by Huang that any progress made by the Department of Forensic Medicine were supported by the continuous care and efforts of each and every alumni, and the Department would be home for each and every student.

Certain videos in memory of campus life, done by alumni themselves, were then shown in the conference. Every photo with smiling faces paints the youth of the alumni. Scenarios of “step-climbing competition”, “barbecue sightseeing”, “dinner entertained by guaranteed postgraduate students” triggers the alumni’s memory and feelings. Sometimes, they laughed; sometimes, they burst into tears. From communication with the alumni, it is known that they are scattered in different regions of the country, with half of the alumni sticking to the position related to forensic science. Some have become the lead of multiple forensic organizations; some have been pioneering doctors after graduation from overseas; some have turned into senior international wine appraiser; some devoted their life to serving the grassroots. Ten years passed at a glimpse, as if we were still the same as the first time we met. The young have taken significant role in multiple industries.

Professor Liang Liu, who represented teaching staff of Forensic Science Department, in his speech warmly welcomed the alumni back to university again. He said that everyone had experienced the first ten years after undergraduate, the feature of which could be generalized as “changing”. Everyone’s body shape, family, job and position has changed greatly. There can be ups and downs in life, but the general trend is towards the bright side. With his sincere hope that every alumni in the coming ten years should stand up and continue to pursing their dream, enhance interactions with the university and reciprocate the university.

Qiancheng Zhao, as representative of alumni delivered a speech thereafter. He mentioned that, in the summer 15 years ago, we gathered together from different places across the country, and the most popular song then was “Ten Years”. Back then, we were too naïve to understand the underlying meaning of the lyrics, while ten years has gone by after graduation, and we went through quite a lot in life. Growth over the past decade reminded us of the sweet memory in university life, along with some regretful moments, which deepens the understanding of the lyrics. The motto raised by respectful academician, Qiu Fazu, “people should be satisfactory about theirselves, but should not be satisfactory about their word products, nor academic performance”, encouraged every alumni unstoppably realizes their potentials, achieve the goals of life, and at the same time, implements the saying that “Tongji merges with my memory, while I shall contribute to the pride of Tongji”.

During the meeting, Secretary Xuemei Ren accepted donation from the alumni on behalf of the Forensic Science Department. She appreciated the alumni’s contribution to the future development of the university, and wished that the alumni could visit the university frequently. It is known that alumni’s donation will be injected into the fund of alumni scholarship, to assist students within the Department who makes achievement or who suffers from financial difficulties. Each year, the benefit will extend to dozens of students. Apart from that, Deputy Head Yiwu Zhou, on behalf of the Department of Forensic Medicine, provided a gift to the alumni, a memorial brochure in celebration of the 110^th of Tongji Medical College. Teaching staff in presence also shared insights of life and work in view of their personal experience, recalled the time spent with alumni, other teaching staff during study and for cases. Friendly conversations were held between alumni and teaching staff genuinely, and blessings were exchanged thereof.

You joined my hands going through the brightest days; we reunited today for long-last friendship. The success in holding this alumni seminar, reinforces alumni’s love and friendship established during university life, and the appreciation for the university. As General Secretary – Jinping Xi says, no matter how far you travel, how bright your future can be, in no circumstances shall you forget the past days you went through, nor shall you forget why you started the journey in the first place. Department of Forensic Medicine will join its alumni on the same route, paving towards the great cause with joint efforts, facing future with collaborative mind and soul, in the gesture of fighting for achievement, with the steady style and steps to move ahead, in order to paint the glorious picture!

Author: Cong Liu / Photographer: Jie Zhang / Editor: Chuhuai Guan