As osmanthus welcomes autumn and golden hues adorn the land, the university grandly held a commendation meeting to celebrate the 41st Teachers' Day in the large auditorium on the third floor of the Shangde Building on the afternoon of September 10. More than 300 attendees gathered together for the grand occasion, including all leaders present on campus, principal responsible comrades from every department, winners of the 13th "Teaching and Educating Award," representatives of teachers with thirty years of service and retiring teachers, as well as over one hundred representatives of teachers and students. Nie Lei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Wang Aiping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, read out the commendation decision of university, and Vice President Huo Haifeng presided over the meeting.

The ceremony commenced with the solemn national anthem. Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Wang Aiping read out the "Commendation Decision," expressing the school's gratitude to the retiring teachers for their hard work and outstanding contributions in the field of education. He encouraged them to continue inspiring all faculty and staff in a spirit of passing the torch, urging them to forge ahead without regret, providing continuous spiritual impetus for the school's long-term development. Representatives of 19 retiring teachers, 36 teachers with 30 years of service, and 30 winners of the 13th "Teaching and Educating Award" took to the stage to receive certificates of honor from university leaders and flowers from student representatives. The venue erupted in warm applause, paying the highest tribute to the dedicated educators.

Representing the retiring teachers, Professor Ning Guixia, a National Outstanding Teacher, fondly recalled her 43 years at Lanzhou Jiaotong University. From her journey westward in 1983 to putting down roots in Gansu, she embedded her teacher's pledge of "enabling students to walk with their heads held high" into her lectures, teaching materials, and the hearts of generations of students. Retiring from her post but not her dedication, leaving her position but not her connection, Ning Guixia advised the younger generation: "Choose a career and devote your life to it. Whenever the university needs me, I am ready to answer the call."

Representing young teachers, Dr. Li Shuaibing from the School of New Energy and Power Engineering shared his transformative journey from a "LZJTU student" to a "LZJTU teacher." He vowed to join all young faculty members in "willingly enduring solitude and daring to be pioneers" at the forefront of national needs, such as intelligent rail transit, plateau railway construction, and the integration of transportation and energy, ensuring research papers reflect the vastness of the motherland and scientific endeavors contribute to the great cause of building a strong nation.

Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President Nie Lei extended holiday greetings to all faculty and staff and delivered a keynote speech titled "Forging a Strong Teaching Force with the Spirit of Educators, Striving to Compose the Lanzhou Jiaotong University Chapter in Building a Powerful Education Nation." She systematically reviewed the new breakthroughs achieved by the university since 2024 in ideological and political leadership, talent recruitment and cultivation, scientific research innovation, teacher development, and livelihood security: the university was approved for 1 "National Model Party Branch" and became a provincial Party building "Demonstration Institution"; it added 123 doctoral graduates, bringing the total number of national-level talents to 6; 70 projects were approved by the National Natural Science Foundation; the number of national first-class undergraduate courses increased to 22; teachers won 1 national second prize and 9 provincial prizes in the 5th National University Teachers Teaching Innovation Competition; and the treatment of faculty and staff steadily improved. Nie Lei pointed out that “a strong nation begins with strong education, and strong education begins with strong teachers.” The university will consistently implement the "Tianyou Talent Introduction" and "Tianyou Talent Cultivation" projects, offering the utmost sincerity, optimal services, and strongest support to ensure every teacher can teach with peace of mind, passion for research, and happiness in imparting knowledge in the fertile soil of Lanzhou Jiaotong University, collectively advancing the school’s high-level university development.

For sixty-seven years, the melodies of education have never ceased. Generations of LZJTU people have educated countless students with utmost sincerity and laid the foundation for a strong nation with courageous dedication. Facing the future, all teachers of Lanzhou Jiaotong University will uphold the university motto of "Pursuing Virtue, Encouraging Ambition, Seeking Knowledge, and Practicing Earnestly," promote the spirit of educators, anchor the goal of becoming a high-level university with prominent regional advantages and distinct industry characteristics, and compose another magnificent chapter for building a powerful education nation, a powerful transportation nation, and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

On the occasion of the 41st Teachers' Day, the Teacher Work Department of the University Party Committee organized a series of activities to promote the excellent culture of respecting teachers, including visiting and conveying greetings to teacher representatives, presenting flowers to on-duty teachers, and holding a Teachers' Day symposium to discuss educational aspirations. In the future, the university will continue to excel in talent recruitment, cultivation, and teacher development, providing enthusiastic service and solid support for all faculty and staff engaged in scientific research and teaching.

Wishing all teachers a happy holiday, good health, and a future filled with flourishing students!