Dear Freshmen of 2026 and Faculty,
Good morning!
Today we hold the grand opening ceremony for the Freshmen of 2026. On behalf of all faculty and staff, I extend my warmest welcome to every new student. The military training showcase just now demonstrated your disciplined strides, resonant chants and high spirits — an excellent answer to your first university lesson. Congratulations on completing military training! My respect goes to hardworking counselors, and sincere thanks to parents for your trust and support in Jilin Animation Institute.
Site of the opening ceremony for the Freshmen of 2026
Dear all, cultural and creative industries together with civil aviation have entered a golden age of rapid growth. New technologies including AI and virtual reality are reshaping content creation. The OPC model injects momentum into cultural sectors, while low-altitude economy expands industrial boundaries. Fine traditional Chinese culture is reaching global audiences in innovative forms. The era demands interdisciplinary talents proficient in art and technology, capable of turning creative ideas into reality with management awareness. This has been our educational mission over 26 years.
Jilin Animation Institute (JAI) features an open international vision, integrated learning-research-production system and high-tech creative products. Guided by our mission to be accountable to students, parents, industry, society and the nation, we were approved as a national innovation & entrepreneurship college in 2022, striving to build a national innovation and entrepreneurship college and an entrepreneurial university. We uphold our school motto: Self-respect, Self-improvement, Innovation and Creativity, foster our “Four-Creation” culture — Innovation, Creation, Excellence and Entrepreneurship, and embrace our youthful spirit “JAI stays forever young”. The nation creates opportunities, and our university builds entrepreneurial platforms. Your golden age has arrived.
In 2026, Animation Career Review, a globally recognized animation education evaluator, released its latest rankings: JAI ranks 34th worldwide and 5th in Asia, climbing for three consecutive years. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, our strategic goals are to stick to distinctive development, deepen industry-education integration, upgrade innovation and entrepreneurship programs, develop our national innovation and entrepreneurship college, build a high-level applied university and establish a full-fledged entrepreneurial university. We implement Ten Major Development Strategies, improve our industry-education teaching system and interdisciplinary framework, strengthen five engineering centers and laboratory clusters, boost integration of technology and art, push forward the Shuangyang Industry-Education Campus project and build a global entrepreneurship alliance. We provide a complete growth pathway for students from major study to career and market practice.
The four years at JAI lay the foundation for your lifelong development. Our general education curriculum covers humanities, aesthetic education, business administration, innovation & entrepreneurship and comprehensive literacy, running through your undergraduate studies. Supported by our industry-education practice platform, we adopt project-based teaching. Freshmen and sophomores explore majors, while juniors and seniors prepare for careers. You will participate in real commercial projects and experience the full chain from concept design and production to market transformation. We host master lectures, artist visits and international expert workshops, reform immersive classroom teaching and connect professional practice, academic competitions and innovation & entrepreneurship training. I encourage you to join studios, academic events, competitions and entrepreneurial practices, to cultivate innovative thinking, courage, judgment and sustained creative imagination — your core competitiveness for the future.
Entering university marks the start of independence. You will face academic pressure, employment competition, tech-driven career shifts and expectations from family and society. I hope you build sound character and resilience, learn communication and teamwork, stay positive and embrace the future.
You live in an era of fast technological iteration and industrial transformation. You enjoy abundant information and diverse choices while confronting real pressures. Changes bring challenges as well as opportunities. AI and emerging technologies remodel industries and create new jobs. Do not rush to define your future. Cherish your college years, read widely and practice persistently to understand yourself and the world, accumulating strength to cope with uncertainties.
Zheng Liguo's speech
You carry forward JAI’s spirit and culture, benefit from our platforms, and safeguard and promote our brand and values. Starting today, you are part of the JAI community. While caring for your academic progress, we value your healthy and confident growth. You do not need to find all life answers within four years. Explore various options and gradually discover your own path.
I have four expectations for you:
First, stay curious and dare to innovate. In the AI era, raising questions and generating ideas are the source of creativity. Consolidate foundational knowledge, enhance artistic competence, and enrich your knowledge in literature, history, philosophy and aesthetics to develop creative imagination and logical thinking. Keep exploring and innovating to take charge of your future.
Second, stay grounded and dare to create. The university has mapped out your full growth path. Take an active part in innovation and entrepreneurship activities and creative projects. Step into studios and production teams. Turn inspirations into works, works into products, and products into commodities. Grow into creators integrating technology and art.
Third, preserve your original aspiration and strive for excellence. Algorithms can generate videos, yet AI remains merely a tool rather than a replacement for human minds. New technologies boost creation efficiency, but speed does not equal quality. In the AI age, uphold academic principles and creative ethics, strengthen cultural confidence and professional foundations. Promote creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture and become a cultural messenger.
Fourth, embrace collaboration and dare to pursue entrepreneurship. The university is building a global entrepreneurship alliance. Platforms such as Animation Universe, Changbai Awakening game e-commerce project and Cloud Exhibition Planet offer chances for collaboration, display and market conversion. Cooperate with peers from diverse backgrounds to achieve win-win results, turn creativity into commercial value and pioneer future markets.
Make full use of JAI’s platforms, explore your potential and shape your character. Carry forward our “Four-Creation” culture and lay solid foundations for decades ahead to build your own golden age.
Nurture deep patriotism, inherit our school motto, align personal growth with national development, and contribute youthful strength to industrial prosperity and national progress with your expertise, works and actions.
Be creators integrating technology and art, innovators inheriting traditional Chinese culture, and pioneers of future markets.
To all Freshmen of 2026 JAIers: May you hold the universe in heart, bear the world in mind, reach across the globe and gallop freely.
Brave yourselves to forge new concepts and open new horizons!
