Vibrant Autumn, "MECE-ting" the City of the Future — The School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering Organizes Faculty Autumn Trip to Xiong'an New Area

The autumn light was brilliant, and the breeze was gentle and pleasant. To deeply feel the pulse of the implementation of national strategy and witness the historic project of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, on October 18, the Labor Union of the School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering (MECE) organized over 70 faculty and staff members to visit the "City of the Future"—Xiong'an New Area. This autumn practical inspection tour aimed to provide teachers with a comprehensive understanding of Xiong'an New Area's grand blueprint, ecological practices, and innovative core. It particularly sought to clarify our university's layout for integrating into the new area's development and, through a survey of living facilities, to precisely meet the needs of faculty and staff, thereby effectively enhancing everyone's sense of cohesion and belonging in dedicating themselves to this development.

With eager anticipation for the university's future development, the teachers arrived at the construction headquarters of the University Town project in Rongcheng County, Xiong'an New Area. Here, a guide provided a detailed introduction to the higher education layout plan for the new area, as well as the site selection, design concepts, and latest construction progress of Beijing Jiaotong University's Xiong'an campus. By listening to the explanation and viewing the planning sand table, the blueprint of the modern, intelligent, and shared new campus that is about to rise from the ground was clearly presented before everyone. The teachers were greatly inspired, deeply realizing the significant meaning of the university's integration into Xiong'an and its service to the national strategy, which strengthened their sense of pride and mission as members of the Jiaotong University community.

As a vivid embodiment of Xiong'an's philosophy of "planting greenery before building the city," the "Green Gateway" Country Park allowed the faculty and staff to directly experience the new area's ecological foundation. Strolling through the park with its lush forests and surrounding water systems, everyone marveled at the planning wisdom of the "one lake, three belts, nine areas, multiple corridors" ecological pattern. They deeply understood Xiong'an's original intention to be built as a model city of ecological civilization and were filled with anticipation for the green environment of their future work and life.

At the Baiyangdian Wenhua Yuan (Cultural Garden), everyone embarked on an enriching spiritual journey where the profound red culture and regional culture shone brightly. Inside the Yanling Team Memorial Hall, the faculty and staff, through physical exhibits and historical accounts, revisited the heroic deeds of the Yanling Team, who cleverly fought against Japanese invaders during the War of Resistance by utilizing the unique water-landscapes. This immersive patriotic education not only allowed everyone to understand the deep meaning of "cultural inheritance" in the construction of Xiong'an but also transformed the Yanling spirit of "bravery, tenacity, and forging ahead" into a spiritual driving force for educating people and serving the country.

To practically address the concerns of faculty and staff, the school's Labor Union specially arranged a visit to inspect the living facilities, organizing everyone to visit the model residential communities in the Start-up Area and the Rongdong area. By viewing the community planning, model apartments, and supporting facilities on-site, it helped the faculty and staff gain a deep understanding of the construction standards for residential services in the new area. This allowed everyone to directly feel the concept of creating a "healthy living circle," providing a vivid reference for potential future life planning and giving the faculty and staff a more direct and wonderful expectation for their future life in Xiong'an New Area.

This trip to Xiong'an was both a practical action by the Labor Union to serve the faculty and staff and a vivid, multi-dimensional open class on national strategy. Through the on-site visit, the teachers appreciated the grandeur of Xiong'an New Area as a "national affair of millennial significance" from all-round and multiple perspectives, and felt its distinct characteristics of being green, innovative, intelligent, and humanistic. Everyone expressed that they will transform the insights gained from this visit into motivation for education. They will not only contribute to the construction of Xiong'an from their professional standpoint but also resonate with the development of the university, contributing MECE wisdom and strength to the "Double First-Class" initiative and national development.

(MECE Labor Union)