Autumn sky clear, books scent the campus. On the morning of 29 September, the 2025 freshmen of the School of Foreign Languages met a special orientation lesson—an alumni dialogue titled “Re-shaping Professional Value and Identity in the interdisciplinary Era”. The event drew the first stroke of their university life and sketched a growth map for language learners in the new age.

foreign language majors through their respective life paths. They were: Jing Mu  (2001 graduate, Business English major), General Manager, Shenzhen Jingyuanmei Tech; Huaye Sheng (2004, Japanese major), Founder, Shanghai Jinzhai Catering; Genzhu Xu (2006, Business English major), Chair, Jiangxi Yinghao Furui Education Group; Bin Li (2008, International Business Trade), Deputy GM, Jiangxi Yinghao Furui Education Group.

  The party began with Secretary Lu Juebin’s warm welcome. He introduced the guests and gave each a bouquet. A short video of greetings from alumni around the world followed, showing the global reach of the school’s graduates.

The theme talk was led by Dr. Tao, head of the Asia-Europe Languages Department. Four alumni shared their interdisciplinary experiences and reflections.

1)  “Ice-breaking” & Echo: “My first year was also lost.”

When the 2025 freshmen entered the college campus, they were faced with not only changes in the learning environment but also a fundamental shift in the growth model.

At the talk, the alumni told how they once felt unsure and how they moved from confusion to growth.

2)  “Border-breaking” & Search: “Foreign-language +” opens doors.

To calm the worries of “Is my major useful?” they explained that “foreign-language + any skill” can be a trump card. They urged students to keep the language base strong, stay curious, add new skills and find real interest through practice.

3) “Involution-breaking” & Path: draw your own four-year map

The alumni pointed out that a growth map is not stone-carved. Instead, it is a GPS that needs updating. Review your plan each term, adjust it when interests or chances change, and keep moving. When lost, act. Step out of comfort zones.

4) “Breaking & Building” & Identity: own the unique “super-power”

The alumni believed that the key to “breaking and building” lies in internal identity. Drop the self-limit “I only speak a foreign language”. Learn how to across fields and build the power to “connect the world”.

In Q&A, a freshman asked, “How do I deal with major-identity anxiety?”  Mr. Sheng replied, “I once doubted my major, too. Later I saw: foreign-language + any passion is a winning hand. Find the cross-point.” The other guests added, “We are policy, trade and culture messengers in building a community with a shared future. We help the world understand China and bring Chinese culture and products abroad. Language plus skills is our edge.”

Dr. Wan, Dean of SFL, summed up: “This talk was a clash of ideas, a relay of spirit.” She gave three keywords: 1) See: the stories show language is not a shelf ornament but a key to the world. 2) Connect: the dialogue links campus with career horizons. 3) Act: take the spark into the library, the classroom and internships; dare to try, to err, to explore, and turn “foreign-language +” into core strength.

At the end of the talk, all freshmen stood and read the school motto in one strong voice: “Integrity, Excellence, Dedication and Perseverance.” The sound filled the hall and each heart.

  A group photo closed the event, fixing on camera faces full of hope and the warm moment of generation-to-generation heritage.

The dialogue was more than an orientation lesson; it wrote the first footnote to the 2025 freshmen’s university life. In the age of globalisation and AI, the value of language study is being re-defined. What changes are knowledge borders and skill lists; what stay the same are the missions ‒ policy communicator, trade driver, culture transmitter. This “re-shaping” is not only study planning but an identity awakening. It will guide the freshmen to find their place in interdisciplinary integration and write a brilliant new chapter for foreign-language learners.

(Translated by Ming Chen, Shanjun Zhang)