An evening gala celebrating the centennial of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) was held on November 12. Over 1,100 SYSU faculty members and students, together with alumni and guests from all over the world, participated in the event, showcasing the university's achievements in talent cultivation, technological innovation, national development, and cultural preservation.

The SYSU received special gifts for its 100th birthday. One was a fossil from the Chengjiang biota in Yunnan, which can be dated back to 500 million years ago. This fossil was discovered by the university's Department of Geology in 1940 when the university moved to Yunnan during the war. Another gift was the performance by dancers from Kashgar, Xinjiang. The dancers expressed their thanks for SYSU's medical assistance in their hometown. SYSU has been actively fulfilling its social responsibility. The university has offered assistance in Chengjiang of Yunnan Province and Kashgar of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, making contributions to the development of local economy and education.

The gala also featured presentations from two research teams. One is the team from the Key Laboratory for Breeding Aquatic Economic Animals of the Guangdong Province, led by Professor Zhang Yong. The other one is the CubeSat project team from the university's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. They shared the stories of young researchers at SYSU striving for academic excellence. Their stories show the spirit and aspiration of the teachers and students at SYSU in pursuit of ambitious goals in various scientific fields.

Later in the evening, four Olympic champions who are teaching at SYSU, namely Luo Wei, Zhang Jiewen, Yang Yilin, and Jiao Liuyang, together with student representatives from SYSU's champion sports teams shared their work and study at the university.

Representatives of the SYSU alumni extended their best wishes to the university via video link. They included Zhang Zhuoyuan, graduated from department of economics of SYSU, the national honor recipient of "Outstanding Contributor to Economic Research", Ye Shuhua, China's first female observatory director, and other graduates who have made significant contributions to the university.

Embarking on a new journey, the SYSU will continue to carry forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen's noble character and devote themselves to talent cultivation, technological innovation, cultural preservation and social service, so as to make their contributions to the country and the times.