AXHUers Engage With Public Affairs Series

Connection and Conversation with AXHU Alumni:

 Self-starter for a Dream

 

 

 

Those figures of excellence weathered through years of creating knowledge;

Zooming in their footprints just in time for AXHU 2023 commencement,

AXHU is credited the “starter” of younger academics in its collaborative community,

Marking their new breakthroughs on the track.

 

 

 

Editor’s pick:

 

 

“There Is No Clear Way to Success in Oneness”

 

“Teachers’ Invaluable Benevolence Endlessly

Bestowing on Their Beneficiaries”

 

 

 

Today, let’s share her story.

 

 

Bio

Din Tin-tin丁婷婷, female, born and raised in Wuwei county, Anhui province, received her B.Sc. of Water Supply and Drainage Engineering from AXHU School of Urban Construction, C’16, and her M.Sc. of Municipal Engineering from Anhui Jianzhu University, and is now studying for her Ph.D. programme in Environmental Sciences at Tongji University.

 

AT AXHU, Din held position as the deputy director of the Library Association for Young Scholars, and obtained many times the National Encouragement Scholarship & the Chinese Government Scholarship, the Student Grant for Global Academic Programme, as well as the MOE laureation “Merit Student^[1]” and “Honorary Graduate^[2].”

 

[1] Merit Student, Sanhaoxuesheng (simplified Chinese: 三好学生)，by which to honor the current students’ excellence in Moral, Wellness, and Academic Career.

[2] Honorary Graduate, Shuangyoubiyesheng (simplified Chinese: 双优毕业生), conferred to the graduating students with both academic achievements and high morality.

 

 

Youth Full of Challenges

That year, the “sheep-like” girl enrolling into AXHU worked industriously and yet failed oppressively to the most of her academic curricula, especially for College English course. Then, a lively, active, and warmhearted roommate, also the soul mate, accompanied her into an inspiring tract of the world, where to try out some things in difference, which seem to be never, ever accomplished, while her disposition and complexion and outlook were becoming adorned with a wider spectrum of colors.  

 

“As people’s often-cited piece goes, ‘Teachers’ Invaluable Benevolence Endlessly Bestowing on Their Beneficiaries,’ 师泽如山，微以致远,” Din affectionately says. “In everybody’s life journey, there are two priceless treasures to meet: Intimate Friend and Able Teacher.” 

 

With the targeted purposes and high-hearted aspiration, as well as with the support of the other faculty members’ dedication and scholarly endeavors to the class, the handsome, pathbreaking mentor, NIU Shan-lin牛山林, also known as ‘Bullish Boss’ in AXHU circles, can ‘engineer’ behind the scenes to spur her ‘apprentices’ to bulldoze any obstacles and roadblocks in their academic career development. The Masters, Shi-fu师傅, favor some both in need and in deed.”

 

Styled, encouraged, and inspired by Niu and the roommate, Din makes an intrepid attempt to elevate the marginalized voices and challenge herself with the most efforts-needed course—College English, by joining in all kinds of English competition or contests for college students. “Well done! A big step forward!” Din smiled from ear to ear. “In the wake of the English song ‘You and Me’ by myself on the dais of AXHU theater, I know I win a lot here, drowning in the sea of acclamation—Youth is filled up with challenges and uncertainties, which very needs “sourdough starter” adding an appetizing taste to the rarely easy life.”   

 

 

Q: 

My elder sister! How on earth did you keep yourself on course?

 

A:

“To be frank, I’m as a layperson, sniffing at the existence of English language from time to time, which is like a hard nut to crack before me,” Din pleased to God. “Playing with the ‘Game of Chicken,’ or ‘Count Sheep,’ with a mindset of growth and breakthrough in alternative ways and diverse forms, such as words-sticker in view, classic verses, monumental speeches, lines in melodies, transcription of podcast, caption of video clipping, short-stories in the world of English, I hereby transform these sources above to my own collection and well-versed acquisition. To be clear, confidence and accumulation and years-long resilience could help learners work well.” 

 

 

Self-raised in Youth

Via AXHU summer programme (week-long) at the Yu Da University of Science and Technology (YDU), Din was stunned by its extension school’s creative ideas of teaching and training in classroom and beyond, ranging from handicrafts and household bakery to AI-animation and professional etiquette. And there I was deeply absorbed by the unique humanistic society and beautiful natural landscape nourishing in Taiwan island, where I can make many new friends, garner knowledge, learn to bake along with bakers, and enjoy the freshly-baked cookies with the seated friends around the table, and Where, except saying “thanks” 谢谢, I become speechless to the locals’ hospitality and kindness.

 

After that, Din got very self-assured that, besides learning knowledge in the space of formal instructions at school, the evolution of personal capacities should be firmly rooted in realities, social practices and multiple-cultural soils. Involving herself in the in-class activities or AXHU students’ clubs, associations and organizations, Din reflects on the facts she has created and explored there, reflecting a more concrete Self featuring both vantage and disadvantage at the same time, with which she can correspondingly adjust and want to shape a perfect girl herself.

 

 

Self-starter in Youth

The academic career is tough and long. Throwing ourselves in finding its concealing magic catalyzing stupendous impetus to soar up, ride headwind, and fly high in heavens, the girl has been powered with a stable demand of growing with adventures and discoveries, being aligned with the ever changes in the digital, high-tech times and the hiding-space evolution on the frontiers.

 

As for an overall performance of studying for her master’s program at Anhui Jianzhu University, Din graded herself a score of 75 (hundred-point system), regretfully yet gratefully. Like winking, three years’ academic career therein came to pause—not an end, of which there was still plenty of room for betterment in many aspects.

 

“Catching the glimpses of the past years’ blurred footprints fading into earth afar, there is no second youth. So I ain’t gonna halt to linger in the spiritual wilderness—shrouded in daze—, but shall restore courage a little bit to harvest a concatenation of bestowals particular in icy winter, betokening the next delicious spring.” 

 

Din rambled. “In summer holiday, sojourning in lush woods and sauntering into solitude to wage philosophically queries in soul—Where we are from; Where we are; and Where we are going? ...—‘it is a once-in-a-generation pilgrimage’不忘初心，方得始终; the original aspiration will never estranged the tyros in craving for.—‘There is no clear way to success in oneness’ 初心易得，始终难守.”

 

“And ushered in the domain of humans’ ceaseless efforts in evolving knowledge and contriving and theorizing, there will be thus full of blind spots in whatsoever savvy, to which people seemingly have been got puzzled or even burnt out with the unknown ahead. After many years spent on the academic research and creations, I am very clear that no matter whatever you are engaging, all the early-careers in any fields should move on and break up such yoke of cognition, especially for the current students in AXHU schools, who have been to show up a positive attitude to the academic career, hitting your stride and beckoning selves in a sense of belonging.”

 

 

Q:

My Big Sister! Upon graduation, of the alternative choices between social working and  master’s program, could you tip the best for the graduating students?

 

A：

Ok! ‘It is knack of left or right handedness,’ when situating at the ‘fork,’ which is a very brain-burning issue—to sort out two disparate concepts: Phenomenology and Phenomenalism [subjective idealism]. In the real world, any theory or argumentation is like a grain of sand in the long river of human history. Withal, barely could anyone contend absolute knowledge to forecast/anticipate absolute ‘content things’ [fastidiousness] of tomorrow in ontological view.  

 

As for continued education (master’s and doctoral programs), which is like the ‘unadulterated provisions’ out of the academic fields, which can give you another opportunity for a growth and extension of logical thinking while achieving academic results, basking in the achievements of research and innovation and breakthrough. With that, your next chapters will become more splendid (while working at the social industries).

 

Aha! you can alternatively play with another game “Toss a Coin.”—But Life is serious, and rightly so!

 

 

Q:

Wow! Let’s make a wish for all AXHUers!

 

A：

The Chinese nation has magnificently experienced an epoch-making development and all people live peacefully and confidently in the moderately prosperous society. Really speaking, today’s youth raised in the multiple-cultural atmosphere are changing the world, being on a trip to self-actualization, and pursuing transcendence in the spiritual world, who are mostly equipped with sound disciplinary knowledge. Mindfully, ‘Action speaks louder than the words.’ It is time to depict yourself a ‘vector diagram’— to become a stronger runner holding fast the relay baton for the future of all Chinese nation.

 

‘Wish us all the best on the road ahead.’