Time flies, yet love endures; the years are like a song, carrying on the melody of gratitude. On September 20, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) held the “Love SJTU · Love You Forever” Alumni Couples Homecoming Event and Alumni Concert at the Student Center Lecture Hall on the Minhang Campus. Party Secretary Yang Zhenbin, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President Hu Weiwei, Executive Deputy Director of the University Council Zhang Ansheng, together with faculty from related departments, joined more than 100 alumni couples and their families. With “love” as the theme, they revisited their campus memories and celebrated their enduring connection to their alma mater. The concert was hosted by Li Bingchu (PhD, Class of 2016, School of Mechanical Engineering) and his wife Chen Lu (Master’s, Class of 2011, School of Electrical Engineering).
The short film Love · SJTU—combining nostalgic photos, alumni interviews, and heartfelt wishes—vividly showcased the sincere love between the alumni couples and their deep gratitude to SJTU. It set a romantic and warm tone for the evening and drew the audience into their moving stories.
Five alumni couples shared their love stories on stage. Gu Anzhong and Yang Minzhi devoted over 60 years to research and teaching at SJTU, becoming a four-generation SJTU family who has passed on the spirit of “SJTU Affection.” Xu Feng and Yang Zhengyu dedicated their lives to research at the 702 Institute, contributing to China’s maritime strength. Qiang Ligou and Gong Jin gave back to SJTU by funding the Sheng Xuanhuai Research Fund to help preserve the university’s historical and cultural heritage. Shi Jian and Li Ling have supported the university’s “Siyuan Annual Giving” for two decades, inspiring their daughter to also become an SJTUer. Zhao Peng and Wang Fengxin were inspired by their alma mater to take their dedication to Ningxia, where they serve their community. Bound by responsibility and promise, these couples embody love as a partnership of equals, resonating with the spirit of the nation.
Hand in hand and growing old together, their bonds witnessed by the university—Yang Zhenbin presented specially designed “Love Certificates” to four Golden Wedding couples who have been married for more than 50 years: Gu Anzhong & Yang Minzhi, Xu Feng & Yang Zhengyu, Cai Guohua & Jiang Siqing, and Lu Yongliang & Ma Kaigui, conveying the university’s heartfelt blessings.
During the ring-exchange ceremony, alumni placed commemorative rings, custom-made by SJTU, on each other’s fingers. Surrounded by the blessings of faculty and classmates, they renewed their vows of lifelong commitment.
Cai Xianggang (BEng, Class of 1991, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering) and Chen Xiaoyun (BEng, Class of 1994, School of Mechanical Engineering) performed a heartfelt duet, That Feeling of Heartbeat. The “Youth Never Graduates” Alumni Choir and the Student Traditional Music Ensemble offered a carefully prepared artistic feast, singing of youth and expressing deep affection through music. The evening ended with a full-house singalong of My Friend Nanyang, bringing the alumni concert to a touching and joyful close.
On campus, love leaves a lasting imprint. Twenty-three alumni couples adopted trees in the Ecological Grove, and forty-eight jointly donated to the Rose Garden, so that the campus greenery carries their gratitude and memories. Together with alumni representatives, Hu Weiwei and Zhang Ansheng unveiled a “Collective Donation Plaque.”
That day, alumni couples and their families relived their student days with campus tours, nostalgic lunches, and photo stops—reconnecting with old times and deepening their bond with SJTU.
