JNU welcomed 9,868 new students from more than 50 countries and regions on Sept. 19.The university held ceremonies for them on the main, south, Zhuhai and Shenzhen campuses the next day. President Hu Jun congratulated them on their enrollment.

(President Hu Jun addressing at the welcome ceremony)

At main campus's ceremony, the university commended two students, Chen Aisen and Su Bingtian, for their outstanding performances at the Rio Olympics and awarded them 600,000- and 100,000-yuan scholarships respectively. Chen, a sophomore majoring ininternational economics and trade, won gold medals in both men's individual and synchronized 10-meter platform diving competitions. Su,athird-year graduate student of the same major, ranked fourth with teammates in the 4x100-meterrelay final, breaking China’s previous record in the event.

(Chen and Su receiving scholarships from President Hu Jun and Wang Hui, an official from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council)

Besides the excitement of first setting foot at JNU, the freshmen were thrilled to see the Olympics champions on their first day, shouting, “We want to take photos with them and get autographs!” An Indonesian student said the two were “awesome.”

After the ceremonies, the freshmen attended training camp wearing blue camp shirts.

(Hu Jun presenting freshmen with the camp flag)

“I chose JNU because I fell in love with it at first sight,” a freshman from Russiasaid in fluent Mandarin. Wu Yuzhuang, a first-year postgraduate student from Vietnam, noted: “The campus is really broad. The teachers and students are so nice. They helped us check into the dormitories.”

The new students consist of 6,337 undergraduates and 3,531 graduate students. Altogether there are 2,771 overseas Chinese students and foreign students, or 31%. Among them, 1,619 undergraduates come from China’s non-mainland regions and 296 from foreign countries; 356 are postgraduates and Ph.D. candidates.