Senior national and Jiangsu provincial officials have encouraged scholars at the Southeast University in Nanjing, the provincial capital, to look for breakthroughs in a number of key disciplines to give the country an advantage in scientific and technological innovation.

Wu Zhenglong, Jiangsu Party secretary, said in a speech on Monday at the university's 120th anniversary that it has produced many talented individuals, pioneered many scientific and technological advances and contributed greatly to China's development and rejuvenation over the years.

While offering the university congratulations, Wu expressed his hope that its scholars would make further progress in training world-class talent, especially in research, application, innovation and strategic scientific and technological areas.

"We are proud of the outstanding achievements that SEU has made. We are proud that Jiangsu province has such a renowned university, and we have great expectations for SEU becoming a world-class university," he said. "As always, we will wholeheartedly support the development of SEU."

Han Qide, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said that SEU has achieved remarkable success in training talent, in scientific and technological innovation, in passing on cultural traditions and in social services.

He hopes that SEU will continue to innovate in its training, attach greater importance to moral education and continue to pursue its unique, historic tradition of education. He also said that it should strengthen interdisciplinary integration, improve its evaluation system, fully adopt peer reviews and enhance academic ethics.

Huang Ru, president of SEU and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave a brief overview of the university's 120 years of history, saying they were years of hard work, of the pursuit of knowledge and of devotion to the country. "Tens of thousands of SEU alumni have dedicated their lives to the great progress of the country and of civilization," she said. "They are the backbone of the country, the pride of the times and the glory of SEU.

"The university is what connects yesterday and today to tomorrow. It carries the nation's aspirations, hopes and future. It is the vanguard leading the development of the times and of society."

Huang said that SEU must commit to serving national rejuvenation and progress to serve as a bridge of communication between China and the world. She reiterated that SEU will work hard to solve the technical problems facing the country and focus on achievements in world-class research and cutting-edge technology.

You Xiaohu, director of a key national laboratory focused on mobile communications at SEU, said that he and his colleagues will live up to their mission to develop 6G technology. "We are standing at the forefront of the new era, shouldering the responsibility of developing 6G technology for the country," he said.

As one of the most prestigious universities in China, SEU traces its origins to 1902. It currently has 34 departments, 83 Bachelor's degree programs, 48 first-level Master's degree disciplines and 34 first-level PhD disciplines.

Over 200 academicians have either worked or studied at SEU, and 12 current academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering have affiliations with the university.

Guo Jun contributed to this story.