On the afternoon of April 10, the first session of the “Xishan Alumni Salon”, hosted by the Guizhou University (GZU) Alumni Association, was held at the Mingzheng Building Studio on the university’s west campus. Designed to carry forward the GZU spirit and strengthen the alumni’s role in promoting student development, the “Xishan Alumni Salon” features in-depth interviews with outstanding alumni to showcase their personal journeys and achievements. Through these stories, the initiative aims to inspire the students to follow in the footsteps of role models and strive for excellence, thereby contributing to the university’s talent development goals. The theme of this session was “Two Decades of Grassroots Dedication: Answering the Call of the People”.

The featured guest was Yuan Shu, a graduate of the 2001 cohort in Tourism Management, Deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, Outstanding Communist Party Member of Guizhou Province, and Secretary of Party Working Committee of Zhongcaosi Subdistrict, Nanming District, Guiyang. Zhang Dalin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC GZU Committee and Vice President of the university, attended the event along with representatives from the Office of University Cooperation (Alumni Association), the College of Tourism and Culture Industry, and faculty and student representatives.

Before the interview, Zhang Dalin presented Yuan Shu with a commemorative gift and an honorary alumni certificate at the Alumni Center.

The session began with Yuan Shu recalling her student days at GZU. She expressed deep gratitude to her alma mater. She fondly recounted cherished memories from her four years at GZU—building snowmen with her roommates, watching films in the university auditorium, and studying in the library. With deep emotion, she encouraged current students to cherish their time at university and the friendships formed along the way.

As a grassroots public servant with 20 years of experience, Yuan Shu first shared, with humor and humility, the ups and downs of grassroots work. She then illustrated the principles of public service through vivid real-life cases, explaining how her approach to her duties is grounded in addressing community needs. Reflecting on her role in this year’s National People’s Congress, she focused on livelihood issues like the renovation of aging residential communities, as well as broader institutional topics such as legal alignment and the rule-of-law in grassroots governance. Her problem-solving approach—identifying issues through practice and addressing them based on the people’s needs—vividly demonstrated how localized concerns can drive systemic improvements from the ground up. Yuan emphasized that promoting the spirit of the “Two Sessions” is both a core responsibility and an original aspiration for every NPC deputy. It is also a vital part of translating the people’s voices into responsive legislation and advancing grassroots governance as part of China’s modernization efforts. In closing, Yuan offered words of encouragement to GZU students: “Keep your eyes on the stars, but your feet firmly on the ground.”

Editor: Pang Aizhong
Chief Editor: Li Xufeng
Senior Editor: Ding Long

Translator: Jia Haibo