On the afternoon of April 18, 2024, the Nankai Youth Market took place at the Tianjin Nankai Campus, marking the start of the first Nankai Financial Culture Festival. Over 30 exhibitors gathered at the front square of the School of Finance, offering a variety of activities including consultation services, interactive experiences, artistic performances, intangible cultural heritage displays, fun games, food tasting, and handmade crafts. Thousands of students and faculty attended, deeply engaging in the spring campus culture and drawing on the vibrant energy of youth. The event officially launched the “Golden Glory” inaugural Nankai Financial Culture Festival.

Zhang Yao, Party Secretary of the School of Finance, declared the festival open. Fan Xiaoyun, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Dean of the School of Finance, delivered the opening lecture titled “Learning and Implementing the Spirit of the Two Sessions, Striving to Forge a Path of Financial Development with Chinese Characteristics.” She, along with faculty representatives, also unveiled the “Golden Glory” Academic Development Studio.

Various campus departments, student organizations, and friendly external partners such as the Tongyuan Road Police Station, CITIC Securities, and Binhai New Area Zhongtang Town, set up the Golden Eagle Growth Service Station at the event. They provided academic guidance, psychological counseling, innovation and entrepreneurship policy explanations, overseas study experience sharing, folklore project displays, and financial fraud prevention awareness. Popular campus booths offered free experiences such as pastry tastings, glasses cleaning, and photography services, which were widely welcomed by students.

In recent years, the School of Finance has seen six of its students become Nankai University’s top ten singers, over thirty core members of the university’s dance troupe, and numerous emerging stars in hosting and recitation.

At 2:30 PM, the “Golden Art Gala” performance stage showcased these “artistic stars” from the School of Finance, delivering a series of wonderful performances. The melodious songs and graceful dances were met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

In the “Golden Youth Interactive Zone,” student organizations and clubs showcased a range of activities including finance history and culture trivia, fun presentations, intangible cultural heritage projects, handmade tie-dye, dried flower crafting, painting, and engaging financial games. Each activity attracted considerable attention from students and faculty.

In the courtyard of the School of Finance, the “Golden Badge Planting Experience Field” drew special attention. The second-level psychological counseling station of the school conducted hands-on workshops on flower and vegetable planting, inviting experienced agricultural technicians to teach planting and maintenance techniques, and share the joys of labor.

During the event, the “Internet-famous” library – the School of Finance’s Ning Yihong Dao Bookroom and the FDT Financial Innovation Workshop – opened its doors to students and alumni. The volunteer guide team vividly explained the history, design concept, and unique collections of the bookroom, and introduced the basic conditions of the financial experimental center and the school’s disciplinary development and talent cultivation features, attracting many visitors from other departments.

The event also featured interactive experience projects such as “Golden Glory Chapters,” “Financial Youth Portraits,” and “Super Cute Milk Dragon” for visitors to fully engage with the youth market. The vibrant atmosphere of youth filled the Nankai campus with lively energy.

The festival also included a seminar for student class mentors and discussions on academic development, focusing on strengthening the academic atmosphere, helping finance students cultivate academic integrity, adhere to scholarly standards, explore the beauty of the discipline, and shoulder the mission of building a strong financial nation.

“The market activities were very unique and characteristic of both finance and Nankai University! It was an enjoyable and meaningful afternoon filled with fun and learning, and the experience was fantastic!” said Ge Wenya, an undergraduate student from the Class of 2021.

The inaugural Nankai Financial Culture Festival, themed “Golden Glory,” signifies the school’s commitment to the finance discipline and the integration of various forms of education. The festival focuses on integrating belief, discipline, competence, and physical and mental health. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the School of Finance in 2025, the festival is designed around ten themed activities to nurture innovative, outstanding, and integrative talent in the new era, embodying the mission of “building a strong financial nation, with Nankai University taking responsibility.”