Our dear College Council Chair Chen Zhongying passed away on Jan. 14, 2018, leaving behind her beloved and long withstanding education career.

           Chair Chen was born in Dec. 1926. After her graduation from Chinese and History Department of Hwa Nan College in 1950,she was kept in the faculty of her alma mater.

Chen Zhongying’s Diploma of Hwa Nan

          From 1951, Chair Chen taught in Fuzhou University,which later changed its name to Fujian Normal College and Fujian Normal University. Between 1983 and 1987, she was Vice Presidents of Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou Minjiang College, Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College and Vice Chair of Fujian Women’s Federation. From 1985 to 1997, she was elected as Member of the 5th CPPCC Fujian Provincial Standing Committee, Member of the Standing committee of the seventh and the eighth Fujian Provincial People's Congress, Member of China Democratic League Central Committee, Vice Chair of Fujian Provincial Committee of China Democratic League. From 1997 to 2003, she acted as President of Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College. Since July 2003, she has been the Council Chair of Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College. She was awarded honors of Outstanding Person of Professional Education， Outstanding Teacher of Fujian Province, the March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters of Fujian Province, Fuzhou Municipality First Excellent Talent, and the First Moral Model of Fujian Normal University.

         In 1985, under the spiritual inspiration of President Yu Baosheng, Chen Zhongying together with alumnae home and abroad started their arduous journey of founding a new Hwa Nan.

 Teaching Seminar with President Yu Baosheng

Sod breaking ceremony for Lucy Hall and Madam Ke Xinmou Memorial Building with North American Alumnae Association, Hong Kong Board of Trustees, Vice Chair Mr. Ke Bocheng of Hong Kong Board of Trustees

          She took the job as Vice President of Hwa Nan, assisting President Yu in administration, meanwhile she held many other positions such as Vice Presidents of Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou Minjiang College, Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College, Vice Chair of Fujian Women’s Federation, Vice Chair of Fujian Provincial Committee of China Democratic League. In her busy schedule, she exerted her strength and wisdom to appeal for the establishment of new Hwa Nan.

 Xiang Nan, Fujian Provincial Party Secretary and CPPCC Members From Hong Kong and Macao visited the college (1989)

Secretary of Fujian Party Committee Xiang Nan and his wife Madame Wang Zhixin visited the college. (1991)

President Chen Zhongying and Former President Yu Baosheng planning for the future of Hwa Nan.

Yu Baosheng, Chen Zhongying, and Wang Ling won the First Prize Excellent Teaching Achievement Award for Higher Education in Fujian Province.

          In 1996, she was entrusted by President Yu to be the new President of Hwa Nan. She carried forward Hwa Nan spirit of “patriotic devotion, self improvement, and diligence” and practiced the educational philosophy of “quality, unique and practical education”. In the fierce competition, she laid emphasis on the quality and uniqueness of college education and steered the college to pursue quality and uniqueness to open up new horizon.

A Visit by Xi Jinping when he was Party Secretary of Fuzhou

Exchange agreement signing ceremony between Puget Sound University and Hwa Nan

          Under her leadership, the college bears fruitful results in all aspects. The college enrollment increased. The school operating conditions upgraded and teaching competences improved. The college influence and reputation enhanced. In 1997, the college was recognized as Advanced Unit of Private Higher Education Institute in China. In 2004, President Chen on behalf of the college received from Fujian provincial government a plaque inscribed “ running school and educating talents to the benefit of the Province”

Hwa Nan was awarded Advanced Unit of Private Higher Education Institute in China (1997)

 College’s outstanding achievement was recognized by the provincial government and 500,000RMB was granted.

          In the same year, she was honored as the First Outstanding Teacher of Fujian Province and awarded an automobile priced at 150,000RMB, which though could bring convenience to her transportation at the age of 78, she decided to donate to the college without hesitation. She said she ought to give once she received as what the college motto of“having received, I ought to give”tells us to , which is also her interpretation of education as working hard with no expectation of reward and devoting best time to the noble cause.

Chen Zhongying awarded the First Outstanding Teacher of Fujian Province and made donation of the automobile to the college.

         In her eyes, education is also about succession, about the emphasis on faculty development to carry forward the torch. Chen Zhongying herself was one of the torch bearers, inspired by Wang Shijing and Yu Baosheng’s spirit of dedication to education. She spent a lot of time and efforts in training and developing young faculty and administrators. She insisted the college be generous in supporting faculty development. As a result, the limited resources of the college was spared in the faculty development and around 30 young faculty members were sent to Florida State University(USA), Centenary College(USA), Hiroshima Jogakuin University(Japan)， Assumption University(Thailand) for Master or Ph. D degrees.

          After graduation, they gave up offers abroad and returned back to the college. They are now the backbones of the college and become important human resources in teaching, researching and administration.

Group Photo of Faculty and Staff(1993)

          In 2003, in accordance with Non-Governmental Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China, the college established the council and Chen Zhongying was elected Chair of the Council. She set up new administration of the college, successfully turning over the leadership from the old to the young. After that, she kept on working three days a week, paying close attention to the college development, caring about young faculty development and extending her care and encouragement to them. In Dean Ma Xiufa’s words, she has the ability to enhance cohesion and centripetal force of people to work on the same cause.

Chen Zhongying and other senior teachers gave instructions to young teachers after visiting their classes.

Chen Zhongying and other senior teachers recalled days on the campus of Hwa Nan College

         President Chen Zhongying spent her whole life pursuing the success of Hwa Nan and enabling more women to receive higher education. In her 67-year teaching career, she has been working relentlessly towards this goal. She is the best interpretation of teachers’ ethics, being broad minded, courageous, noble, and selfless. We shall turn grief into strength, remember her teaching, carry on unfinished work of her, follow her footsteps and move forward steadfastly.