At 8:00 a.m. on August 31, the Class of 2026 at Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo officially began their undergraduate studies. A total of 130 first-year students entered the Teaching and Laboratory Building for their first university class — General Physics I, a foundational course offered by the College of Science.
On the first day of the new semester, President Shiyi Chen, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led members of the University leadership and representatives from relevant administrative departments on a classroom visit to review teaching arrangements and preparations for the new academic year.
As one of the first foundational courses taken by the Class of 2026, General Physics I was delivered simultaneously in three parallel classrooms in the Teaching and Laboratory Building. Faculty members from the College of Science arrived early to prepare for the class and welcomed the new students with well-organized teaching materials and full readiness for the new semester.
Before class, President Chen, together with Party Secretary Bo Jin, Executive Vice President and Provost Dongxiao Zhang, and other University leaders, visited the classrooms and spoke with the instructors about course arrangements, textbooks, and teaching preparations. They also interacted with students who had arrived early for their first class.
President Chen encouraged the students to make the most of their time in the classroom, develop scientific thinking and rigorous approaches to learning through foundational courses, and maintain their curiosity and passion for exploring the unknown, laying a solid foundation for their future academic studies and research.
During the class, students remained attentive and engaged. Guided by their instructors, they began exploring the fundamental laws of the physical world through General Physics I, taking an important first step in their academic journey at EIT.
Foundational courses play a vital role in undergraduate education. General Physics I, offered by the College of Science, is an important part of the University's foundational curriculum. The College remains committed to bringing high-quality faculty and academic resources into undergraduate teaching and to strengthening foundational courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and related disciplines. Through these efforts, the College seeks to cultivate students' scientific literacy, logical reasoning, and capacity for innovation.
In the new academic year, the College of Science will continue to strengthen undergraduate curriculum development and teaching, enhance the quality of foundational education, and provide students with a solid academic foundation for advanced study, interdisciplinary learning, and scientific research.
