Motto

“Dedication to public interests, acquisition of all-round capability, and aspiration for progress with each passing day” is the motto of Nankai University.

When Nankai University was first founded, Yan Fansun, the founding father of the Nankai schools, raised the proposal of valuing public interests and student’s capabilities, which was practiced along with the process of running the school. In 1934, President Zhang Boling adapted words in The Book of Songs, The Book of Rites and The Great Learning into “Yun gong yun neng, ri xin yue yi”(允公允能, 日新月异), which means “Dedication to public interests, acquisition of all-round capability, and aspiration for progress with each passing day”. This became the motto of Nankai University. The motto can be summarized in three words: responsibility, capability and creativity. As an eternal spiritual power, the motto has enlightened generations of Nankai students, encouraging them to devote themselves to the nation’s rejuvenation and development.