On February 26–27, 2026, the "Pass the Torch, Stay True to Our Mission; Unite Our Strengths, March Toward the Future — RDFZ Staff Training and 26th Annual Educational Research Conference" was held. All faculty and staff of RDFZ attended. Through special keynote reports, school history sharing, work deployment, teaching and research group presentations, and commendation of exemplary individuals, the conference systematically reviewed the school's glorious history of struggle, comprehensively summarized the achievements of the previous semester, and arranged and deployed tasks for the new semester, inspiring all faculty and staff to create new glories in the new semester.
On the 26th, the first day of the conference, Liu Pengzhi — Member of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, former State Councillor, member of the National Education Advisory Committee, Honorary Principal of RDFZ, former Principal of RDFZ, founding president of the Innovative Talent Education Research Association — delivered a special keynote report to all faculty and staff on the theme of "The History of RDFZ People's Struggle." Mi Qi, Principal of RDFZ, Deputy Party Secretary of the RDFZ and RDFZ Affiliated Schools Headquarters CPC Committee, and Executive Vice-Principal of the RDFZ Affiliated Schools Headquarters, presided over the keynote session.
Principal Liu Pengzhi began by sharing her experience studying the important statements of General Secretary Xi Jinping. Drawing on her decades of practice in teaching, educating, running schools, and managing educational institutions, she expounded on the educational philosophy centered on "love and respect," systematically reviewed the development of RDFZ — in particular, the journey of leading RDFZ's people in transforming the school from an ordinary key secondary school into a world-renowned institution — and shared the pioneering educational practices of recent years in "fusing the best of Chinese and foreign education and exploring future education," as well as radiating decades' worth of accumulated educational experience and resources throughout the nation to practice in concrete action the educational pursuit of "amplifying life." Principal Liu Pengzhi noted that it is precisely through the relay of successive generations of RDFZ people that the school has been able to continuously scale new heights in the field of basic education and establish a leading position.
Principal Liu Pengzhi has always kept close attention to the development of RDFZ. She remarked that under the leadership of Principals Zhai Xiaoning and Liu Xiaohui, the school's various endeavors have operated at a high level and advanced steadily, continuously opening new horizons for educational reform, and maintaining a vigorous development momentum. Now, the historical baton has been passed to Principal Mi Qi and Party Secretary Xu Li. She expressed full confidence and anticipation for RDFZ's future, sincerely hoping that under the joint efforts of the new leadership team and all teachers and students, the school will progress steadily and create new glories on the magnificent journey of building a centennial renowned school.
In a 9-hour report, Principal Liu Pengzhi condensed the spiritual essence of RDFZ people into six keywords — "ideals, struggle, unity, dedication, science, and innovation" — using vivid stories to paint a collective portrait of RDFZ people striving forward and pursuing excellence, and eloquently interpreting her educational sentiment and life aspiration of "life comes for a great cause." Her report was greeted with wave after wave of enthusiastic applause from all faculty and staff.
Wang Menzhu, former Party Secretary of RDFZ, gave a deeply moving presentation titled "United in Spirit, Building Glory Together," affectionately recalling nearly 40 years of deep friendship and close cooperation with Principal Liu Pengzhi, and emphasizing that unity, trust, and understanding are the solid cornerstones of the school's development.
Former school leadership representatives Zhou Jianhua, Gao Jiangtao, Yu Xiujuan, and Li Yu shared their moving stories of steadfastly dedicating themselves on the front lines of education and fulfilling their missions with their lives (the latter three were unable to attend in person and were represented by Wang Menzhu). Seconded cadre representatives Ma Jing, Zhang Dongmei, and Chou Jinjia, and teacher representatives Hu Jichao, Zhuang Li, Wu Di, Zhang Weifen, and Gong Runfeng shared their personal growth journeys in the fertile soil of RDFZ.
Racing driver Cheng Congfu and animation director Wang Yuxi, as alumni representatives, warmly recalled their study days at their alma mater. Their growth stories vividly embodied RDFZ's educational philosophy of "creating education suited to the development of every student."
At the conclusion of the keynote session, a special moment of touching emotion arrived. Zhu Xinkai, Standing Member of the CPC Committee and Executive Vice-President of Renmin University of China, and Principal of the RDFZ Affiliated Schools Headquarters, specially sent a photo of a handwritten inscription paying tribute to Principal Liu Pengzhi's dedication to teaching a full day's session at the age of eighty: "A teacher never grows old, and spreads the warmth of spring throughout the hall. Moved by a teacher who, at eighty, taught for eight hours." This deeply moved every person present who is a member of the RDFZ family.
At the conference, participants were given study books including Life Comes for a Great Cause and the Compilation of Some Speeches from the "History of RDFZ People's Struggle" Report, which collected and compiled written materials from Wang Menzhu, Zhai Xiaoning, Liu Xiaohui, Mi Qi, Xu Li, Zhou Jianhua, Gao Jiangtao, Yu Xiujuan, Li Yu, Luo Bin, Qu Zhaojun, Ma Jing, Zhang Dongmei, Wang Rong, Chou Jinjia, Liu Yan, Shu Dajun, Zhuang Li, Wu Di, Zhang Weifen, Hu Jichao, Wang Feng, Gong Runfeng, Tian Qinzheng, and others, for everyone to study and exchange.
The morning session on the 27th was presided over by Xu Li, Party Secretary of the RDFZ and RDFZ Affiliated Schools Headquarters CPC Committee. After viewing the RDFZ promotional films "Chasing Dreams," "Gathering Strength · Steadfast Commitment · Setting Sail — RDFZ 2026 Winter Vacation Review," and "Youth Across Mountains and Seas — RDFZ Arts Troupe 2026 US Tour," Principal Mi Qi delivered a work report titled "Unite Our Hearts, Create a New Chapter; Row Hard, Begin a New Journey.
Principal Mi Qi reviewed and summarized the work of the previous semester and arranged and deployed the work for the new semester. He comprehensively and systematically summarized the work and achievements of the previous semester from the perspectives of Party building, five-domain integrated education, teaching reform, educational research, integrated education across all academic stages, AI-empowered education and teaching, external exchange and cooperation, management and services, and more, while also pointing out existing problems and shortcomings. In the new semester, the school is to focus on core tasks and key projects, further strengthen Party building leadership, uphold the founding mission of nurturing talent, prioritize practical effort, persist in five-domain integrated education, deepen teaching reform, and implement major projects. Principal Mi Qi gave specific arrangements for the new semester's moral education, education and teaching, team building, campus construction, comprehensive support, and media publicity, calling on all faculty and staff to unite their hearts with greater enthusiasm, more pragmatic work styles, and more innovative measures, to advance with the new, to make a good start in the opening year of the "14th Five-Year Plan," to demonstrate new commitment, achieve new results, and write a new chapter.
Vice-Principal Lu Haijun delivered the 2025 school financial work report.
The Chinese language teaching and research group presented under the theme "Fertile Soil, New Sprouts; Still Water, Running Deep," with content divided into two sections: "We Are Growing" and "We Set Out Again."
The first section was presided over by Wu Ling, head of the teaching and research group. Three teachers — Xu Xiangyu, Mao Jinyi, and Hu Chenxi — shared their personal growth experiences and reflections, and teachers from the "post-60s" and "post-70s" generations delivered words of encouragement, expressing the theme of "passing the torch from generation to generation, we grow together."
The second section was presided over by Wang Caiyun, head of the teaching and research group, and unfolded around four keywords: "self-breakthrough," "resource integration," "strengthening the foundation," and "enhancing belonging." Teacher Zhao Wei shared the year-level subject activities; Teachers Liu Chengzhang and Sun Maoning shared their practical explorations of offering supplementary enrichment courses and interest expansion courses respectively.
Finally, Teacher Wu Ling summarized the experience of team building in the Chinese language group in 32 characters: "Platform as support, teaching and research as the driving force; leadership and guidance, respect and encouragement; forge true skills, train solid abilities; self-driven advancement, inherit and take responsibility."
The conference also announced various awards and honors received by some teachers during the first semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, fully showcasing the abundant achievements of RDFZ people in dedicating themselves to education and diligently pursuing research.
