Ni Xiaorong, an undergraduate alumnus from the 1994 Administrative Management program and President of the Administrative Management Alumni Liaison Association of Tongji University School of Economics and Management, currently serves as Senior Vice President of Decathlon Greater China.

Since graduation, Alumnus Ni Xiaorong has been deeply committed to school affairs, actively participating in alumni homecoming activities with classmates to renew camaraderie and revisit campus memories.

Alumnus Ni Xiaorong has consistently cared about the development of the School, actively engaging in undergraduate curriculum construction. He is always eager to communicate with junior students, sharing his valuable life experiences in the hope of inspiring them to spend a meaningful college life on the Tongji campus and lay a solid foundation for their future entry into society.

Recently, Alumnus Ni Xiaorong was invited to give a lecture to the freshman students of the School, sharing his insights on college life, career planning, and life journey. During the discussion, Alumnus Ni Xiaorong spared no effort in sharing his experiences, engaging in frank and sincere exchanges filled with practical insights, which are worth revisiting.

1. Understand Yourself

In college, I hope you can learn to face setbacks bravely. As a manager, I am not afraid of my employees making mistakes. I hope they can face them calmly, tell me frankly, “I made a mistake, but I can correct it and here’s how.” By confronting these setbacks directly, they gain valuable opportunities for growth.

2. Learn to Make Friends

Conduct yourself with integrity and openness. In any industry, those who act with petty or dishonest intentions will never have the opportunity to succeed.

3. Physical health is the foundation of all achievements.

Learn to manage your time wisely and do not neglect your physical well-being.

4. Learn Continuously

Spend half an hour or an hour each day listening to Himalaya FM (or similar platforms) or downloading content that interests you. This will greatly contribute to your future accomplishments.

5. Survival Principles in the Workplace

The virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness left by our ancestors are our precious wealth:

Benevolence and righteousness mean helping others when they are in need;

Propriety means respecting others;

Wisdom means seeing through the surface of things to grasp their essence and understand the logic behind them;

Trustworthiness means honoring commitments and maintaining credibility, as I mentioned earlier.

At the end of the symposium, Alumnus Ni Xiaorong also had a friendly interaction and exchange with junior students.