What is the spirit of Southwest Associated University?

Perseverance is the school motto of Southwest Associated University, which means perseverance and pursuit of excellence. When the General Assembly moved westward to Kunming, due to the extreme shortage of funds, students lived in houses with thatched roofs and earth walls, often with forty or fifty people crammed into each room, making it overcrowded. Whenever it rains, houses leak and walls collapse. When summer comes, fleas, bed bugs, mosquitoes and flies are everywhere. Mosquito bites at night make it difficult to sleep. When you go out to eat on the street during the day, flies dare to compete with people for food. Despite this, Lianda University students still braved the rain to listen to the teacher's lectures attentively, and endured the mosquitoes to study their homework in the dormitory.

There are many schools of thought among the teachers at the Lianda University. Some professors completely deny feudal culture, while some admire the ancient style and "would rather go to jail for three years than read a new poem." , some advocate total westernization. But everyone can still respect each other and communicate with each other. There is only academic dispute without personal bias. This trend of academic freedom is also reflected in the relationship between teachers and students. Teachers get along with students as close as friends. Even if students have different ideas from their own, they can listen patiently. It is in the atmosphere of academic freedom that talents from the joint universities can express their opinions and promote the improvement of academic standards in the debate.

Among the students of Southwest Associated University, more than 1,100 people directly joined the army and participated in the Anti-Japanese War. Among them, 14 were martyrs, and 16 others received the "Medal of Freedom" awarded by the U.S. government to meritorious personnel in the Chinese theater. It is also sung in the school song of the United Nations General Assembly: "We are worried about the fate of the new nation in times of difficulty, but we are moved and forbearing to hope for the wisdom of the past. When the enemy bandits are driven out, the capital of Beijing will be restored, and the Yanjie will be restored." It is with a strong sense of concern for the country and patriotic enthusiasm It encourages teachers and students of Lianda University to overcome all difficulties and study hard.