Welcome to a new semester at SPST and a new chapter in our family history with the implementation of remote education events and teaching instruments as a way to overcome some of the hardships imposed by the emergence of the novel corona virus epidemic. First and foremost, be clear that all the staff at SPST-TJU are working hard to figure out the best practice to move forward, so that your educational needs and goals will be met and so that minimal delays in time to degree occur. That said this is a totally new situation and a nationwide if not global emergency. No one has all of the answers and not every decision is going to appear to be the best one; but our deepest concerns are for your welfare and we make decisions based on the best information we can gather.

Many opening semester and graduation speeches speak to the idea that the real goal of education is to prepare you to educate yourself for the unexpected changes you will encounter in your life. This semester is a clear example of learning by doing in that domain. No one could anticipate the timing and spread of this epidemic, and furthermore we are all learning of the social impact that such a contagious sickness can have. You who are studying now to be applied pharmaceutical or health scientists should take a moment to pause and think about the broader systemic picture.

A contagious disease is not just an abstract thing of nature or a confined state to a patient observed under controlled conditions. For each infected person several people are needed as caretakers and many services are needed to support each caretaker with yet more resources needed to empower each service. As the disease spreads it requires more of each element in this chain. It begins to perturb the homeostasis of society and not just the homeostasis of a patient's physiology. Tackling the problems that develop in this active situation require broad based expertise and innovative solutions across the health sciences. What could better exemplify the social impact of your education that to be prepared to contribute to restoring a healthful societal environment?

No single person is going to "solve" an epidemic, rather a team of well educated professionals working in concert is needed. Accurate and current information exchange among team members is an essential component. The ability to float new ideas and express openly opinions that allow each idea to be critically vetted is another feature to a well functioning restorative system. Every team member brings a special mastery to share and support the other. A real-life peer-to-peer learning and solving event.

So as this new semester begins, try not to become preoccupied with perceived hardships or hurdles but focus on how much you can learn from independent initiative and the use new remote education technologies. Ask yourself how not just what your are learning but how you are learning might empower your ability to address future emergency situations more efficiently.

Ultimately, through everyone's cooperative contributions the SPST family will weather this storm and write this chapter full of new remote technology-augmented educational experiences.

Be well and stay safe.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Dean of SPST, Jay Siegel

亲爱的同学们，大家可好？！

时间不会因疫情而放慢脚步，2月17日，天津大学正式开课了! 这场突如其来的疫情打乱了人们的生活节奏，我们从未有一个假期像今年这样令人难忘，我们也从未有像现在这样敬重那些逆行的医护工作者、敬重那些普普通通的抗疫一线的劳动者，我们开始认真思考生命与健康、人类与自然、知识与力量的奥义。

现在钟南山院士的每一句话都会在亿万国人心中激起涟漪。在国家危难的时候，有知识有能力的人就像一束光照亮人们的生活。我相信经历这场疫情之后，同学们一定会更加珍惜大学的时光，会更加奋发努力学好专业知识。

当前，在与全国人民一道抗击疫情的战斗中，我们既做好疫情防控工作，又要努力把疫情带来的损失降到最低，全院师生力争做到"停课不停学，停课不停教"。

希望同学们坚定信心、相信科学、做好防护、加强锻炼、静心读书，努力让自己成为照亮黑暗的一束光，成为担当民族复兴大任的时代新人！

经历了病毒肆虐的寒冬，我们更加向往生机勃发的暖春。相信有习总书记和党中央的英明领导，有全国人民的齐心抗击，我们一定能打赢这场疫情防控阻击战，期待我们早日重聚在北洋园！我在SPST等你！

                                                                                        药学院党委书记 冯翠玲