On the morning of April 10, 2026, a delegation from the Office of Retirement Affairs of Central South University (CSU), led by He Guiqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee, visited the School of Foreign Languages for a research and exchange session on retirement-related work. The delegation also included Du Fangdong, Deputy Director; Huang Yuan, full-time Party affairs officer; and He Ting, a faculty member responsible for the CSU Senior Citizens’ University and the Chinese Senior Sport Association.

The meeting was chaired by Hou Heyu, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages. Participants from the School included Li Tao, Secretary of the Party Committee; Liu Yongjun, Director of the Office; Tang Huijun, full-time Party affairs officer; and Ma Ji, administrative staff member.

Li Tao welcomed the delegation on behalf of the School and introduced its work concerning retired faculty and staff. He noted that the School’s Party Committee conducts annual reviews of retirement-related work and the development of Party branches among retired members. Comprehensive services are provided, including the processing of retirement and re-employment procedures, organization of retirement ceremonies, holiday visits and support, medical check-ups, pension benefits verification, consultation services, and anti-fraud awareness initiatives.

Meanwhile, Li Tao outlined several challenges, including limited staffing, increasingly diverse needs among retirees, and the need to better align standardized Party branch requirements with practical conditions. He also took this opportunity to reflect the collective opinions of retired faculty members. Drawing on feedback from retired faculty, he proposed a more differentiated approach. For senior retirees, priority should be given to health and safety, with activities focusing on light indoor formats such as health lectures and film screenings. For relatively younger retirees, particularly those born in the 1960s and 1970s, the emphasis should shift from organizing activities to maintaining regular contact and providing tailored services, while respecting diverse lifestyles.

He Guiqiang affirmed the School’s efforts and outlined four priorities for future work. First, safety and stability must remain the top priority, with firm adherence to ideological standards and strengthened legal awareness among retired Party members. Second, service provision should be enhanced in response to population aging, including refined support measures, stronger guidance for Party branches among retirees, and the establishment of a liaison system to advance primary-level Party building. Third, anti-fraud awareness initiatives should be strengthened through regular, targeted outreach to improve risk awareness and help retirees keep their money safe. Fourth, retirees should be encouraged to continue contributing their expertise by participating in the Silver Age Teacher Program, and playing a role in the Committee for the Wellbeing of the Next Generation. Retired teachers will be mobilized to contribute wisdom and efforts to fostering virtue through education, carrying forward the school spirits and supporting young teachers’ growth, thereby supporting the school’s high-quality development.

Looking ahead, the School of Foreign Languages will continue to adopt a more practical approach and provide higher-quality services to further improve support for retired faculty and staff.