"I didn't expect to see the teachers from Tongji University who traveled thousands of miles to visit us in the far northwest in the scorchingly hot weather." Such things happened in various places across mountains and seas throughout China. Tongji teachers covered thousands of miles to build a "heart to heart bridge" between under-privileged student families and the university, helping students set sail with their dreams.

"Hello, our new student!" " Hello teacher! " CHEN Long, an undergraduate student of Year 2022 from School of Medicine, experienced home visits for the first time and felt nervous. He relaxed gradually after communicating with the home visit teachers about his current states, from his family situation to academic difficulties he may came across. He said," I feel like talking to long-time friends who come to visit me after long absence. During the conversation, I not only felt their concern for me, but also the generous and gentle care from the university".

Six home visit teams of Tongji University visited 43 student families in Xinjiang, Xizang, Gansu, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Guizhou, and Chongqing during the summer vacation following the University's "Ten-Thousand-Mile Family Visit" campaign. The main target audience for home visits is 2023 freshmen, students from under-privileged families, and ethnic minority students. The home visit team was composed of nearly 20 teachers and alumni. They discussed the growth and development of students with their parents, brought gift packs and funds to students, trying to help students with tender care.

                                         Friendly conversation between home visit teachers and parents

Birali Abuduaini, a student from the Ethnic Minority Class of Year 2022, is about to enter the Jiren Hall of the Freshmen College, Tongji University. The visiting teachers provided detailed responses to student inquiries about the admission of undergraduate students. He said, "Through this home visit, I learned about the national policies on helping college students and felt very strongly the university's concern to us, which is very important to me."

YANG Shangwu, who lives in Baiyin of Gansu Province, is both a new graduate student at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and an "old guy" at Tongji. As a student who has received financial assistance from the university during his undergraduate studies, he had experienced the special attention and care of the university. When he first started his study at Tongji, he applied for a green channel and received a series of subsidies such as annual student aid and travel allowance, which eased the financial burden of his family. "I signed up and worked in the university's student practice position. The experience not only strengthened my abilities, but also alleviated my financial pressure, which greatly helped and improved me." He said, "I am very happy to continue my further study at Tongji, and I am very grateful for the university policy and care of the visiting teachers. I will live up to expectations and try my best to serve the university and society in the future."

After receiving the gift pack and funds from the university with proper understanding of the national subsidy policy, the parents remarked with gratitude, "The university's care for students is really meticulous and thoughtful”.

The home visits won sincere praise from students and their parents. Looking at the teachers who came from afar, the students were both touched and overjoyed. They felt stronger because the whole university was behind them! "We felt so assured now. Thank you, teachers, for your concern and blessings. University is a new journey in our life, and we will work hard to perform better at Tongji."

Communicating face-to-face with students at zero distance from their families, home visit teachers covered the "last-mile" of family university collaborative education. The university understood more of student family situation and their growth environment from the long-distance journeys, bringing genuine care to students and parents. Likewise, the parents learnt more of the university, thus bringing families and the university closer together.

Three home visit teams planned to visit Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, and Hebei provinces, bring care to nearly 30 student families.