On May 8^th, the 12^th Yellow River Education Forum and Yellow River Education Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Henan Daily, was held in Hongqiqu (Red Flag Canal) Cadre Academy. HENU was awarded the "Top 20 Colleges with Comprehensive Strength in Henan Higher Education", "Top 20 Colleges with Brand Strength in Henan", "Outstanding Contribution Unit in Henan Higher Education", "Henan Propaganda Demonstration Unit" and "Henan Higher Education Enrolment and Employment Demonstration Unit". Keping Lu, HENU CPC Party Secretary, was awarded the "2021 Henan Higher Education Meritorious Figure". Zhijun Zhang, a professor of the Engineering Research Center for Nanomaterials of HENU, was awarded "2021 Henan Higher Education Outstanding Contributor".

The forum was themed "New Era and New Development". Focusing on the new era of college party construction propaganda work ideas and paths, Experts and scholars discussed and exchanged ideas on how to promote high-quality development of colleges and universities with high-quality party construction, as well as other issues. During the forum, Gongqi Sun, vice president of HENU, delivered a speech entitled “Inheriting fine traditions of the Party and cultivating successive generations of a new type”.