The morning of September 2 saw the 2018 Convocation of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in the newly completed SUSTech Runyang Gymnasium. University Council Chairperson Guo Yurong, University President Chen Shiyi led members of the school's leadership team, academicians, heads of departments, departments and colleges in attending the ceremony. A total of 1801 freshmen and faculty representatives, representatives of school students, alumni representatives and parents of the 2018 class of SUSTech gathered together to witness the ceremony. Vice President Tang Tao presided over the ceremony.

Convocation site

Singing the national anthem

The convocation officially kicked off with the national anthem.

Tang Tao presided over the ceremony

Chen Shiyi’s speech

Chen Shiyi spoke first. He first expressed his warm welcome to all undergraduates, graduate students and international students joining SUSTech in 2018 on behalf of the University.

 He said that choosing SUSTech, a university with incredible spirit and an innovative character, is a future-oriented choice. In his speech, he deeply reviewed the history of the first batch of college students who had returned to the college entrance examination 40 years ago, the ideals of cherishing science and technology to serve the country and embarked on the road to study.

 He reviewed the reform and opening up of Shenzhen from its beginning 40 years ago. The roads and the ever-changing construction of SUSTech are to reproduce the passion and scene of the entrepreneurship of the early days of the construction of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.

Chen Shiyi also introduced the new ideas and new journeys of SUSTech starting from the autumn semester strategy seminar, exploring and cultivating the top-notch innovative talent model, and sharing with the freshmen how to explore the depth and development of thought in SUSTech.

By building a rich university life across the width of each student’s field of vision, students can experience the breadth of the extended mind, the toughness of their will and the intensity of life at SUSTech. He spoke about how the life of writing is a strong stroke, influenced the temperature and height of life, as well as the speed of the times.

Faculty representative Professor Jiang Xingyu

Department Head of Biomedical Engineering Chair Professor Jiang Xingyu spoke at the ceremony on behalf of the faculty members. Looking back at his own undergraduate study experience, he provided some fresh suggestions to the freshmen.

The first is to learn self-study. "The cultivation of your own self-learning ability is extremely important. If I didn’t have the ability to arrange my time well and have the ability to learn by myself quickly, I wouldn't be able to carry out highly scientific research in biomedical engineering today."

He hoped that the students would work hard in the coming four years, enjoy their learning, and become future leaders through scientific and technological innovation, resulting in their being useful talents for country and society.

Alumni representative Liu Lingyu speaks

2017 graduate Liu Lingyu is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree at Oxford University in the UK and returned to represent SUSTech’s alumni. He said that when he was studying at SUSTech, he was "to maintain a humble life and learning attitude," which benefited him a lot. Today he told the Class of 2018 students the following information, “I hope that you will find a development path that suits them in the next four years. You should communicate more with teachers and classmates in the school and participate in various practical activities and broaden their horizons.”

Freshmen representative Alexander Aizezi speaks

Alexander Aizezi, a student graduated from Shenzhen Foreign Languages Middle School, spoke on behalf of undergraduate freshmen. He believes that "there are many reasons to choose SUSTech; you need a reason not to choose it." He hopes to grow up with the students in SUSTech as a person who can think independently and be responsible for himself. Know more, try more, see yourself clearly, see the direction and never forget your heart. I hope that everyone can clearly find the foothold towards their own dream and let the torch of dreams illuminate our way of life.

International student representative Sofia speaks

Sofia Serebrennikova, an international student from Russia, spoke on behalf of the international students. She said that she would start a new academic journey at SUSTech, choose the profession that she likes and suits her, and explore these areas of research in depth. She encouraged new students to be the best of themselves and to live the best and fullest university time in their lives.

Postgraduate representative Zhang Ziyi speaks

Zhang Ziyi, a graduate student representative, said in her speech that SUSTech is a school that for her was "love at first sight." She said that when she first came to SUSTech, she had the opportunity to listen to the academician's teachings in small lectures in the classroom, have face-to-face discussions with the Nobel Prize winners in the lecture hall, and see the academic masters give seminars in their fields of expertise. She hoped that the students would adhere to the spirit of "Dare to try, be truthful and pragmatic, reform and innovation, and pursue excellence," and write their own chapter at SUSTech.

All faculty members and students sang "Ode to the Motherland."

Guo Yurong gives the first lesson of the year

After the convocation, Guo Yurong gave the first lesson for the new students. From the three chapters of “Innovative City,” “Innovative University” and “Innovation and You,” the students were introduced to the history of Shenzhen, the development of SUSTech, the characteristics of the times. She hoped that the students would develop their personal ideals and develop for the country, combining prosperity and strength. She expressed the confidence that every student would be writing their own sacred chapter worthy of the times, worthy of history, and worthy of life. By working hard from scratch on the road to realizing their ideals of life, students would be able to travel a long way in the journey of realizing the great Chinese rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, at SUSTech. As SUSTech strives to become a world-class university rooted in China, every student is encouraged to write a sacred chapter worthy of the times, worthy of history, and worthy of life. She hoped that the students would uphold and carry forward the spirit of Shenzhen, the spirit of the city, the spirit of innovation, and the spirit of the founding of SUSTech. She wanted all the freshmen to strive to become a new era of SUSTech adults with ideals, pursuits, skills, and responsibilities, and a new generation of people, winning the future with innovation!

Warm-up show

On the warm-up stage before the convocation, SUSTech Arts Center teacher and student performed a duet on traditional Chinese instruments; the erhu and the guzheng before the SUSTech Acapella Troupe performed "Raining the South of the Yangtze River" and "Taoxiang.”

Original Text: Miao Xuening

Translated and Adapted: Chris Edwards

Proofread: Xia Yingying

Photography: Su Jiahui, Wang Kaiqiang, Zhang Xiaoyan