SUSTech’s annual daylong Commencement ceremony welcomes current students, confers degrees, and presents speakers who strive to make sense of a complex world.The festive spirit is also evident in the smaller, personal moments among the graduates, alumni, family, friends, faculty members attending.Here is a sampling of the joyful and wistful moments on the Great Lawn.

Zhu Qingshi: I hope the first cohort of students will become the pride of SUSTech.

In the  Commencement 2016, a mysterious guest showed up—he was Zhu Qingshi, the founding president of SUSTech. As he stepped onto the stage, the audience stood up in surprise and welcomed him with ceaseless applause.

The former president was rather excited about coming back to the campus and attending the graduation ceremony of the first cohort students of SUSTech after its formal establishment. “When I saw the students off the stage, it instantly brought me back to 2012 when we admitted them. We did campaigns in eight provinces across the country. I visited all the eight provinces in fifteen days and made education reform report in each place. With so many efforts, we’ve got 6,000 applications at last. After the national college entrance examination, we held an autonomous ability test and then decided the final admission list based on our own ‘631’ enrollment mode,” he recalled. “Today as I saw them, I thought of the words I had said to them, which is ‘The four years in SUSTech will definitely become an experience that you’ll be proud of throughout your life.’ Now that they have graduated, I am wondering now what do they think about what I said before and whether I was right or wrong about it.”

Zhu himself engaged in the admission and training of the 2016 class, so he was very close to those students. “I hope they can all develop well in SUSTech, as universities are designed to foster creativity and the ability to think independently,” he said.

“Just like what the valedictorian Chen Su said on the ceremony, we were at the old campus which was like a yard. All the teachers and students knew each other. The whole college was like a family. I had meals and took walks with students and was very close to them. So I was impressed a lot by this class of graduates,” he added.

As this cohort is going to enter a new life stage, President Zhu expressed his expectation and wish for them: “I hope they could be proud that they have spent the four years in SUSTech, and make SUSTech proud of them in the future!”

Tutors: we believe they all have a bright future.

In SUSTech, professors are full of ideals and dreams and spare no effort to train talents for the country. Seeing their students embarking on a new journey, the teachers were filled with various sorts of feelings.

Associate Professor Tan Bin and Liu Xinyuan from the Department of Chemistry were the tutors of this year’s Excellent Graduate Chen Su. When talking about his own students, Tan was delighted: “I am more than pleased to know that they have all received good offers. University is only the first stop of their brilliant life. I believe they’ll have a better future.”

Associate Professor Lu Zhouguang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering was the tutor of Wu Sisi, Huo Yifeng, Wan Yi, Zhang Lihua and Luo Yaocong. When the ceremony ended, he was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. “I am really proud of my students. I was so excited seeing President Chen award them the degree. In the past four years, we had a great time together. I hope they continue to study and work steadfastly, and wish them happiness in the future.”

Associate Professor Xu Zongxiang from the Department of Chemistry showed his admiration for the graduates for their courage to choose SUSTech four years ago. “SUSTech was only at its beginning then, but this group of students dared to challenge tradition and embrace innovation. It was not easy for them. They were also under great academic pressure in the university. However, they managed to carry on until today and achieved such good results. I am very pleased. I hope they can preserve the courage that once supported their choice of SUSTech.”

Parents: the good environment of the university brings up the kids.

Chen Huiwen’s parents came all the way from Chengdu, a city in central China, to attend their daughter’s graduation ceremony. Immersed in happiness, the mother came near to tears. “President Chen really spoke out our hearts. My daughter is among the first students since SUSTech’s official establishment. As a parent, I felt I had entrusted the hope of family to the university,” she said. “But during these years, SUSTech has been developing very well and the graduates of the Education Reform Class have also received good offers. We have more and more confidence in the university. Now as my daughter comes to her graduation and will further her study in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, I really wish her a bright future. Also she will return to the university and make her own contribution someday.”

The parents of Yang Yahui also attended the ceremony, along with Yang’s uncle and aunt. “Four years ago, it was the four of us who accompanied her to the old campus; four years later, it is also the four of us who witness her graduation,” said Yang’s uncle. “The university has changed a lot these years. It now boasts one of best university campuses in China. Its faculty is also of the top level. We think that Yahui’s four years in SUSTech is well worth it. We sincerely hope that she could enjoy a good prospect in Nanyang Technological University.”

Xu Mengqi’s parents stood at the auditorium, waiting for their daughter to return to them with her just-received diploma. “We come from Ji Nan City of Shan Dong province. Being here at her graduation ceremony is really exciting. Our daughter loves SUSTech a lot. We hope she will have great time in the U.S., learn more knowledge and find her own field of interest. We also hope SUSTech can become a top university worldwide as soon as possible!”

Graduates: we gained a lot in SUSTech.

After four years, the once innocent and muddle-headed freshmen have grown into excellent SUSTech graduates.

Wang Lingjue is a graduate from the Department of Chemistry. He shared his feelings: “During the college years, SUSTech has offered us enormous resources, including prominent professors and amazing laboratories. There were many stages in the university to train and display ourselves. In face with the future, we are able to cope with everything with ease, whether it is challenge or opportunity, and advance bravely.”

For Zhang Yuxin from the Department of Mathematics, he found his interest during his four years in SUSTech. “I am willing to devote my whole life to it. The initial confusion has disappeared and I have a clearer understanding of my future.”

“I began to have my own ideas and think independently,” said Zhu Xuepei from the Department of Mathematics.

At the moment of leaving, Yang Shuo from the Department of Physics expressed his love for the alma mater: “I expect to see a more beautiful and excellent SUSTech in the future, and I hope it could become a first-class higher education institution as soon as possible.” Cheng Hairong from the Department of Biology sent his words to younger students: “I hope they can find their own niche as well as their dreams. I hope they can make full use of the rich resources in SUSTech and embrace an amazing, unforgettable university life.”

Undergraduates: the graduation ceremony brings us great excitement

Attending the graduates’ ceremony made the undergraduates feel an upsurge of emotion. They dreamed of their own graduation ceremony, as well as the future of SUSTech.

Zhang Ruoyu of Shude College said the great ceremony had strongly stirred up her passion, and she was looking forward to their graduation ceremony.

Wu Xuan of Zhiren College gave her blessing to the graduates and the university: “In the past years, SUSTech had endured great hardship in its pioneer work. I hope our university can build itself into a top institute of technology in 25 years just like the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and become a symbol of China.”

The student of Zhicheng College Chang Yifei also praised the graduation ceremony. “The speeches of all the awesome figures today greatly inspired me. I feel there are so many things for me to learn during the four years. I hope SUSTech can grow stronger and stronger and achieve the goal of becoming one of the world’s leading universities at an early date.”