On June 21, the 2012 Graduation Ceremony and Degree-awarding Ceremony of Shandong University was recently held in the gymnasium of SDU. Famous scholars, school leaders and members of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of SDU, 15 in total, took turns handing out diplomas and taking pictures with the representatives of PhD graduates, master degree graduates and bachelor's degree graduates. This graduation ceremony was the largest, most interactive, highest participation one in the history of SDU.

Present at the ceremony were Li Shouxin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SDU, Xu Xianming, President of SDU, Prof. Qian Yitai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Fang Jiaxiong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Liu Dajun, a members of CPC Central Research Institute of Culture and History and tenured professor of SDU, Wang Qilong, Executive Vice President of SDU, Li Jianjun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of SDU, Vice Presidents Fan Liming, Zhang Yongbing, Lou Hongxiang, Chen Yan, Han Shenghao, and Jia Lei, the Assistant Principal of SDU. Aside from these school leaders, Professor Feng Jianwei, an alumni representative, President of Hopson Medical Education and Development System, and Qin Chengyong, another alumni representative, the President of Shandong Provincial Hospital, also attended the ceremony. Fang Hongjian, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of SDU hosted the ceremony.

Before the ceremony started, there was a pre-graduation ceremony. Students from the School of Fine Arts performed a percussion ensemble. A feature film called The Show of SDU 2012 Graduates was shown on the screen. Having seen those familiar pictures, the graduates couldn't repress their excitement and joy, cheering and applauding enthusiastically.

During the ceremony, Xu Xianming congratulated all the graduates on behalf of SDU. He said that, just like a birthday, this was an important date which would be remembered forever. During the last four years, the students had witness great changes in their alma mater. Besides the school’s 110th anniversary, the largest change was the restructuring of the educational goals, such as preliminarily building SDU into a world-class university by the time the 120th anniversary arrives. In the meanwhile, they had also experienced great changes in academic quality and the faculty. Also among the changes, the addition to the staff of a Nobel Prize winner made us most proud. These experiences are reasons for much pride. Xu also expressed his deep hope and concern for the graduates’ future.

Hao Jingcheng, distinguished professor of Changjiang Scholar, Vice Dean of School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and doctoral supervisor, on behalf of the teachers, extended warm congratulations and sincere blessings to students. He hoped that students could always remain grateful, generous, forgiving, confident, and optimistic wherever they go. He also wished that each student could have a unique rewarding life.

Prof. Feng Jianwei, on behalf of alumni, coming all the way from the United States to attend the commencement, expressed how grateful he was to have been a student of SDU, and extended congratulations to students who have graduated and would now begin new life journeys. He hoped that students could cherish everyday, seize every opportunity, meet every challenge, and never give up. He believes that through diligence and hard work, all the students could get somewhere in the future. In addition, he appealed to all the students to care for their alma mater, be grateful to SDU and have the courage to shoulder the responsibilities and missions as alumni of SDU.

Undergraduate Gong Fan, from the Software College, on behalf of all the undergraduates, expressed thanks to her alma mater that provided her with excellent learning condition and teachers who gave tireless instruction. She said that her alma mater gave her the confidence and strength to move forward in life. Wherever she goes, she will always feel confident and proud of being a student of SDU and will always care for her alma mater, pay close attention to its development, and help with its construction and growth in the future.

PhD graduate Lu Yi, from the School of Literature and Journalism, on behalf of all the postgraduates, expressed sincere thanks to teachers who cultivated them industriously and their families who fully supported their studies. He said that the time he spent at SDU had become the most valuable and warm memory in his life. In the future, as a student from SDU, he will always remain faithful to the values of SDU, have the courage to shoulder social responsibilities, make the voice of SDU heard by the whole world and make the spirit of SDU felt by the whole world.

During the commencement, Chen Yan read the official degree-granting decree. Zhang Yongbing praised the 27 graduates who will go to work to western China and the grassroots.

During a live performance from students of the School of Fine Arts, the graduates went on the stage in groups of 15 people. Li Shouxin, Xu Xianming, Qian Yitai, Fang Jiaxiong, Liu Dajun, Wang Qilong, Fan Liming, Lou Hongxiang, Chen Yan, Han Shenghao, Jia Lei, Vice President of Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of SDU Prof. Zhao Guoqun, and committee member of Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of SDU Prof. Huang Shaoan, Prof. Qu Yinbo and Prof. Gong Yaoqin handed out degrees to graduates and posed for group pictures.

Afterwards, Xu Xianming authorized the deans of each school to hand out degrees to the graduates of their schools. The deans then expressed their wishes and expectations to the graduates.

The commencement ended with a cheerful melody of the school song. In all, about 7,500 experts and scholars of SDU, leaders of schools, members of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of SDU, representatives of teachers, heads of functional departments, all the PhD graduates, all the undergraduates, representatives of master degree graduates, graduates from SDU at Weihai, overseas students, alumni, parents of graduates, high school principals, other journalists attended the commencement.

Written by: Liu Yuehan, Zhao Huan

Photo by: Yang Yunlei

Edited by: Ben Hammer, Jing Zizhao

Source:www.en.sdu.edu.cn,www.view.sdu.edu.cn