In the morning of Jun. 29th, 2019, the 2019 Commencement and Bachelor’s Degree Conferment Ceremony of College of Science was held with grandeur in the Runyang Gymnasium. 241 graduates with bachelor’s degree, more than 50 teacher representatives and over 400 relatives and friends of the graduates together witnessed this solemn and sacred moment.

Scene of the Commencement  

Distinguished guests invited to attend the commencement of College of Science includes: Professor Tang Tao, Vice President of SUSTech and Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Yang Xueming, Dean of College of Science and Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor He Jiaqing, Secretary of the Party Committee of College of Science, Vice Dean and Director of Department of Physics, Professor Zhang Xumu, Vice Dean of College of Science, Professor Yu Dapeng, Dean of Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering and Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Chen Xiaofei, Director of Department of Earth and Space Sciences and Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Liu Ke, Dean of School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Foreign Academician of Australian National Academy of Engineering, Professor Wang Xiaoming, Director of Department of Mathematics, Professor Zheng Zhiping, Director of Department of Chemistry, Professor Shao Qiman, Director of Department of Statistics and Data Science. The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Lan Hai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of College of Science.

Guests on the rostrum

Mr. Lan Hai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of College of Science, was hosting the ceremony 

Being together for 4 years, our love would last through lifetime. First of all, the opening of the commencement played the promotional video of graduates with the theme of “Deo Gratias, College of Science and everyone”. The video, using the perspective of the graduates, depicted their unforgettable adolescent stories linked with College of Science. It also recorded the strong feelings between teachers and students and among students through the farewell messages and bidding farewell time. After watching the video, students, teachers and parents are deeply touched and applauded.

Graduates applauded for the promotional video

The national anthem was played and everyone present sang the song together 

In the solemn national anthem, the commencement officially kicked off. Zhang Shiheng, winner of the honorary title of “top 10 graduates of SUSTech” and graduate with bachelor’s degree from Department of Mathematics, delivered a speech on behalf of all the graduates from College of Science. Apart from extending sincere appreciation to SUSTech, College of Science and Department of Mathematics, he elaborated on the importance of basic discipline research under the circumstance of the Sino-US trade war. Besides, he expressed his ardent love to basic disciplines. He said:” the charm of basic disciplines is that only when you are studying at the pains can your research have new achievements; when you can endure loneliness, you can succeed.”

Zhang Shiheng, student representative was delivering a speech

Professor Han Bin from Department of Chemistry, Awardee of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the 1st author that published his paper on Science, the world top academic journal with SUSTech as the 1st corresponding unit, gave words of advice to students as a teacher representative. He used 2 vastly different stories of the growth of 2 scientists as examples to extend his expectations to the graduates. He hoped that graduates could learn to conduct themselves, behave themselves, cooperate with other people, keep improving themselves and find their bosom friends with an open mind. He also wished that graduates could cultivate the ability of discovering problems and thinking independently, pursue their dreams with dedication, shoulder the responsibility and take the lead in the future.

Professor Han Bin, teacher representative was delivering a speech

Tang Tao, Vice President of SUSTech, delivered a speech on behalf of the university. He fully recognized the rapid development of College of Science since its establishment 1 year ago, expressed his sincere gratitude to the dedication of Directors of various departments and all the teachers of College of Science, kept encouraging and cheering for the teachers and graduates. Vice president Tang Tao hoped that there would be more graduates to be teachers in College of Science when they returned after finishing their studies. This would be an important mark of the successful education in SUSTech. He shared 3 of his feelings to those graduates. First of all, graduates should treat friends with sincerity, make more friends deserved, be generous and be frank with friends. Second, graduates should seek truth from facts, be willing to be “cold-shouldered”, keep in low profile and always remember that Rome was not built in a day. Third, graduates should have great ambition, dream and clear life goal, do great things instead of staying in the comfort zone.

Vice President Tang Tao was delivering a speech

On behalf of College of Science, our Dean Yang Xueming made a remark with great passion. He looked back into the development history of College of Science with students and sent 5 farewell messages, centering on the topic of “how to achieve better development in the future”, to the 2019 graduates. First and foremost, students should always be curious about the world and boldly explore and discover truth. Second, students should have the courage to discover and develop their own aspirations and interests. Third, students should enhance their own ability and method of learning and make full use of the human knowledge tank. Fourth, students should cultivate and develop their own ability of discovering and solving problems independently. Fifth, students should attach great importance to and improve the ability of embracing the world and actualizing self-achievement and consistently learn the international cutting-edge technologies with an open mind.

Dean Yang Xueming making a remark

Soon afterwards, Mr. Zheng Huiyuan, another winner of the honorary title of “top 10 graduates of SUSTech” and graduate with bachelor’s degree led his teammates of the Chinese Orchestra to play their own folk music--”Achieving the great harmony of Nine Provinces of China” for our distinguished guests. The tune was melodious, lingering in the Runyang gymnasium. Audience there repeatedly applauded and yelled “Hooray” for their performance.

Chinese Orchestra playing the “Achieving great harmony of Nine Provinces of China”

The conferment ceremony of bachelor’s degree was underway in a solemn atmosphere, lasting for 2 hours. Professor Wang Xiaoming, Director of Department of Mathematics, Professor He Jiaqing, Director of Department of Physics, Professor Zheng Zhiping, Director of Department of Chemistry went on stage in turns, reading out the roster of graduates from their respective departments. 3 academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Tang Tao, Professor Yu Dapeng and Professor Yang Xueming respectively turned the tassels of graduates from Department of Mathematics, Department of Physics and Department of Chemistry and conferred diplomas. In the end, graduates took group photos in their own departments, together with administrative officials and college professors. The conferment ceremony of bachelor’s degree witnessed a complete success.

Academician Tang Tao turning the tassels for graduates from Department of Mathematics

Academician Yu Dapeng turning the tassels for graduates from Department of Physics

Academician Yang Xueming turning the tassels for graduates from Department of Mathematics

At the end of the ceremony, graduates had a group photo taken with teachers, schoolmates and family members to mark the occasion one after another. With the deep connection and affection, they found that it was hard for them to tear themselves away from SUSTech. However, all good things must come to an end. All the teachers from College of Science wished that all the graduates could grew with the spirit of SUSTech and power of College of Science, dared to be the first, sought truth from facts, made every effort to innovate, pursued brilliance, developed smoothly and had a bright future.