The song of farewell comes with summer. Another group of USTBers is about to graduate and begin the new starting point of their life journey and make contributions to our motherland. On the morning of June 24^th, the University of Science and Technology Beijing held the graduation ceremony for the class of 2022 in the Truth-Seeking Square. Mr. WU Guilong, Chancellor of USTB; Prof. YANG Renshu, President of USTB; Mr. DAI Jinggang, Vice-Chancellor of USTB and Secretary-General of the Discipline Inspection Committee; Prof. LV Zhaoping, Vice President of USTB; Mr. SUN Jinghong, Vice-Chancellor of USTB; Mr. ZHENG Anyang, Mr. ZHANG Weidong, Prof. YAN Xiangbin and Prof. WANG Luning, Vice Presidents as well as heads of relevant functional departments and schools attended the ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Vice President ZHENG Anyang. The graduation ceremony was broadcast live in the network cloud where more than 6,000 graduates, teachers, parents, and alumni from all walks of life witnessed the unforgettable moments when graduates successfully completed their studies and started a new journey in life. In such a way, they retained the special graduation memories of overcoming difficulties under the pandemic.

The graduation ceremony site

In the prologue of the ceremony, the elaborate short video "Chasing Dreams Regardless of Distance” made by USTB led the graduates to reminiscence about the innocent times on the campus. “ Along the way, we work hand in hand. We write down happiness and glory with sweat and tears. We fill the youth time with regrets and harvests. There will always be some places where there are only our youth stories, and all these stories have condensed into the most passionate memories of our youth years ." The short ten-minute graduation commemorative video was like a train of time that carried the youth's memories and dreams of the student and led to a distant place.

Graduate representatives presented awards and thanks to award-winning teachers.

Immediately afterward, the representatives of the graduates presented awards and thanks with flowers to the award-winning teachers of “The Best Teacher in My Heart” and “My Favorite Teacher” voted by all the graduates. Teachers educate students industriously with patience and a gentle temperament. On this occasion, the teacher representatives also sent their ardent wishes to the graduates at the moment of their parting. At the end of the prologue, the campus MV “Youth Times” originally created by the students of USTB led graduates to their gentle and sweet youth memories in USTB once again. In the video, the graduate representatives sang the reluctant parting and deep attachment to the alma mater, teachers, and friends with moving rhythm, and they danced the adherence to the dream and the vision of the future with beautiful dance steps. The MV pushed the touching atmosphere of the graduation ceremony scene to a new climax.

Vice President ZHENG Anyang hosted the ceremony

Chancellor WU Guilong read out the list of outstanding graduates and award winners

Amid the solemn sound of the national anthem, the graduation ceremony officially began. Mr. WU Guilong read out the list of outstanding graduates, winners of the 16th “President’s Medal”. 171 undergraduates and 157 graduate students were awarded the “Outstanding Graduates of Colleges and Universities in Beijing”, 640 undergraduates were awarded the “Excellent Graduates of the University of Science and Technology Beijing” and 165 postgraduates were awarded the “Outstanding Postgraduates of the University of Science and Technology Beijing”. And 20 graduates were awarded the highest honor for students in USTB—the President's Medal, for their excellent academic performance and excellent comprehensive quality.

Vice President WANG Luning announced the degree conferment decision

Prof. WANG Luning announced the degree conferment decision, and a total of 292 graduates in the summer of 2022 were awarded doctoral degrees, 3081 were awarded master's degrees, 3221 were awarded bachelor's degrees, and 25 were awarded second bachelor's degrees.

Vice Chancellor SUN Jinghong read out the list of alumni liaison officers

Mr. SUN Jinghong read out the list of alumni liaison officers. In order to further strengthen the contact and exchange among alumni, between alumni and their alma mater, as well as build an emotional bridge between graduates and their alma mater, 230 graduates were appointed as alumni liaison officers for the class of 2022.

Mr. ZHAO Shuo, a representative of undergraduate graduates from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, shared his growth and transformation in USTB. He mentioned that the most beautiful memories harvested at No.30 Xueyuan Road would become the enduring driving force on the life journey of USTBers. Besides, he called on all graduates to live up to the youth, and hone themselves to realize the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

Ms. ZHANG Xinyu, a representative of postgraduates from the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, shared her experiences and gains from her choosing USTB, her major of study, and expressed her deep gratitude to the alma mater. She sincerely wished that every graduate could find their passions in the industry and thus create value so as to achieve “entropy reduction” in their own lives.

Dr. LIU Chenjing delivered a speech as graduate representative for Ph.D. students

Dr. LIU Chenjing, a representative of Ph.D. graduates from the School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, recalled his nine years at USTB from undergraduate study to doctoral study. He mentioned that it was the cultivation and education of USTB that made him deeply feel the responsibility he should have as a scientific research worker. He said that all graduates would contribute to the new journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with their strength and passion in the future!

President YANG Renshu delivered a keynote speech

Prof. YANG Renshu delivered a passionate keynote speech entitled “Wish You a Promising and Forever Young Life”. He extended warm congratulations to the class of 2022 who had successfully graduated. He pointed out that although the graduation season under the pandemic seemed too hurried, the heart of every USTBer was closely connected with No. 30 Xueyuan Road at this moment! He expressed his heartfelt thanks to students for their understanding, support, and contributions to the fight against the pandemic by taking into account the overall situation and by overcoming difficulties during the epidemic. He expressed that the alma mater solemnly promised them that when the epidemic dissipated, they would receive a special degree conferment ceremony. Prof. YANG Renshu reviewed President XI Jinping's earnest entrustment of “dedication to the country with steel and iron bones” at USTB’s 70th anniversary with all the graduates, and then shared the USTB’s construction development and USTBers’ achievements in recent years. 

On the occasion of parting, Prof. YANG Renshu presented three lines of a poem to encourage the students. First, students should establish lofty ambition, closely linking their future with the development of the country and realizing the value of life amid progression with the country. Second, students should develop their character of self-improvement. They must firmly believe that bright tomorrow would eventually come despite difficulties and darkness. Third, students should always maintain open-mindedness and optimism. They should be indifferent to fame and temptation while moving forward steadily and determinedly. At last, on behalf of USTB, Prof. YANG Renshu said farewell to the students who were about to step into the vast world. He hoped that everyone would set off on a long journey with beautiful memories of the past and great hopes for the future to pursue achievements and happiness!

Chorus of the university anthem

Finally, all the teachers and students sang the university anthem  together. The melodious singing of deep love and attachment to the alma mater brought the end of the ceremony. USTB presented the list of the degree conferment names on the Internet in the form of scroll video after the live ceremony.

The graduation ceremony of the class of 2022 was an important part of graduate education in USTB and an integral part of the theme education activity of the call “please rest assured that the powerful country has me”. In order to further strengthen the emotional guidance and humanistic care of the graduates and enhance the graduates’ sense of belonging and honor to their alma mater, USTB fully exerted the educational function of the graduation ceremony by carefully designing its procedures and links considering the actual situation of epidemic prevention and control.

The cloud graduation ceremony was simultaneously broadcast live on the USTB’s official media platforms including WeChat Video, Tik Tok, and Bilibili, etc. It got a total of more than 100,000 visits from teachers and students, alumni, parents, social figures, etc. Everyone presented their likes for the “cloud graduation” of USTB through interaction in the form of messages and bullet screens and sent best wishes to the graduates of the class of 2022! The “2022 Graduation Season Cloud Platform” launched by the school has set up seven major sections, including “Cloud Group Photo”, “Cloud Blessing”, “USTB Memories”, “We Graduated”, “Honor Display Wall”, “Graduation Ceremony” and “Degree Conferment List of Graduates”. The graduates actively interacted in these sections and created a warm and strong graduation atmosphere.

Draft: GUO Qiuju

Revision: CHENG Mingyuan