The CUHK-Shenzhen Graduation Ceremony for Bachelor Degree Graduates 2022 was hosted on the University Central Mall on the morning of May 21. President Yangsheng Xu, university administrators and faculty were all on hand to witness the significant milestone of the graduates. Mr. John Lee, the Chief Executive-elect of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Professor Guoping Zhou, a renowned philosopher, delivered statements and expressed their best wishes for the occasion. Due to COVID-19 constraints, a hybrid format was adopted to accommodate the online participation of international students, parents and friends, and guests from all walks of life.

According to the statistics, about 80% of the Class-of-2022 graduates will pursue master's or doctoral degrees at the prestigious universities across the globe, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Yale University, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago; about 20% of the graduates chose employment and received offers from well-known companies at home and abroad, including Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.

John Lee: Shaping Together the Future of the Greater Bay Area

Mr. John Lee, the Chief Executive-designate of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered a speech with heartwarming wishes to the graduates. He said, "The current geopolitical situation is both complicated and precarious; the pandemic has not yet subsided; and the outlook for the economy remains uncertain. There will be more tests and obstacles ahead. Yet, the knowledge, creativity, and broad vision you have gained over the last four years will see you through many difficult situations. Remember that your universe is only as big as your imagination and creativity allow it to be." "We welcome you to Hong Kong for further studies, research, work and start-up, shaping together the future of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area," the Chief Executive continued.

Guoping Zhou: Maintaining Independent Thinking and Conscience to Create a Better Future for Humanity and the Motherland

Professor Guoping Zhou, a renowned philosopher, delivered the keynote address entitled "Youth Holds the Keys to a Brighter Future" at the occasion. He stated, "Life is marked by two things, one being career and the other being faith. By career, I am referring to a certain area of expertise that you enjoy and excel at. It makes you happy, and it allows you to express your full potential. When I say faith, I am talking about a set of unshakable values for you to live by, regardless of any external pressures or temptations. Career is the foundation of security, and faith is the foundation of life. With these two things, you will be able to establish yourself in the world."

President Yangsheng Xu: Be Strong-minded, Perseverant, and Keep Moving Forward

During his address, Professor Yangsheng Xu, President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, reminisced with the graduates about the jacaranda trees planted along Central Boulevard four years ago. He said: "Later, in September of the same year, you arrived on the campus and started your four-year journey with us. From then on, you have continued to grow yourself as a member of our University. Like the jacaranda trees, you have grown in maturity, with the foliage more and more luxuriant day by day. Over the past four years, you have experienced not only days of sunshine but also hours of storm. Now your blossom time comes. Your efforts have come into flower like the jacaranda blooms in this season. You have made a significant accomplishment in the bloom of your youth. "

"Be friends with time. All we need to do is to make every effort, then wait for the bloom of our efforts. The jacaranda trees on our campus can act as a constant reminder of your time zone. When you feel worried about some outcome or lagged behind, try to think back to the jacaranda trees. You will reach your destination one day as long as you follow the right path and keep moving forward."

Graduate Representative Yifan Wang: CUHK-Shenzhen Opened a Window to the World

Yifan Wang, one of the Distinguished Student Award recipients, remarked on behalf of all the graduates: "At CUHK-Shenzhen, success is not defined by grades only.  It is only you yourself that define your own success. I want to humbly say congratulations to students with outstanding academic performance. Meanwhile, I take pride in representing students who pursue diversified development which is strongly encouraged by our University. Here at CUHK-Shenzhen, we are able to meet people with a full range of diversity, from different countries, regions, and communities to different majors, talents, interests, and careers. The University encourages us to respect differences and explore our own interests, and we now realize diversity brings more possibility and creativity."