The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen held an outdoor graduation ceremony for more than 900 bachelor’s degree graduates on campus on May 22. The event was graced by the presence of the university officers, faculty, and over 1,500 parents and family members of graduates. Paul Milgrom, economic sciences laureate 2020 and Distinguished Professor at Shenzhen Finance Institute, CUHK-Shenzhen, delivered the keynote address for the graduates through the video. This is the University’s second outdoor commencement ceremony with seats separated for social distancing. The event also adopted a live webcast approach with over 700,000 guests from all walks of life gathering in the clouds to celebrate the ceremony.

Nobel Laureate in Economics: Embrace the opportunities for change and growth

In his remarks, economic sciences laureate Prof. Paul Milgrom shared three of his personal stories about big changes he made to grasp opportunities, reminding graduates,“most of us stumble across chances for change and growth from time to time. Too often, we back off, feel stuck and fail to grasp what could be great opportunities. Be vigilant and ready to seize the opportunities that you encounter.”

“They [lives] will continue to present important growth opportunities that will require you to be bold. Most of you will have more chances to make big changes and grow into happier, more productive people. Don’t be afraid of change that moves you forward and fits who you are. Life can be a wonderful adventure!” concluded Prof. Paul Milgrom.

President Yangsheng Xu: Face up to the uncertainties with courage and wisdom

Professor Yansheng Xu, President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, also shared his stories that reveal the uncertainties of lives. He said,“life is full of uncertainties and coincidences that it simply cannot be planned out. You may set long-term and short-term goals for a certain period of time, but the unpredictability of the nature of life makes it impossible to work out a life-long scheme. I’m calling your attention to the uncertainty of life because it plays a particularly important role in a world coping with pandemic. Though China’s economy, especially Shenzhen’s economy, has to a large extent regained its order and vitality, the world is still faced with enormous challenge. And the world’s unrest inevitably affects China, including China’s economy. And we must be prepared for this. Uncertainty is what the world is, and escapism will never do. What will see us through, instead, is the courage to face life as we find it. I want you to remember that do not give up courage and decisiveness in the face of life’s uncertainty. Have faith in your judgement and what you can do, and I feel confident that you will be able to blaze a path of your own.”

At the end of his speech, President Xu reminded the graduates to adhere to their conscience, stating: "As you march forward from this campus, you will need to take responsibility of your words and deeds; you will need to deal with all kinds of situations; you will meet different people. Under all circumstances, your conscience will supply you with the principle to measure your decisions and actions. This principle may not help you generate great wealth, but it will be enough to make me, as your university president, forever proud of you."

Graduate Representative Zehan He: Shoulder social responsibility, serve the Greater Bay Area and contribute to the motherland

Zehan He, the recipient of the "Outstanding Student Award", said on behalf of all the graduates, "I am grateful to the kind professors for providing us with good academic guidance, which allows us to understand the frontiers of academia and meet all-embracing knowledge; I am grateful to the university for offering various entrepreneurial platforms, so that we can improve our personal soft power and realize every dream and vision; I am grateful to CUHK-Shenzhen for allowing us to broaden our international horizons and meet a broader world; I am grateful to the inviting environment in the college, where we have been able to improve our overall quality, meet a new self, and become contributing members of society.”

Another highlight of the event was the presentation of the Distinguished Student Awards by President Xu Yansheng and Vice President  Zhiquan Luo to recognize the recipients’ outstanding performance, excellent leadership, and significant involvement and contribution to the development of the University. The 11 outstanding recipients include Chen Shuyi (SME; Muse College), Chen Siyi (LHS; Shaw College), Guo Ziyi (SME; Diligentia College), He Zehan (SME; Diligentia College), Li Wangshu (SDS; Muse College), Pan Chenyao (SSE; Shaw College), Quan Li (SME; Muse College), Xie Guochao (SDS; Muse College), Xu Zhenghang (SDS; Muse College), Zeng Wenshu  (HSS; Diligentia College), and Zhao Yuan (SME; Shaw College).

It is reported that as of early May statistics, about 80% of the Class-of-2021 graduates of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen will pursue master's or doctoral degrees at the world's most prestigious universities, including Harvard University, Columbia University, Cambridge University, Yale University, ETH Zurich, Imperial College of Technology, and Cornell University; about 20% of the graduates chose employment and received offers from well-known companies at home and abroad, including Huawei, JD.com, Amazon, IBM, DiDi, ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent, Citibank, CICC, Procter & Gamble, and L'Oreal.