On the morning of June 30, the 2020 Commencement and Degree Conferment Ceremony of Jilin International Studies University was held in the lecture hall of the Shiqiao Building. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, some graduates were unable to return to school to attend the ceremony. Thus, the school utilized live streaming to allow graduates, parents, and alumni to witness this important moment together. President Qin He, school administrators, and the school degree evaluation committee sat on the rostrum.
When the majestic national anthem sounded, all the teachers and students stood solemnly. The graduates held their heads high, looking forward to the new journey of life.
Vice President Qiu Ming and Assistant President Liao Anyong announced the decisions of 2020 JISU undergraduate’s graduates and master graduates’ completion of their studies, degree conferment and awards. Under the deliberation and approval of the Degree Evaluation Committee of JISU, Guo Na and 2227 other graduates were granted bachelor degrees; Cao Yue and 174 other master graduates were awarded master degrees; the papers of 80 students were rated as “Excellent Graduation Thesis”; and 84 students were awarded the title of “Excellent Graduate”.
President Qin He corrected fringes for the graduate representatives and conferred degree certificates.
School administrators gave certificates and souvenirs to the representatives of the outstanding graduate thesis recipients and outstanding graduates .
President Qin He delivered a warm speech. She said, “How time flies, and here we are. Because of COVID-19, you have been away from the campus for more than 180 days. I know that everyone has long been looking forward to returning to the campus. You are looking forward to wearing your cap and gown for graduation and taking photos in front of the school motto stone, by the riverside and in the library. You are looking forward to getting together with teachers and students, to participate in a warm and solemn graduation ceremony, and to draw a complete conclusion to your university life. Unfortunately, the epidemic is not over yet. Today, we can only hold a graduation ceremony in this special way to witness the most important moment in your life. Today’s special graduation ceremony is of extraordinary significance to all graduates and parents here, and in front of the screen, which will surely be an unforgettable and fond memory for us all!
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, our students have actively responded to the call of the state and school by participating in the epidemic prevention and control in different ways at home, in the community and the villages and towns. In this way, they have contributed their part to winning the battle against COVID-19. More than 130 students have volunteered to step forward in the front line of national epidemic prevention and control despite various difficulties. In the past six months, all teachers and students of JISU have supported and participated in the epidemic prevention and control with practical actions, and have done our best to repay society, serve the people and serve the country, demonstrating a great sense of responsibility. As the president, I am proud of you!
This year’s sudden epidemic has brought many difficulties to the country and society, increased many hardships to the people’s lives, and also brought various challenges to the graduating students. The Chinese nation has always been reborn in disaster after disaster. Engels also said that “intelligent countries can learn more from setbacks than usual”. This is a test for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For students, it is also a major test of your learning ability and resilience. I am glad that, while fighting the epidemic, you have learned a lot of knowledge that you can’t learn from books through online learning, online job hunting and video thesis defense, and you completed your studies. Here, on behalf of the school, I would like to extend my hearty congratulations to you all. Congratulations on your successful graduation and on a new chapter in your life! At the same time, I’d like to pay high respect to the teachers and parents who have always given you care, support and help and who accompanied you along the journey of growth and progress.”
“Students, four years ago, you came to Jilin International Studies University with a beautiful vision of university life and a desire for knowledge. You have spent the past four years in this beautiful and pleasant campus. You have worked hard for your ideals, increased your knowledge and talent, gained sincere friendship, and made a mark on your four years of youth. Your growth and progress kept pace with the development of the school. We, as a school, have experienced and witnessed a golden period of rapid development.” She continued.
“In the past four years, our university is the only private university in China that has been selected into the basic capacity building project of universities in the central and western regions of China; it is the first private university that has successfully passed the examination and evaluation of the Ministry of Education; it has become the first private university to confer master’s degrees; and it is the first private university to be renamed. In the past four years, the university has been successfully selected into the construction project of Jilin Province characteristic high-level university, and many disciplines and majors have been rated as provincial characteristic high-level disciplines and majors. In 2020, our university ranked first in the list of Chinese private colleges and universities in soft science, with our university’s influence expanding and our school-running level continuously improving. In the past four years, a new library, a new global village, an international exchange building, and an “entrepreneurship and innovation building” have been built. The school-running conditions have been further improved, and the foundation for the development of the school has been consolidated. Every step forward and every achievement of the school embodies the painstaking and unremitting efforts of all teachers and students, especially the students present. Your outstanding performance has left a mark on the school, and it has been cherished. On behalf of the school, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for your support, understanding and dedication!”
Students, college life is the best memory of youth. You are about to leave your alma mater and start a new journey of your own. At this moment, I feel the same as you do, reluctant to say goodbye, yet full of expectations for the future. On the occasion of the graduation ceremony, as the president and teacher, I would like to share with you my three hopes for all of you.
First of all, I hope you will stick to your faith. The people have faith, the nation has hope, and the country has strength. At present, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes unseen in a hundred years. The international situation is evolving, and all kinds of social thoughts are in fierce confrontation. In the face of the complicated domestic and foreign situations, you should distinguish right from wrong, strictly abide by the right path, keep calm and strictly abide by the rules. The ups and downs of the international epidemic situation, and the great success of China’s epidemic prevention and control, fully prove the strong vitality and institutional superiority of socialism with Chinese characteristics, highly condensing China’s strength and demonstrating the Chinese spirit once again. I hope you will continue to maintain firm ideals and beliefs, closely link your ideals with the future and destiny of your motherland, understand the history of the Chinese nation, uphold the essence of Chinese culture, have national pride and cultural self-confidence, maintain close contact with the people, and contribute to the country. It is necessary to establish lofty aspirations, be a fighter and cultivate the spirit of struggle. I hope you will transform your patriotic feelings and ambition into energy for serving your country, so that your youth will shine brilliantly in your contribution to the country and the people!
Second, I hope you will be loyal to your motherland and serve the world. Today, China has stood in the center of the world stage, and has never been so close to the goal of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. You are shouldering heavy responsibilities. As graduates of a foreign language university, you should have a sense of home and country, think and judge the development of the times and social needs with a world perspective, and examine the development trend and major problems facing the world from the perspective of world development and the community of shared destiny of mankind. You should have a deep understanding of China’s important role in the development of the international community and the responsibilities that China should bear in participating in global governance in the future. You should look at the world from the perspective of appreciation, mutual learning and sharing, and understand the pursuit of development in the understanding of differences and mutual tolerance. Youth is the future of the country and the future of the world. Students, no matter where you are, I hope you will always remember to “learn foreign languages and be patriotic”. You should be concerned about the country, know how to be grateful, be awed, always spread positive energy, and use your youth and efforts to create a new miracle that will make the world look impressive!
Third, I hope you will realize your dreams against all odds. The new era is an era of rapid development and profound change. Knowledge updating is accelerating, the social division of labor is increasingly refined, and new technologies, new models and new forms of business emerge endlessly, which puts forward new and higher requirements for young people’s ability and quality. You should cherish this great era, shoulder the mission of the times, accumulate experience, and grow up in shouldering responsibility. “Nothing can be achieved by idling away our youth, so sorrow would be in vain.” I hope you will cherish your youth and live up to your youth, study hard to master professional knowledge, and improve your skills. You should bear in mind that the “Devil is in the details.” You should continue to cultivate your moral integrity, be down-to-earth, and dare to go to the grass-roots, take the hardships as an opportunity to improve yourselves, meet the challenges in difficulties, and find the true meaning of life, life value and career direction.
She said to the students, “Dear students, your youth will be the most beautiful when you are working hard. Working hard is not just a loud slogan. Rather, it means to do an excellent job in every small thing, to complete every task, and to fulfill every responsibility. The road ahead may not be smooth sailing. Behind success there is always hard work. Successful people always rise from setbacks and they are never to be discouraged!”
President Qin He’s speech was sincere, philosophical and profound, arousing warm applauses from time to time. The graduates listened carefully and took the instructions of President Qin He to heart. The graduates excitedly said: "President Qin He gave the highest evaluation of our precious four-year university life and showed us the way to our future. Her instructive words are the great motivation for us to move forward. We sincerely thank President Qin He and the teachers who have worked hard for us. We are also grateful for what the alma mater have done for us to realize our dreams. We will make every effort to serve our motherland wherever it needs us most. We will not fail to meet the expectations of our president, be the pride of our alma mater, and display the spirit and excellence of JISU.
Professor Song Xuezhi, Dean of the School of Western Languages, spoke on behalf of the school teachers.
Guo Shuhan, from class 1602 of the E-Commerce major, School of International Economics and Trade, spoke on behalf of graduates.
The school song was sung by all on-site teachers and students, marking the end of the graduation ceremony. In front of the World Bridge Building, the graduates clung to President Qin He, expressed their gratitude and love towards JISU, and scrambled to take a picture with the president.
