Written by: Liu Zhongkui
Translated by: Li Xiaojuan
Edited by: William Mosteller
Date: July 10th, 2018
“It is again the season when peaches and plums ripen, and their fragrance is overflowing in the campus of HIT. Though reluctant to part, we still bear the mission to forge ahead.” July 6th is a day to celebrate, because 3,431 postgraduates are about to draft another magnificent chapter in life. These graduates will remain true to their original aspiration and keep their mission firmly in mind. They will set sail to explore more with the sense of responsibility and dreams deep in their bosom. The 2018 postgraduate commencement ceremony was held in the gymnasium. President Zhou Yu attended the ceremony and delivered a speech to the graduates.
President Zhou Yu said, “After two years of traveling together, HIT has witnessed the sound of your early morning studying, your late night silhouette as you bend over your desk, as well as your excitement of conducting successful experiments and publishing papers. The most beautiful memories of your youth have yielded fruitful results. By possessing firm beliefs, good moral character, rich knowledge, and excellent skills, you have stored up wisdom and strength for the path ahead.”
President Zhou Yu put forward four ardent expectations for postgraduate students.
First, you should love your country and devote yourself to national rejuvenation when you are young. Patriotism is the deepest and the most lasting emotion in the world. It is the source of virtue and the foundation of meritorious service. For HIT graduates, the sense of country-family integration is not only a spiritual heritage, but also a consciousness of life. The nearly 100 years of ups and downs of HIT reveal that only by keeping missions firmly in mind, actively adapting to history and the trends of the times, and meeting the needs of the country and society, can we stand the tide of time. As the Chinese nation is entering a new era, you will have a bright future with great achievements. In this regard, you should be grateful for the new era and shoulder the new mission bravely. You should bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s statement when he visited HIT in 2009 and his hope for you, which was to “actively link one's own development with the destiny of the country and the nation”. You should devote to yourself to national development, taking national rejuvenation, the call of the country, and the needs of society as your own responsibility. You should go where the motherland needs you most and accomplish a good cause.
Second, you should build up your aspiration and strive for the construction of our motherland. The season of youth is for striving, and it starts from the heart. China's construction of great projects, the promotion of great undertakings, and the realization of great dreams must be achieved through the efforts of the younger generations. There is no shortcut when it comes to struggling for the new era. Happiness does not come without effort. You are the answer HIT has given to society, and thus your attitude represents people’s impression of HIT. Whether you devote yourself to aviation engineering, grass-roots units, scientific research, or to the workplace, I hope that you can always adhere to the dream of youth with an attitude of striving. Never indulge in fantasy or empty words.
Third, you should seek truth and knowledge with strict standards, bringing glory to HIT. Knowledge is the cornerstone of success. To learn knowledge, one must seek truth and reason. Since the founding of our institute, HIT graduates have always been demonstrating a common spiritual temperament. Such temperament stems from the conscious compliance with the “standard”. In this regard, I hope you can always adhere to “The Standard of HIT” in your future life. You should seek truth and knowledge, and practice real skills, so that the pursuit of perfection and excellence can be deeply rooted in your thinking and action. You should be steadfast and rigorous in all you do, pursuing innovation and excellence in academic research. You should always maintain fresh aspirations and a desire to learn new things, following the development of history and time. You should strive to become the creator of new knowledge, inventor of new technology and pioneer of new fields, contributing HIT’s wisdom to national development and social progress, while also giving back to HIT to build up our world-class university with Chinese characteristics and HIT’s high standards.
Fourth, you should be men and women of action and fuel the realization of your dreams with excellent skills. The idea of “The Skill of HIT” is made up of the skills and abilities of HIT men and women, and it means seeking excellence and innovation with perseverance and endurance. I hope you can acquire solid skills step by step, doing more investigation and research and following objective laws while drawing on collective wisdom. You should be steadfast in pioneering work, beginning with small things and never being complacent with success or discouraged by failure. You should behave with integrity, winning trust and respect and countering difficulties with honesty. You should integrate knowledge and practices, being both a giant of ideals and a master of action. As the saying goes, "hard work can rejuvenate a country while idle talk will destroy it”. In the midst of practice, you should pursue your dreams with solid efforts and devote your youth to your causes. In this way, you can achieve your ideals and life values in this world.
President Zhou Yu blessed the graduates, "I hope you will become a bridge between building a community of human destiny and international good-neighborliness. HIT will always be a strong support for your development."
President Zhou Yu concluded, “To struggle in your youth is the most beautiful foundation. Success belongs to those who are brave and committed. Graduation means a new starting point, and I hope that your future life journey will bloom with hope like a flower. Set sail in this new season, and strive towards your dreams with your youth. HIT will always be your home. You are always welcome here."
Vice President Ding Xuemei presided over the ceremony. Vice Presidents Han Jiecai, Guo Bin, An Shi and Xu Dianguo also attended. Han Jiecai read the “Decision of the Academic Degree Committee of Harbin Institute of Technology on Granting the 2018 Full-time Master's Degrees”. Guo Bin read the “Decision of Harbin Institute of Technology to Honor the 2018 Outstanding Postgraduates”. 170 graduate students won the "Outstanding Postgraduate" golden award and 174 graduate students won the "Outstanding Postgraduate" silver award, and the leaders presented medals and certificates to each award winner.
Zhang Yuxing, graduate representative from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering said, “The HIT of today has been built by our predecessors, and we should add splendor to its future!” During his postgraduate study, Zhang Yuxing applied for 6 patents and 2 software copyrights, founded Harbin Hita Technology Co., Ltd, and won the first prize of the first Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Entrepreneurship Scholarship and the first prize of the first Chunhui Innovation Achievement Award. In his speech, he shared a bit of his story of innovation and entrepreneurship during his career as a master’s student. He hoped that everyone could put into practice the spirit of our school motto while reveling in the glory of HIT.
Evgeny, international student representative from Belarus, said with profound emotions, “ I love HIT and China, and I love all of what happens here. Being a member of HIT is the greatest happiness of my life." In addition, he told about the help and support he received from the school, tutors, and classmates in his three years of study. In the face of a new starting point and a new life, he said, “No matter where you go, you should not forget that you are a member of HIT. I wish that HIT would become better and better!”
Professor Wu Gaohui, tutor representative and professor from the School of Materials put forward several hopes. First, you should be steadfast and have the belief that "all the great things in the world must be done in detail". You should start with small things, and constantly accomplish self-achievement and excellence. Second, you should sharpen your skills through constant practice. With the ability to target and solve problems, you should strive to be leaders in all walks of life. Third, you should be diligent in thinking deeper thoughts. Through nourishing your thoughts by reading more classics, you can become an HIT man or woman with a broad mind and a dream. Fourth, we should inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional culture of China, taking our culture as a discipline to cultivate temperament and skills. With all these qualities, you can strive to become a fighter, pioneer, and devotee of the new era.
After the speeches by the representatives, all graduates held their right fists high, solemnly swearing to follow the HIT spirit, and sang the Song of Harbin Institute of Technology. Then, the school leaders and the representatives of mentors joined in the turning of the tassel ceremony and awarded degree certificates for all graduates. The ceremony was followed by taking photos together.
Deans and experts of all schools, heads of relevant departments, deputy secretaries of Party Committees (general branch), and graduate instructors attended the commencement ceremony.
