2017 Awards Ceremonies were hosted by the Sino-British College (SBC), University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) on 27th and 28th July to celebrate the academic and social achievements made by graduates. Over 200 graduating students who have studied in BA (Hons) Business Management，BA (Hons) Events Management, BEng (Hons) Manufacturing Systems Engineering and BEng (Hons) Industrial Electronics and Control Engineering at SBC attended the events together with their families and friends.
Senior representatives from SBC/USST and its UK partner universities who attended the celebrations included: Professor Tian Weifeng, Vice-Presidents of USST; Professor Peter Byers, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU);Dr Edward Harcourt,Pro Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) of LJMU;Professor Tim Thornton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield; Dr Malcolm Butler, Director of Global Engagement, The University of Sheffield; Mr Ken Gill, CEO of NCUK; Professor John Wilson, Principal and CEO of SBC; Professor Linda Liu, Vice Dean of SBC;Dr Liu Bin, Secretary of Joint General Party Branch, Fuxing Campus of USST;Professor Xu Boqing, Vice- Dean of School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, USST; Professor Zhou Xizhao, Dean of Business School, USST; Professor Zhang Zheng, Vice-Dean of Business School, USST.
Members of the academic teams from SBC and the partner universities were also invited to join the academic procession and shared the joy of graduation of their own students.
Professor Linda Liu, Vice Dean of SBC, read the roll of graduates at the beginning of the ceremony. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive their certificates and pose for photos with professors.
During the ceremony, Professor Tian Weifeng, Vice-Presidents of USSTsaid in her speech, “Now, with its internationalized education philosophy, SBC regards responsible leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, and cultural interaction as key features of its provision and it achieves high academic standards and a competitive advantage from its close cooperation with our UK partner universities. Consequently, it has trained a group of international talents with both industry background and senior management knowledge. ”
Professor John Wilson said: ‘The College’s reputation, the fact it is at the centre of a fantastic network of UK universities, reflecting the diversity in the higher education landscape that is such a strength of UK education, our relationship with USST and, of course our unrivalled location in central Shanghai – all these factors make us unique in China and an exemplar for collaborative partnerships, recognised in China and the UK for the quality of our provision. You have great careers and lives ahead of you and, whatever you choose to do, be ambitious, in the interest of yourselves and your country, and be responsible and supportive of others along the way.’
Dr Edward Harcourt，Pro Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) of LJMU said in his speech,“ Liverpool John Moores University is extremely proud of our partnership with USST and the Sino-British College – which is now more than 10 years old and one of the pioneering collaborations in international higher education. As a graduate of Liverpool John Moores University you will be open to new experiences and opportunities. You are all here today because you are have applied your intelligence and used your talents, and now you will go out into the world and make a difference in the world. ”
Professor Tim Thornton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield said in his speech,“Upon graduating today - each and every one of you will become ambassadors for the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, the Sino-British College, and the University of Huddersfield. Whether you are just starting your career or going on to further study - you are following in a long tradition of successful graduates and we look forward to watching you progress and succeed in your chosen field.”
Dr Malcolm Butler, Director of Global Engagement, The University of Sheffield, said in his speech, “Congratulations, you have joined a worldwide family of Sheffield graduates today.You have already chosen a different path from most of your school friends by choosing to follow a degree with international content. Continue to build on that difference and stand out from the crowd as a proud Sheffield and USST graduate.”
Lin Kaiyue, BEng (Hons) Engineering major, Ji Hanxiao, BA (Hons) Events Management major and Chen Xinyi, BA (Hons) Business Management major, spoke at the 2017 Graduation Ceremony as graduate representatives.”
As one of the outstanding graduates, Lin Kaiyue is going abroad for her Master’s degree at the Hong Kong University of Science. In her speech she said, “Today is a very important turning point in our life, because it is like a full stop. The full stop means a perfect end, but also means a restarting from the scratch.”
Chen Xinyi，who graduated with a First Class honours degree in Business Management, is going abroad for her Master’s degree at the University of Warwick. In her speech she said, “Through four years of undergraduate course at SBC, I have learned that critical thinking is an important skill for my study, and the importance of multitasking and time management under the influence of my teachers.”
Ji Hanxiao (Jimmy), who graduated in Events Management，said, “Through four years of undergraduate course at SBC, I have learned to use a more international and critical way of thinking to solve problems, it means to plan and determine my academic goal and career path with the help of teachers, and it means to face and embrace a new life and new challenges without fear of anything.” In September, Jimmy decided to study for his Master’s degree at University College London.”
After the ceremony, all the graduates and teachers took a group photo on the green lawn in front of the library. The 2017 Graduation Ceremony drew to a successful close, with everyone feeling joyous and happy.
