As summer reaches its peak this year, farewell songs fill the air. On the afternoon of 23 July, the Sino-British College (SBC-USST) held the 2026 Graduation Ceremony and Degree Awarding Ceremony at the Auditorium on the USST Jungong Road Campus. The ceremony was attended by Dr CAI Yonglian, Vice President of USST and Dean of SBC; Professor Liz Mossop, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University; Dr Aileen Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University; Dr Julia Wang, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor International Relations, Liverpool John Moores University; Professor XU Jingjing, Dean of School of Business, Education and Law, University of Huddersfield; Professor CHEN Qi, Director of International Affairs Office of USST; Ms FENG Lei, Deputy Director of Student Affairs Department of USST; Professor PENG Dunlu, Vice Dean of School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering of USST; Ms LI Yan, Party Secretary of SBC; Professor Laura Bishop, Executive Dean of SBC; Professor ZHANG Zheng, Vice Dean of SBC; Dr CAI Hui, Associate Dean and Deputy Party Secretary of SBC; along with representatives from UK partner universities, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), programme leaders from School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering of USST, School of Mechanical Engineering of USST, USST Business School, SBC faculty representatives, graduating students and their families, totalling over 500 attendees, who gathered together to witness this important moment. The ceremony was emceed by Dr CAI Hui.
A graduation highlight video for the Class of 2026 was shown on the big screen. Every frame captured the growth of SBC students over the past four years: the focused expressions in classrooms, the spirited efforts on sports fields, and the joyful moments of laughter between classmates. These treasured memories, brought to life through the images, evoked the warmest feelings in everyone’s hearts. Faculty members also shared heartfelt messages in the video, offering sincere blessings to the graduates as they prepared to embark on their new journeys.
SBC 2026 Graduation and Degree Awarding Ceremony
Words of Wisdom to Light the Way
The College prepared a number of special surprises for the graduates, including creative graduation photo walls and commemorative certificates, adding a ceremonial touch to the graduation season. A notable highlight was the premiere of the music video “Fireworks in Life”, created exclusively for the graduates by Dr CAI Yonglian. The touching melody paired with warm visuals deeply moved all the teachers, students, and parents present. Many graduates hummed along and waved in response, creating an atmosphere of sincere warmth and sustained applause.
Following the video, Dr CAI Yonglian addressed the graduates, expressing her hopes that they would pursue their passions with unwavering dedication, bring light to their steps, and create bright futures of their own. In her speech, Dr CAI extended warm congratulations to all graduates on successfully completing their studies, and sincere thanks to the faculty for their dedicated teaching, to the parents for their support, and to the UK partner universities for their strong backing of the College. She highly praised the graduates’ fine character and sense of responsibility, noting that during their four years of study, SBC students had dared to step out of their comfort zones and excel in areas including academic research, innovation and entrepreneurship, social practice, international exchange, and further studies. In this meaningful “last lesson” of their journey at SBC, Dr CAI offered three pieces of advice to the graduates: First, stay grounded and live in the present. Understand that all growth and transformation come from the accumulation of daily effort. She encouraged everyone to be down-to-earth, give their all, and approach every stage of life with seriousness. Second, persevere and stay committed for the long haul. Every impressive achievement is the result of sustained persistence and quiet dedication. Set clear goals, remain patient, and the harvest will eventually come. Third, stay true to yourself to travel far and steady. Learn to make wise choices, broaden your perspective, refine yourself through focused dedication, and achieve an outstanding life. Dr CAI expressed her heartfelt hope that the alma mater would always be the graduates’ warmest harbour and strongest support. She noted that this October, USST would celebrate its 120th anniversary and the Sino-British College its 20th anniversary, and she sincerely invited all graduates to return and celebrate these milestones together.
Dr CAI Yonglian delivers a speech
Dr Aileen Jones stated in her speech that LJMU and USST share highly compatible educational principles and development goals. Over the past two decades, both institutions have remained committed to providing students with high-quality, industry-focused programmes, cultivating a large number of engineering graduates equipped with innovation, aspiration and inspiration, who are well-prepared to address the needs of local, national and international employers. She announced that the graduates are now officially part of LJMU’s global alumni community of over a half million graduates. She encouraged the students to be open to different cultures and experiences; follow a path that makes you happy and follow that path with purpose; always take time to understand and respect those around you and act with courage and integrity at all times. She extended her heartfelt congratulations to the graduates, wishing them a bright future.
Dr Aileen Jones delivers a speech
Professor XU Jingjing, in her speech, reviewed the fruitful outcomes of the partnership between the two institutions since 2006 in the BA (Honours) Events Management degree course. She noted that USST and the University of Huddersfield had forged a productive relationship over around two decades of cooperation. She was proud of the achievements of SBC students throughout their four years of study, noting that with the educational experience at the College, the students’ knowledge and skills would be invaluable as they embarked on careers in this growing industry or pursued further studies. She noted that as the University of Huddersfield’s international reputation continues to grow, not just in the UK but around the world, every alumnus plays an invaluable role in that success story. She warmly welcomed the graduates into the University of Huddersfield alumni family and encouraged them to forge ahead and achieve remarkable success in their respective fields.
Professor XU Jingjing delivers a speech
Professor Laura Bishop, in her welcome address, noted that students had chosen a very challenging path to study in English, rather than in their native tongue. This had added an additional degree of difficulty to their studies, but the value was that, along with the English language, they had learned a new philosophy of education and garnered insights into a different way of thinking. She also highlighted that students had chosen to study in Shanghai, one of the world’s great cities, which has been a home to the exchange of ideas and technologies for centuries, where they had gained invaluable life experience and personal growth. Finally, she encouraged the graduates to carry forward the College’s core values of Responsible Leadership, Enterprise and Innovation, and Cultural Empathy, adding that these values would serve as the foundation for their future success. She expressed her best wishes for their continued success and hoped that they would go on to achieve great things on a broader stage in life.
Professor Laura Bishop delivers a welcome speech
Professor Liz Mossop delivers a video speech
A Tassel Turned, A Journey Recognized
During the degree awarding ceremony, Professor ZHANG Zheng read out the lists of graduates in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Events Management, and Business Management. Leaders from both USST and the UK partner universities turned the tassels for the graduates, shook hands in congratulations, and posed for group photos with them.
Professor ZHANG Zheng reads out the list of graduates
Dr CAI Hui emcees the ceremony
Turning of the tassel for the graduates
Brilliant Youth, Boundless Horizons
The ceremony also featured the presentation of appointment letters to the 2026 cohort alumni liaisons. Ms LI Yan presented the letters to graduate representatives, expressing her hope that they would serve as strong links between the alma mater and its alumni.
Presentation of appointment letters to the alumni liaisons from the 2026 cohort
Mr Paulo Lopes, IET Greater China Country Head, presented the “Best Student on an IET-Accredited Course at SBC-USST” Award to ZHANG Dejing, a Mechanical Engineering graduate, Class of 2026, in recognition of his outstanding academic performance.
Presentation of the “Best Student on an IET-Accredited Course at SBC-USST” Award
CHENG Yuanxin, a Business Management graduate, delivered a speech on behalf of the graduates. She reflected on her four-year journey, from feeling nervous and anxious when speaking in class to becoming confident and composed in public speaking. She expressed her gratitude to the College for teaching everyone the courage to face the unknown, and deeply appreciated the strength of mutual support and companionship among classmates. In her speech, she extended special thanks to her academic teachers for their rigour and patience in meticulously revising their theses line by line, to the tutors for their unwavering care and support day after day, and to her fellow classmates for their tolerance and encouragement along the way. She concluded with the words: “May SBC continue to grow and flourish, and may every member of the Class of 2026 carry the courage, understanding, and trust we have gained at SBC into a larger world, and continue to grow, thrive, and shine.”
CHENG Yuanxin delivers a speech
Following the ceremony, leaders from both USST and the UK partner universities, faculty representatives, and graduates posed for group photos, capturing their youthful smiles and the glory of their alma mater forever. Amidst applause and laughter, the SBC 2026 Graduation Ceremony and Degree Awarding Ceremony came to a successful close. May all graduates carry hope in their hearts, let their steps be guided by light, and shine brightly in the world that lies before them.
Graduation group photo
