Sias University held the 2021 Commencement (Graduation Ceremony) on the 6th of June at the Basketball Arena. The chief guests were the Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of Zhengzhou University, Wang Zongmin; and Outstanding Sias Alumnus, and Founder & CEO of POP MART, Wang Ning. The Founder, and Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen; Party Secretary, Ma Jiansheng; Executive President, Wang Jialin; Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng; Vice President, Zhao Yuxin; Vice President, Xu Shendgdao; and Vice President, Wu Hua, were also present. The heads of the academic schools and residential colleges, and all the graduates from the Class of 2021 were present.
After the singing of the national anthem of the People's Republic of China, Dr. Chen delivered a speech. He congratulated the graduates of the Class of 2021 and reminded them that as society was changing rapidly and there was an explosion of information, they should never stop learning. He then gave them 3 points to remember:
- First, don't panic and don't let anything disturb the rhythm of your life;
- Second, don't follow anything blindly, but examine your life and make a clear plan;
- Third, live with no regrets - even though one may lead or trail others, this does not represent one's final results.
In his speech on behalf of Zhengzhou University, Wang Zongmin congratulated the graduating students. He said that he hoped that in the days to come, the graduates would strengthen their ideals and beliefs and use the resources around them to continually improve. He said that it was necessary to innovate, broaden their horizons, and work hard. He also encouraged them to maintain a positive attitude and be willing to take on responsibilities.
The President of Fort Hays State University (Kansas, USA) delivered a speech through a pre-recorded video. She congratulated the graduates and said that she regretted not being able to be at the Commencement in person. In her speech, she told graduates to be positive, remain humble, respect others, and nurture kindness.
Wang Ning spoke and said that life was short and that he hoped that the graduates would live wonderful lives through the ups and downs. He encouraged them to be brave, curious, and love the world around them. He closed by telling them not to complain about adversity, but to face it and grow through it.
The Teachers' Representative, Tian Guisheng, congratulated the students and told them that they should have great aspirations, strive to be diligent, and nurture an optimistic and confident attitude. Graduate Representative, Yang Yifan, shared from his experiences as a student at Sias in the past 4 years. He said that the combination of academic schools and residential colleges had brought about an exchange of ideas. He thanked every teacher and classmate and wished them well for the future.
At the Graduation Ceremony, various academic awards and scholarship awards were presented by Dr. Shawn Chen, Ma Jiansheng, Wang Jialin, Li Huafeng, Zhao Yuxin, Xu Shengdao, and Wu Hua. The Dean of Sias' Kansas International School, Dr. Matthew Schenk, also presented scholarship awards.
In closing, Wang Zongmin announced the graduation of the students from Zhengzhou University, and Wang Jialin announced the graduation of students from Sias University in 2021.
