On the morning of May 28, the 2023 graduation ceremony of our school was held at the basketball arena. All the graduates of the 2023 class gathered together to say goodbye to their memories and to envision their bright futures.
Tisa Mason, President of Fort Hays State University, Jill Arensdorf, Provost, Enan Galal, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the World Association of University Presidents, Wang Ning, Founder and Chairman of Beijing Pop Mart Culture Creativity Co., Ltd., Wu Gaolin, Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of U.S.-China Business Association, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Intellectual Property Exchange, Chen Xiaoyun, Vice President of Public Affairs of Beijing Pop Mart Culture and Creativity CO., Ltd., President of International Intellectual Property Innovation Alliance, Executive Director of Hong Kong Intellectual Property Exchange, Vice President of U.S.-China Business Association, Jialin Ling, President and Co-founder of Beyond Education Consulting, USA, Jonathan Ginsberg, Executive Director of the Global Sister Cities Association, Dr. Shawn Chen, the Founder and Chairman of the Board of SIAS University, and all members of the school’s leadership team attended the ceremony.
At the ceremony Dr. Shawn Chen analyzed the future trends of artificial intelligence technology development such as ChatGpt as one of the greatest changes seen in the last century. He earnestly entrusted graduates: first, to keep learning, to face future challenges bravely, and to maintain their passion and enthusiasm for a future of unprecedented possibilities; second, to dare to dream, to pursue their own dreams, and to broaden and expand their own personal horizons; third, he suggested students make full use of every opportunity and to be diligent in maintaining a high caliber of thinking; and fourth, to learn to endure and enjoy hardships with diligence and determination.
On behalf of Fort Hays State University, President Tisa Mason congratulated the graduates and gave them her best wishes. She said that the willingness to value learning throughout the course of one’s life as one of the keys to sustaining lifelong success. She also hoped that everyone would maintain a positive mental outlook, cultivate and nurture a sense of humility and respect for others in order to live a happy life.
In the keynote speech, Wang Ning shared his own learning and life experiences during his time at SIAS. He encouraged graduates to bravely pursue their dreams, to seek new experiences, and to keep an open heart.
On behalf of all the teachers in the school, Shao Yu, the teacher representative, sent a blessing to the graduates of the class of 2023, telling them to face reality, be down-to-earth, work on themselves, and continue to make progress in a calm and grateful manner as they embarked on to the next stages of their own lives.
In her speech, Wang Qing, the graduate representative, recalled her own personal experiences of hard work at SIAS. She thanked the school’s leaders and teachers for their encouragement and support and said that she would continue to confidently uphold the innovative spirit of SIAS into the future.
Subsequently, Dr. Shawn Chen awarded the title of “Honorary Doctor” to Mr. Wu Gaolin.
Also at the award ceremony, top students representing Fort Hays State University, the top 3 students in their respective majors with the most outstanding performance were also honored, and the post-graduate students with the highest academic honors for the year 2023 were likewise recognized on stage. Also recognized for their outstanding achievements were students representing both SIAS University and Henan Province. Dr. Shawn Chen and Jill Aronsdorf jointly presented awards to the four students who received scholarships for study abroad from SIAS University and Fort Hays State University.
Finally, Vice President Zhao Yuxin announced that the class of 2023 were now officially graduates. With the playing of the SIAS University song, the 2023 graduation ceremony came to its successful and memorable conclusion.
