SNNU officials Gan Hui, Cheng Guangxu, Ma Bohu, You Xuqun, Yang Zupei, Dang Huaixing, Gao Ziwei, national teaching master Prof. Fu Gangshan, national model teacher and national model teacher of morality Prof. Tian Zhenjun and heads of schools and departments attended the event.

Also present were parents of some graduates, heads of administrative departments and offices, affiliated institutions, secretaries of CPC branch committees and student consultants of the graduating students.

        Before the ceremony, they watched the graduation video “Star Time Machine”, which began with a question “What was the time you want to travel back to in SNNU, if you could?”, and reviewed their experiences at the university, the joys and expectations, the hardships and harvests, the gratitude and lingering, as well as the ambitions and responsibilities after graduation.

        Vice president Dang Huaixing announced the decision to commend outstanding graduates and vice president You Xuqun announced the decision to appoint alumni liaisons, who received their certificates of honor and certificates of appointment from the university officials.

        Speaking on behalf of faculty, Prof. Wang Shuanghuai hoped the graduates would inherit SNNU spirit, do solid work, commit to their jobs, dedicate to professionalism, and strive for excellence. He also hoped them to become kind and noble persons who were beneficial to the Chinese people.

        Representatives of outstanding graduates Zhang Zheng of School of Computer Science and Kong Yanyan of School of Marxism expressed their affections for the alma mater and made a vow with their fellow graduates about their beliefs and commitments.

        As a parting gift, the class 2017 graduates donated RMB 147208.20 yuan to the Yiyuan Caring Fund, to be used in financing and aiding the class 2021 freshmen from poor families. Gan Hui and Cheng Guangxu accepted the fund on behalf of the university.

‍‍        Cheng Guangxu congratulated the Class 2017 graduates and their parents and paid tribute to the faculty and staff members who had worked hard for the growth of these students. He reviewed the major events and achievements made by the university during the last four years: celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2014; number of natural science foundation projects surpassed 100 for the first time, and number of social sciences project ranked among top five in China for consecutive two years; among the top fifty universities in China’s mainland in 2017 Natural Index; and completion of the first comprehensive Museum of Education in China。He was glad to announce that 94.2% of the class 2017 graduates had been employed, and 1874 tuition-free teacher-education students were going to work in 921 schools and institutions in basic education in 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. 

        He made special reference to two graduates: Shen Zhiyu of School of Geoscience and Tourism, who had turned down the offer of an urban key middle school and signed to work in a rural school; and Zou Yuqing of School of Education, who had been admitted to three top U.S. universities including the University of Iowa with full scholarship. He said the progress of SNNU students were the progress of the university, and they were the pride of the university.         He hoped they would inherit and carry on the SNNU spirit, and dare to become the brightest shining Star (homophonic to the pronunciation of Normal University in Chinese).

        He also raised three hopes for the class 2017 graduates: the first was to know how to choose in one’s life path; the second was to learn to focus; and the third was to learn to be persevere.

Then the 4482 graduates sang the SNNU Anthem, took graduation oath, and shook hands with SNNU officials and scholars, who walked around the gymnasium to bid farewell.

After the graduation ceremony, the Class 2017 undergraduate Bachelor's Degree Conferring Ceremony was held.

Text by Shi Ping, Qi Xiaoxiao, Feng Yurou

Photo by Kong Dong, Ma Yize, Gao Zhi