Special Edition: The 2015 Graduation Season Campus News

Date - June 26,2015

Youth never fades, Dream forever soars.

A Special Report on the 2015 SCUT Graduation Season

Finally we walk into this day

Towards a new world belongs to each of our own

But in the memories, no one could ever replace

You and the hours of youth

For the whole journey, we were side by side

With sweat and tears, we wrote about eternity

With laugh and glory, we undertake an oath

Every night we still meet in the dream

Feel free to fly

Be brave to chase

After the unfinished wishes

Feel free to fly

Be brave to say farewell

As we promised

This time there will be no tears

 (From the lyrics of the Chinese pop song “Be Free to Fly”, sung by The Little Tigers)

Editor’s words

 Just before flame trees dress the campus with the spectacle of phoenix flower clouds, the graduation season of 2015 approaches us softly.

 Standing on the finishing line of their college life, what do the graduates wish to say to their alma mater? What words do they wish to send to their dear teachers and classmates? What is the plan of their future paths?

 In the 52th volume of Eyes of SCUT Journalists, please follow our journalist’s camera, and experience the excellence of the 2015 SCUT Graduation Season.

Looking back on my four years in SCUT, I have so many things left to cherish: the knowledge and skills I learned here, the precious friends and sweet lover I met here, and the sincerest affection between us and our teacher.

-- Liu Xuan, from School of Electric Power

 To my dearest classmates:

No matter you choose to further your study in graduate school, to go abroad, or start hunting for a job, I wish everything goes well with the path you choose. Never give up the courage to face the challenges, and manage to beat all the setbacks. That’s the way we grow up!”

-- Zhao Liying, from School of Business Administration

 On Treasure Island, we used to do morning reading every day.

On the staircase of One Hundred Steps, we used to find the courage to climb towards the summit of knowledge.

We used to walk around the University Motto Stone,

the Sun Yat-sen Statue,

and the Grand Memorial Archway…

In every corner of this land, we left footprints, bearing all the memories of our college life.

-- Hu, from School of Mechanic & Automotive Engineering

 We still remember the sports grounds we used to play on, the classrooms we used to study in, and the laboratories we used to work at. With every tiny drop of memory, cheerfulness never fades away. This is where we used to live and grow. This is our second home.

-- Liu, from School of Civil & Transportation Engineering

Here is graduation day! Smile!

Graduation is a crossroad of life, where students with different dreams step into different paths and move towards their own destinations.

 Our campus reporters interviewed a few graduates, trying to picture their memories, and to reveal a small part of their future.

 “I am currently looking for partners to apply for the Angel Investment. It will make my company larger and stronger.” says Zhang Qing, a student from School of Architecture.

 After turning down the opportunities of being recommended to study in graduate school and studying abroad, he has devoted himself to his own business. The decision was made when he accidentally found that the current market fails to provide specialized social software for designers.

 “Most types of frequently used social software are paying attention to daily life and entertainment. There are few software products with specialty and insight in them. If we can integrate the two elements, we may win a place in the competition. ”

 Song Gang, a faculty member from School of Architecture, gives his support and expectation on Zhang Qing:

 “He is a young man of ideas, and he is quite insistent on what he is doing. For a person who determines to start his own business, this is very necessary. If there is a possibility, I expect to work with him in the future.”

During his college life, Zhang Qing used to spend 32 days in Europe on a budget travel.

Peng Zixuan, a student from School of Journalism and Communication, is traveling to London and Los Angeles to study dual degree in International Communication offered by London School of Economics and Political Science and University of Southern California .

 “My plan is to further my study abroad in the following two years. Then I will come back home, giving my contribution to the development of our country.”

 Peng used to be an exchange student during the third year of his study. That’s when he developed the idea to plan the future as early as possible: “The university provided a great platform, on which I realized what I truly want and who I am going to do in the future. “

 As early as in June last year, Guo Suifang, a postgraduate student from School of Business Administration, was admitted to pursue her doctoral degree in Tsinghua University.

 After seven years of undergraduate and postgraduate education in SCUT, she has proved her brilliance in various ways. She had experiences in multiple academic contests. She was awarded as the Pacemaker of Merit Students. She also published academic paper on international journal as the first author.

 All these efforts guided Guo closer to her dream, helping her get the PhD offer a year before graduation.

Peng Zixuan (left) and Guo Suifang (right)

“I sincerely appreciate my university for helping me become the person I am today.” says Zhang Yuanxin, who has accepted a job offer from Praxair Guangzhou.

 With his background in chemistry science, as well as excellent verbal and thinking ability, he beat over 100 competitors and secured the only sales position of Praxair in South China district. He will soon start to work in July.

 “It benefits much from my experiences in the Debate Team and the Students Union, which turned my weaknesses into strengths.”

Zhang Yuanxin (wearing academic dress) with his classmates in lower grades

Tan William Choa is an Indonesian nationality from School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering. Unlike many of other Indonesian students, who choose to return their home country after graduation, he decides to stay in SCUT for postgraduate degree.

 “I want to learn more. Here we have well-facilitated laboratories. We have a wonderful faculty and excellent classmates. Continuing my study here can be quite rewarding.”

 Choa says his basic knowledge was pretty weak compared with his Chinese classmates, but he got a lot of help and advice from them.

 “The atmosphere and life here is terrific. That’s why I also introduced my little brother to study in this university. He is now a student of School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering.”

Tan William Choa (second from right) with his Chinese friends in SCUT

Wang Guikun is a Chinese National Defense Student, who is graduating from School of Civil and Transportation Engineering. He will soon start his next journey at PLA University of Science and Technology to study master’s degree.

 In retrospect of the four years in SCUT, the most valuable thing left in his memory is the solid friendship with his classmates and companions.

 “During these four years, both my will and body got stronger.” He says.

 Zheng Lirui is also a National Defense Student, who is going to serve the army after graduation. During his college life, he used to serve as the commanding officer of different levels of student units, which made him grow up a lot.

 He is now confident and determined: “I believe I will have my ability fully exerted in the army. I will win honors for my country and my alma mater.”

The Chinese National Defense Students at SCUT are committed to serving the country.

Over the past three years, the overall employment rate of SCUT graduates stayed above 98%, which is a leading rate among the Chinese universities directly affiliated to the State Ministry of Education, and among the key universities of Guangdong province.

 In 2014, nearly 30% of SCUT graduates were employed by Fortune Top 500 and Chinese Top 500 Enterprises, while many of their classmates were admitted to world class institutions such as Harvard and MIT.

 Through the platform provided by the university, the students are able to land on bigger stages after graduation, holding their ideals and faiths to pursue further studies, or to hunt for their own careers.

Graduation is not just an finishing line, but also a starting point to explore a refreshing life. At the dawn of the new journeys, the youth of the graduates will never fades, and their dreams began with SCUT will go on to soar in the wonderful world outside the campus.

A Special Edition from Eyes of SCUT Journalists, Vol. 52

Original Chinese version produced and published by SCUT News Center

Translated by Xu Peimu, Wen Qiang, Xie Ruizhen & Li Yudan

English version rewritten and edited by Xu Peimu

From the SCUT News Network

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