Students,
I warmly welcome you as new members of our big family.
You are joining us at a very exciting time in UIC’s history. We are becoming a bigger and better university, to meet the changing needs of our country.
We are growing in size, in numbers, in diversity, and in quality.
In terms of size, UIC has begun the construction of its Second Phase campus, with an extra 550 acres of land given to us by the Zhuhai government. The new campus will offer facilities for new and high-tech disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence and for cutting-edge research and postgraduate education.
In terms of numbers, this year we have the largest intake of students in our history, proving how popular UIC is among students who look for quality in higher education.
We are only 16 years old, but UIC has been designated by the nation’s Education Department as one of the few universities for accepting students originally admitted by world-leading universities but are unable to go overseas because of the pandemic. Under this Direct Admission program, 400 of the best students in China have joined UIC.
We are also getting better in quality, with innovative teaching and learning methods. That’s why we are famous for liberal arts education in China, with English as our teaching language.
So, you can be sure that you have come to the right place for a fine education.
We are doing everything we can to give you the best education. But there is something you should do as students.
After all, in university, unlike high school, you take responsibility for your own education. Here, we believe in “active learning”, not passive exam-driven learning.
You learn to ask bold, disruptive questions instead of giving memorized right answers. You learn to think your way out of problems. You learn smart, not just study hard. You learn to take risks, in ideas, and later in business, to become good in whatever you do.
A university is known by the quality of its students. UIC is great because our students and graduates are great. So, at this ceremony, let us enter into an open agreement: UIC will provide you with the best facilities and teachers, and in exchange, you as students, will do your best in developing habits of excellence.
I cannot end this speech without mentioning the recent 2020 Olympic games. To me, the most memorable thing is about two Chinese medal winners: Yang Qian, a double gold-medal winner and new Olympic record holder in 10-meter air rifle. She is a student at Tsinghua University. The second is Su Bingtian, who broke the Asian 100-meter record with a sprint of 9.83 seconds at age 32. He is an associate professor at Jinan University in Guangzhou. It goes to show that education is not just about books. It is the never-say-die attitude in competitive sports that is so exciting and inspiring. The Olympic spirit of “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” should apply to every field of human endeavor. Let us applaud and keep alive this Olympic spirit.
Make us and your parents proud, and prove that you are the product of the finest liberal arts education in China.
Enjoy your four years here. Make lasting friendships with your peers and relationships with your mentors. Grow a better version of yourself, as you begin an exciting new era. Together, let’s grow with UIC.
Thank you.
