The 2019 University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI) Opening Ceremony was held at the Jingjing Hall of SJTU Minhang campus on September 8.
In his opening remarks, Dean Peisen Huang welcomed all the new students and their parents. Over the past 13 years, JI has successfully graduated a total of 2492 excellent students and achieved high recognition from home and abroad. He advised the new students to start their journey at JI under the guiding principles of I3Q, namely, internationalization, interdisciplinarity, innovation and quality. The students should take full advantage of the opportunities provided by JI and learn and grow to become outstanding and reliable engineers to make the world a better place for all.
Founder and CEO of Builderx Inc. Shaolong Sui, Alumnus of 2011, was invited to deliver a speech titled “Think Long Term, Act Right Now”. At a “amazing” place like JI, students should learn to think and make life-long plans. ” You should think about logic, not information; think about cooperation, not competition; think about passion, not others,” he said.
Party Secretary and Associate Dean for Research Ming Yang announced the winner lists of JI Distinguished New Student Scholarship, JI Excellent New Student Scholarship, SJTU International Student Scholarship, SJTU Zhiyuan Honor PhD Program, JI PhD Student Scholarship, China/Shanghai Government Scholarship, and JI International Student Scholarship.
JI sophomore students performed a chorus during the ceremony.
Yuzhou Zhai, president of JI undergraduate student union welcomed the new students to JI. He suggested the freshmen need to acquire three qualities to fit into their college life: efficiency, perseverence and self-reflection.
Freshman representative Ren’an Chen expressed her expectation for the college life and shared a few personal thoughts with the new students. The joing institute is so open and inclusive that it will provide all with equal chances for students. The world is not exclusively for those who are experienced but also for the raw and vigorous energy, for those who are bold enough to strive for opportunities and seize them, she said.
International freshman from the Netherlands Rik de Vries said he was brought to JI for the internationalism and high education quality of the institute, the university and the city of Shanghai. “I am really excited to start a new chapter of my life here in China with a vastly different culture, different habits and a different language,” he said.
New doctoral student Junzhen Wang made a speech on behalf of graduate students. He shared his graduate study experience at JI over the past two years as a master program student and suggested the new students should take part in the numerous opportunities offered by JI to sharpen their competitive edges and become allround talents.
This year JI welcomed a total of 314 undergraduate students and 67 graduate students. There are 64 international students from 24 countries including the United States, Peru, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, Lebanon, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan. The convocation served as their first class to deepen their understanding of JI and help them quickly adapt to JI life.
