On August 30, more than 1900 new graduate students of Tsinghua Shenzhen International School (Tsinghua SIGS) gathered together for the first time in University Town Sports Center for the Opening Convocation.
Liu Huiqin pins a Tsinghua badge for a new student representative
Ouyang Zheng, Dean of SIGS, welcomes students at the Opening Convocation
At the Opening Convocation, Dean Ouyang Zheng welcomed the incoming postgraduate students and their families on behalf of the SIGS community. He said SIGS, based in Shenzhen, has become a new growth engine for talent cultivation and disciplinary development. This mission advances Tsinghua University’s broader drive to deepen educational reform and strengthen its standing among the world’s leading universities. He noted that SIGS now includes more than twenty of Tsinghua’s first-tier disciplines and has established a “6+1” cross-disciplinary framework oriented toward future scientific and technological frontiers. These efforts position the campus as a testbed for educational innovation.
He then outlined a range of pilot reforms and innovative training programs and invited students to seize these opportunities—to learn, practice, observe, and reflect. He also urged them to play an active role in deepening educational reform and reshaping talent-development models. By engaging fully, the students can become technology leaders who keep pace with the times and stay true to the Tsinghua spirit.
Faculty representative Lei Yu delivers a speech
On behalf of the faculty, Associate Professor Lei Yu from the Institute of Materials Research shared her experience as a senior alumna, offering the incoming class a “guiebook” for transitioning from learners to explorers. She encouraged students to stay courageous, build a solid foundation, remain calm and mindful, and always stay true to themselves. With these values, she urged them to grow strong roots, aim high, and strive to become Tsinghua graduates who possess global vision, innovative capability, and deep dedication to their country.
Alumni representative Mao Yinian delivers a speech
Mao Yinian, Tsinghua Electronic Engineering Department alumni (Class of 1997), Vice President of Meituan, Chairman of Meituan Robotics Institute, and Head of Meituan Drone Delivery Business, shared insights from his academic journey, entrepreneurial experience, and leadership in expanding Meituan's drone logistics globally. He encouraged students not to merely follow trends in this era of opportunities and challenges, but to become agenda-setters, boundary-pushers, and definers of their own future.
Wang Chang, a current doctoral student in Sociology, offers his insights
Tian Zhenjia, an incoming doctoral student in Hydraulic Engineering, delivers a speech
Ye Jiatong, an incoming master’s student in Electronic and Information Engineering, speaks at the convocation
Anna Reztsova, an incoming master’s student in Internet+Innovation Design, delivers a speech
Student representatives also shared their reflections. By introducing the concept of “entropy”, Wang Chang, President of the Graduate Student Union, encouraged students to pursue knowledge with structure, collaboration, and perseverance. Tian Zhenjia, an incoming Hydraulic Engineering Ph.D. student, exhorted the incoming class to embrace both stability and ambition in serving the nation. Ye Jiatong, an incoming master’s student in Electronic Information, saw her admission letter as a call to become a future tech leader through practice and innovation. Anna Reztsova, an incoming international student from Russia, emphasized contributing to global cooperation with openness and curiosity.
After the convocation, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua SIGS Committee Liu Huiqin delivered a special lecture to the incoming class. Liu began by posing three reflective questions for students to think about: “What does Tsinghua mean to me?”, “How should I grow at Tsinghua SIGS?”, and “As a Tsinghua student, how can I live a meaningful life?”. She guided the students through Tsinghua’s humanistic spirit and traditions, highlighting the mission and responsibility of a Tsinghua student in the new era. She expressed deep hope that they strive to become solvers of global challenges, keep pace with the times as builders of innovation, and grow as leaders in technological transformation.
Liu Huiqin delivers a special lecture
As the new students embark on a journey of academic discovery and personal growth, the school wishes them to thrive within SIGS’ unique interdisciplinary environment, and contribute to society with the creativity, responsibility, and global mindset that define Tsinghua education.
Written by Chen Jundou
Edited by Li Xiangming & Wan Xinyi
Reviewed by Lin Zhoulu & Nie Xiaomei
Layout by Peng Bin
