On Aug. 28, nearly 2,000 new students, accompanied by their relatives and friends, gathered at the University Town Sports Center for the opening convocation, officially marking the start of their Tsinghua SIGS journey.
Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School Opening Convocation 2026.
SIGS leaders pin Tsinghua badges on new student representatives.
Ouyang Zheng, Dean of Tsinghua SIGS, welcomed the incoming students and their families on behalf of the SIGS community.
Ouyang Zheng, Dean of SIGS, welcomes students at the opening convocation.
In his speech, he noted that three factors truly set the ceiling for personal growth: a sense of mission, psychological resilience, and execution ability. He encouraged the students to begin thinking about their own decade-long proposition, embrace the school's talent cultivation reform, embrace AI and go beyond it, and let Tsinghua's motto—Self-discipline and Social Commitment—become the spiritual foundation for their future.
Faculty representative Ding Wenbo delivers a speech.
Associate Professor Ding Wenbo from the Institute of Data and Information delivered a speech on behalf of the faculty, sharing his insights on what students should learn at SIGS in the age of AI. He advised students to beware of the illusion of certainty. Instead, they should use daily actions to overcome uncertainty, avoid setting limits on themselves, and set sail.
Alumnus representative Yao Maoqing delivers a speech.
Alumnus representative Yao Maoqing, co-founder of the Chinese embodied AI firm AGIBOT Innovation, said in his speech that the spirit of self-discipline cultivated at Tsinghua has inspired him to move forward and brought him valuable wealth along the way.
Graduate Liao Tao delivers a speech.
Liao Tao, a 2026 graduate and co-founder of the Chinese robotics startup Zerith, encouraged students to stay curious, extend their boundaries through interdisciplinarity, cherish the fellow students and teachers who are always there to offer support, and let the integration of knowing and doing gauge their ideals.
Student representative Dong Zhiyong delivers a speech.
Student representative Dong Zhiyong from the Institute of Future Human Habitats emphasized the importance of steadfast persistence in the face of hardship, the courage to break boundaries, and a sense of youthful responsibility.
Three new student representatives also delivered speeches at the opening convocation.
Aygozel Atayeva, a new international student from Turkmenistan majoring in Environmental Science and New Energy Technology, observed SIGS as a place not only to study but also a community that truly cares.
Aygozel Atayeva delivers a speech at the opening convocation.
“We came from different countries and spoke different languages, but we learned to get through chaos together, celebrate small wins, and support each other when things got hard. I’ve come to realize that real strength isn’t about being perfect — it is about showing up for each other,” Atayeva said in her speech.
Yang Jiaqi, a doctoral student majoring in Environmental Engineering, said that a common responsibility of doctoral students is not only to push the boundaries of knowledge, but also to reflect on where that knowledge is heading, what it responds to, and what it will change.
Doctoral student Yang Jiaqi delivers a speech.
She encouraged fellow students to delve into their respective fields while remaining open-minded in exchanges with one another so as to serve the country and benefit society.
Master’s student Gao Heting speaks at the opening convocation.
Gao Heting, a new master’s student majoring in Computer Technology, highlighted the importance of steadfast resolve in cultivating deep expertise in an era of accelerating technological change. He also emphasized the role of interdisciplinarity in addressing many of the challenges we face today and advised students to stay grounded in the real needs of China while maintaining a global outlook.
After the speeches, leaders of Tsinghua SIGS pinned Tsinghua badges on new student representatives.
Liu Huiqin delivers an enrollment report.
Following the opening convocation, Liu Huiqin, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua SIGS Committee, delivered an enrollment report to the incoming class. She started the report by raising two questions for the students: what kind of person they want to become, and what Tsinghua means to them.
She urged students to move forward with the world and become problem-solvers for global challenges, stay in step with the times and become builders of innovative ecosystems, and grow alongside industry to become leaders of technological transformation. She also encouraged students to embrace the era and even create and lead it.
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Edited by Wang Jingli
Reviewed by Chen Jundou, Lin Zhoulu and Nie Xiaomei
Layout by Peng Bin and Yuan Yiling
