The 2017 graduation ceremony for graduates of Sino-U.S. academic cooperation program was successfully held at Jimei University.

News reprinted from the Overseas Education College of Jimei University:

On the morning of June 7, the 2017 graduation ceremony of cooperation program between American Keuka College and Jimei University was held at the Shangda Building at Jimei University.Dr. Jorge L.Diaz-Herrera,President of Keuka College, Dr. Joseph Hwang, Administrative Chancellor for Keuka China Programs at China Campuses,Dr. Michael Hwang, Keuka College Professor of Career Management and Experiential Learning and Emeritus Administrative Chancellor for Keuka China Programs at China Campuses, Prof. Li Qingbiao, President of Jimei University, Prof. Wang Jian, Directtor of the International Cooperation Department, Jimei University, leaders and faculty of Overseas Education College and Chengyi University College,JimeiUniversity, Keuka College faculty and the graduates as well as their parents attended the graduation ceremony.The ceremony was presided over by Prof. Chen Tongwen, Vice Dean of the Overseas Education College, Jimei University.

The graduation ceremony started with the solemn playing of the national anthems of China and the United States.  Prof. Sun Fuming, on behalf of Jimei University, expressed his highest respect to all leadership, teachers who travelled all the way from America and extended his warm congratulationsto all Keuka China Programs graduates for their academic fulfillment. He applauded what they had achieved on academic study, employment and further education, hoping that students in this new starting point of their life will remember the motto of "Cheng Yi (honesty and perseverance)" of Jimei University, to learn merits from Keuka College tradition, continue to learn and train themselves in society. If so, they can gain career achievement and service the society and make contributions for their country with knowledge and wisdom.

Dr. Jorge L.Diaz-Herrera, President of Keuka College, delivered his commencement speech. He stated that it was a great honor for him to share this very moment with the 2017 graduates and their teachers as well as their families and friends. He offered his gratitude to those people who constantly supported and helped him, including colleagues from Keuka College and Keuka College’s Chinese partner universities. He said that the graduation ceremony is the most important day of college life:  it means an end, a new beginning and a continuity.  He hoped that all students can make full use of their degree and painstakingly acquired knowledge, experience and talent so that they can make contributions for their society, their family, their country and even the whole world.


Dr. Joseph Hwang began his speech with the theme of "inheritance and development".  He proudly reviewed the history of the Keuka China Programs in China. During the last ten plus years, Keuka College and all Chinese partner universities worked hard to overcome their differences in ideology and culture and finally created a relationship of mutual dependence, mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual support and mutual benefit.He urged the students to make good use of the essence of higher education in the two countries, use dual thinking model to solve the difficulties confronting them in their future lives, properly maintain the resources of alumni in both China and the United States as well as other countries in the world, build a bridge for international interpersonal communication, and achieve a better personal value.


Dr. Michael Hwang affectionately shared his life experiences and insights with  thegraduates, hoping that at this very moment graduates would express their gratitude to their parents, teachers and friends as well as anyone who had even given them a hand. Meanwhile, he also hoped that the graduates will keep striving to break all doubts with action and actual strength.His speech was simple but inspiring, which  won a burst of loud applause from the audience.

Dr. Diaz-Herrera, President of Keuka College, personally presented the Golden Key Academic Excellence Award Pan Tingting, who won the first prize in the 2017 Keuka China Programs.  Only one graduate with the top academic achievement of the Keuka China Programs courses is presented with this award each year.  Thus far, out of the 11 graduates who have been presented with this award, eight of them are from Jimei University.

Su Dongni and Yan Tingyi, students from Overseas Education College, Jimei University delivered speeches in Chinese and English speech respectively at the ceremony on behalf of all the graduates. They emotionally recalled what they have experienced in their college life, expressed their gratitude to the leadership and teachers of two universities as well as their families and friends. They not only showed their fondness for classmates but also their trust and confidence in future life.They expressed that the Keuka China Programs opened a new world for them and it is because of the Keuka China Programs that they found their new destination and direction. 

In the end, Dr. Jorge L.Diaz-Herrera presented the Keuka College diplomas to the graduates, and moved each of their tassels from right to left.Dr. Joseph Hwang presented the Career Management and Experiential Learning Excellence Awards and the Academic Excellence Awards to those graduates  and also placed on them the yellow and green sashes, respectively. All the graduates, and many with their parents and relatives walked onto the stage and took a group photo with the leaders on the stage.

The academic cooperation program between Jimei University and Keuka College is the first bachelor degree program affirmed by Office of the State Council in Fujian province. Since September 2003, the program has successfully cultivated more than 4000 graduates.Over the past fifteen years, the leaders and teachers of the two universities continue to explore advanced educational concepts and teaching methods, so students comprehensive quality has been significantly improved. The Keuka China program in Fujian province has gradually become a well-known program of Sino-foreign cooperation in running school, creating significant social benefits.

Before the beginning of the ceremony, Professor Li Qingbiao, President of Jimei University, met with Dr. Jorge L.Diaz-Herrera, President of Keuka College.Both sides spoke highly of the Jimei University and Keuka College cooperative education program, and carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges and significantly reached consensus on training model, teacher training system and curriculum system and so forth.


Source: http://oec.jmu.edu.cn/info/1092/3770.htm