On 24 June, the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026 at Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric power was held at the Qiantang Campus. A total of 5,236 graduates have completed their university studies and are about to embark on a new journey in life, writing a new chapter in their lives.

The ceremony commenced with the solemn strains of the national anthem. The university’s senior leadership presented certificates to representatives of the provincial and university-level outstanding graduates, conferred sashes upon representatives of graduates heading to the western regions and grassroots positions, and awarded graduation certificates to graduate representatives.

Qian Tianguo, Secretary of the University Party Committee, presented letters of appointment to representatives of the ‘Youth Ambassadors for the Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric power Community’ (alumni liaisons). Wan Jian, President and Chair of the University Degree Assessment Committee, delivered the students’ ‘final lecture’ before graduation. Wu Xiaoying, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, read out the appointment documents for the alumni liaisons. Li Zhenghui, Vice-President, read out the commendation documents for the 2026 cohort of Provincial Outstanding Graduates and University Outstanding Graduates. Tang Yuantong, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, presided over the ceremony.Representatives of graduates’ parents, teaching staff and graduates, along with heads of secondary colleges and administrative departments, attended the ceremony in person, whilst some parents and graduates not on campus watched the live stream of the proceedings.

The Vice-Chancellor addressed the graduates with a speech entitled ‘Forging Oneself into a Valuable Asset’. He noted that this cohort of graduates were the first students to enrol at the Nanxun Campus; they had personally experienced and witnessed the university’s leapfrog development, growing in tandem with the institution’s progress.Wan Jian encouraged the students, stating that as the ‘AI-native generation’, they should respect their ‘true selves’, understand themselves and embrace their natural dispositions; strip away the superfluous to discern the essence of things; forever retain the spirit and courage of youth; identify their own path; and move forward with determination.They should also hold the ‘Superego’ in high regard, harbouring ideals and upholding virtue to bear all things; they should carry forward the Water Conservancy University’s mission of ‘serving the nation through water resources’, proactively integrating the ‘individual self’ into the ‘greater collective’, and taking root at the grassroots and on the front lines to achieve great things.You must temper your ‘self’ by uniting knowledge with action, seeking truth and being pragmatic; commit to lifelong learning; validate true knowledge through practical work; maintain inner balance between desire and responsibility; and, on the path ahead, ride the winds and break the waves to live life on your own terms.

Professor Zhu Hua from the School of Surveying Science and Technology, speaking on behalf of the entire teaching staff, extended warm wishes to the Class of 2026. She encouraged the students to cultivate a vision that transcends the present, maintain a clear mind for independent thinking, establish a solid foundation for steady and far-reaching progress, and courageously pursue their life goals.

Graduate representative Jin Hao, from Class 22-1 of the Vehicle Engineering programme at the School of Mechanical Engineering, shared his reflections on his growth during university. He called on his fellow students to bear in mind the university’s motto of ‘Broad Learning and Pragmatism’, to maintain a spirit of daring to forge ahead and strive hard, and to tread a steady path towards their own unique futures.

Jin Yeshang, an international student from Malaysia studying in Class W23-1 of the International Business programme at the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, shared memories of his unforgettable campus life. He expressed his love for China and his gratitude to his alma mater, stating that he would continue to tell the stories of China, Zhejiang and the Water Conservancy Institute through his actions.

The ceremony was filled with warmth, as graduates expressed their camaraderie and reluctance to part ways amidst the melodious strains of songs such as ‘A Mountain Path’, ‘The Sky Is Wide and the Sea Is Vast’ and ‘At the Crossroads Where the Flame Trees Bloom’.

Following the graduation ceremony, the university held the conferment of bachelor’s degrees for the Class of 2026. Dressed in academic regalia, the graduates took their places in turn to receive their degrees as university leaders and their supervisors adjusted their hoods and caps.