On the morning of June 27, 2026, the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School held its annual commencement ceremony — a day of reflection, celebration, and departure. This year's graduating class numbered 1,256, including 1,146 master's students and 110 doctoral candidates, with 100 international and Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan students among them. Hundreds of family members filled the venue, their presence a quiet testament to the years of support behind each graduate.
For the School of Advanced Materials (SAM), the day carried special weight. Fifty-four students — 42 Ph.D. candidates and 12 master's students — crossed the stage, marking the end of years spent in cleanrooms, before computer screens, and in pursuit of molecular precision.
The event opened with student performances that bridged generations and styles, drawing spontaneous sing-alongs from the audience. Then came the commencement film,"Days of Light,"which traced the graduates' journey through vignettes: morning light over Jing Lake, late-night lab lights, and oars cutting through the Dasha River. Among the featured voices was Cai Wenwei, a SAM outstanding graduate, who reflected on his three-year research journey. "Those small, repetitive moments shaped me," he said in the film. "Detail by detail, I grew from a novice into a researcher."
The formal ceremony began with the national anthem, followed by addresses from student and faculty representatives. Student speaker Wang Hao spoke of bridging academic models with on-the-ground realities. Giulia Mantovani, an international student from the HSBC Business School, shared how she found belonging in Shenzhen. Professor Huang Hui, from the School of Transnational Law, reminded graduates to carry warmth and responsibility into an era of rapid change. But it was alumnus speaker Jiang Biwang — a 1984 graduate of Peking University's Chemistry Department and now chairman of Suzhou Nanomicro Technology — who delivered the most resonant message. Jiang traced his own path from academic research to industrial innovation. Returning to China after years abroad, he dedicated over a decade to developing domestically produced silica microspheres, a critical material previously monopolized by foreign companies. Through persistence and hands-on experimentation, he achieved a breakthrough that reshaped an industry. "You don't need to compare yourself to others," he told the graduates. "Hold onto your own small light. Cultivate what you're good at. Ordinary as a stone may be, it can become an indispensable pillar of industry."
A video tribute featured messages from faculty and staff who had supported the graduates through the years. Following the screening, student representatives presented flowers to their mentors and support staff in a gesture that drew warm applause. Among the faculty honored was Professor Meng Hong of SAM.
Zhang Jin, Executive Vice President of Peking University and Dean of the Shenzhen Graduate School, delivered the ceremony's keynote message under the theme"Stick to Long-Termism, Run the Relay of History."He outlined three pillars of long-term thinking: embrace long-term values and meet obstacles with resilience; practice long-term methodology by building skills with patience — "the work of youth only bears fruit with age," he said; and understand the dialectic of long-termism, where innovation grows from constantly studying new problems and finding fresh solutions. "Run this relay well," he concluded. "Run it for national strength and for the rejuvenation of our people."
Tan Wenchang, Party Secretary of the Shenzhen Graduate School, read the honor roll of outstanding graduates. Zhang Jin and Jiang Guohua then presented awards and turned the tassels for the top graduates — a symbolic gesture marking the transition from student to alumnus. The doctoral candidates were called individually, and then Dean Zou Ruqiang read the names of the master's graduates. Fifty-four tassels turned from right to left — a small motion carrying the weight of years: late nights, failed experiments, breakthrough moments, and the quiet mentorship of faculty who had guided them through.
The ceremony closed with the entire assembly singing"Feelings for Yanyuan"— Peking University's unofficial anthem, a song steeped in history and shared identity. For the SAM Class of 2026, the melody marked both an ending and a beginning. They will scatter across the globe — to research institutes, industry laboratories, and academic posts — carrying with them the discipline forged under Tower G, the resilience learned from months of failed experiments, and the quiet pride of having earned their place. The School of Advanced Materials offered a final message to its graduates: wherever your path leads, SAM remains your home.
