On the morning of September 13th, Beijing time, the Welcome Ceremony for the Class of 2024 of Zhejiang University - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJUI) was held in the Auditorium, International Campus. All the freshmen of undergraduate, master and doctorate, and more than a hundred exchange students from UIUC participated in the event with enthusiasm and longing. Due to the normalization of the epidemic prevention and control situation, UIUC guests and parents of students who were unable to attend the ceremony participated in the ceremony online.
Prof. HE Lianzhen, Vice President of ZJU，Dean of the International Campus, ZJU and Prof. Andreas Cangellaris, Vice Chancellor and Provost of UIUC, attended and delivered speeches in China and the United States. Li Erping, Dean of ZJUI, Rashid Bashir, Dean of UIUC College of Engineering both gave their speeches. Prof.Reitumetse O. Mabokela, Vice Provost of UIUC (International Affairs and Globalization Strategy), Executive Vice Dean of Grainger College of Engineering, Prof. Philippe Geubelle, Vice Dean of ZJUI, Prof. Ma HaoZhejiang, Vice Dean, School of Computer Science and Technology of ZJU, Prof. Chen Wei , heads of departments of the UIUC Grainger College of Engineering, and ZJUI Fall 2020 semester faculty members attended the ceremony.
Prof. He Lianzhen extended a warm welcome to all freshmen and exchange students, and gave appreciations and greetings to the UIUC partners and the parents. She pointed out that although the world is undergoing unprecedented and profound changes, the International Campus(IC) were constantly making breakthroughs and developments. We are now at the starting point of a new chapter. She said that although the coronavirus pandemic prevention and control situation is still severe, it is undeniable that this is still the best of times, age of wisdom, epoch of belief, and is surely a new chapter of the global engagement. She emphasized, "Great changes deserve great actions; New chapters require new writers". She encouraged students to make good use of ZJUI’s top educational resources of the two universities, the diversified and open environment, the community combined the best of eastern and western cultures, and continue to face the future challenges, explore cutting-edge technology, value innovation and contribute own power in the globalization, forge ahead in the construction of "Community of Shared Future for Mankind"
Prof. Andreas Cangellaris shared the long history of cooperation between the two universities. Since the old principal of ZJU Zhu Kezhen graduated from UIUC in 1913, the genes of the two universities have been passed on to the present day through diligence, hard work, and innovation. In this difficult year, Cangelaris gave special thanks to ZJU for providing such a good learning environment and platform for the exchange students of UIUC, and hopes that ZJUI freshmen and UIUC exchange students can continue the excellent tradition of both universities.
Prof.Rashid Bashir introduced the Impact of Grainger College of Engineering to the students, taking the father of the transistor, the inventor of LED, and the co-founder of Paypal, as examples. He extended welcomes to the new students who join this diverse family with a mission of innovation and also shared his hope with the students that freshmen can stand on the shoulders of giants, and continue impact the world with engineering knowledge and innovative minds.
Prof. LI Erping reported the development and achievements of ZJUI in the past four years. ZJUI witnessed the growth of students and faculty team. He encouraged freshmen to keep in mind the mission of engineers and to go forward with ZJUI bravely, resiliently, perseveringly, inclusively, and take the world as the stage and the world as our responsibility.
Freshman representative GU Yitong expressed the pride and joy of joining the ZJUI family, and expressed her determination to work hard and explore bravely here. The exchange student representative ZHAO Ziqi expressed his gratitude to the two universities and the joy of studying at ZJUI. He mentioned that ZJUI and the IC of ZJU has provide them an international platform with first-class facilities, resources and a diverse and inclusive atmosphere. The parent representative ZHANG Yichi's mother shared her feelings -be proud of the children who have emerged from the college entrance examination, be confident in ZJUI's excellent platform, put forward the expectations for progress, and bless a bright future of various possibilities.
The Welcome Ceremony came to an end after the introduced by the instructors of the fall semester of 2020.
