On the afternoon of June 27, the farewell ceremony for the Class of 2026 of the Zhejiang University–University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJUI) was held at the International Campus, Zhejiang University.

The ceremony was attended by Associate Professor Wee-Liat Ong, Vice Dean of ZJUI, Assistant Professors Ma Hanzhi and Hou Qingchun, who attended as faculty representatives, and the graduating class.

Associate Professor Wee-Liat Ong extended his warm congratulations to all graduating students via video. He encouraged them to take graduation as a fresh starting point, leverage their knowledge and talents on a broader global stage, and contribute to building a better future. He also reassured graduates that ZJUI would always remain a steadfast source of support, no matter where their journeys take them.

During the ceremony, Assistant Professors Ma Hanzhi and Hou Qingchun presented awards to 11 graduates honored as "Outstanding Graduates of Zhejiang Province" and 71 graduates honored as "Outstanding Graduates of Zhejiang University". Yu Qian, Deputy Director of the Student Affairs Office and tutor for the Class of 2026, presented letters of appointment to student representatives who will serve as alumni liaisons for their graduating cohort and classes.

To conclude the farewell event, graduates penned letters to their future selves and sealed them inside a time capsule, which was placed beneath the graduation monument. Every graduate also received a commemorative ornament and medal from ZJUI, a tangible memento of their undergraduate years.