On the afternoon of June 24, the 2023 Graduate Students’ Commencement Ceremony of the Department of Earth System Science (DESS) of Tsinghua University was held in the reception hall of the main building of Tsinghua University. Geng Rui, Secretary of the Party Committee of the DESS, presided over the ceremony, and Professor Luo Yong, Dean of the Department, attended and addressed the ceremony. The Class 2023 graduates, previous graduates, supervisors and relatives and friends of graduates of the DESS attended the ceremony.

Geng Rui presides over the ceremony

Lin Yanluan reads the list of graduates

The Commencement Ceremony kicked off with the high-spirited national anthem. Professor Lin Yanluan, Deputy Dean of the DESS, read out the list of graduates and outstanding graduates of the DESS in 2023 and congratulated them. Tao Feng, named “Outstanding Doctoral Graduate of Tsinghua University”, and Sun Jing, named “Outstanding Graduate of Beijing”, spoke on behalf of the graduates of the DESS in the academic year of 2022-2023.

Graduate representative Tao Feng renders a speech

Tao Feng shared his experience in research over the past few years. His study experience in Tsinghua and the words and deeds of his supervisors taught him what the “pursuit of the truth” is. Thanks to his determination to seek answers for important scientific questions, he could spend five years focusing on the exploration of an ancient and cutting-edge problem. In his speech, Tao thanked the two supervisors for their inculcation. He said that in addition to academic study, Tsinghua University and the DESS provide students with tickets to enter a broader world, so that they can think about what contributions they can make to the times from a global perspective. Tao Feng believes that a new generation of researchers should not only explore the unknown in basic science, but also have a global vision, bravely take up responsibilities and strive to make their due contributions to tackling climate change.

Graduate representative Sun Jing renders a speech

Sun Jing started with the academic rigor taught by her supervisor. When she started research, her supervisor taught her to "be down-to-earth and lay a solid foundation". With the deepening of research, the supervisor taught her to "face difficulties and dare to challenge". On behalf of the students, Sun Jing thanked the supervisors of the DESS, who set up role models for students in their study, work and conduct. They teach students not only the skills of scientific research, but also a wealth of experience in work and life. With a review of her study in the DESS, she felt that the DESS was a very diverse, interdisciplinary and warm "big family", and she was deeply impressed by the DESS spirit of "openness, inclusiveness, persistence and dedication" also made her feel deeply. Sun noted that the DESS has cultivated students' patriotism and spirit of “facta non verba”, which graduates will continue to inherit and practice in the future.

Supervisor representative Huang Xiaomeng delivers a speech

Professor Huang Xiaomeng from the DESS delivered a speech as a representative of the supervisors. In his view, the proudest thing for a professor is to cultivate students. He said that although the changes in the international environment and the rapid development of science and technology test the cognition, courage and wisdom of human beings, the graduates of the DESS have been studying hard in a department characterized by interdisciplinary learning for several years, thus presented with a broader and more splendid stage for development in the future. Prof. Huang suggested that graduates should be brave enough to "get out of the comfort zone", find a balance point and look for appropriate challenges and opportunities in new fields. He stressed that the future life path is bound to be full of twists and turns, and it is important to keep moving ahead. He wished that graduates would not be burdened by fame and fortune, confined to an easy chair, or trapped by selfishness, and could do what they like.

Dean Luo Yong delivers a speech

Dean Luo Yong extended warm congratulations to the graduates, and expressed gratitude to the faculty and staff of the DESS and the graduates’ relatives and friends who have carefully trained and fully supported their growth. In his speech, he hoped that students would stick to the good habit of doing regular physical exercise all through their lives, cultivate their artistic hobbies and promote all-round development and self-realization. Importance should be attached to cultivating the spirit of respecting labor, the quality of hard work and the skills of hands-on practice, and never lay back, hesitate, slack off or dodge difficulties. He noted that the graduates of the DESS have deeply shaped the style of "encouraging originality, interdisciplinary collaboration, harmony in diversity", mastered cutting-edge scientific theories and technical methods, developed a global vision, cultivated a scientific and critical thinking spirit, and possessed the basic ability to solve complex problems. He emphasized that students should be full of confidence and hope for the future, but they should also keep in mind their mission, improve their workplace quality with "tolerance, communication and responsibility" as the core, forge ahead on a brilliant career path, and make outstanding contributions to the prosperity of the motherland and the happiness of the people, to meeting the challenges of climate change and to the sustainable development of human society.

Issue letters of appointment to alumni directors

Finally, Luo Yong awarded the letter of appointment to the alumni directors of the DESS in 2023. The ceremony ended successfully with all the staff singing Tsinghua University anthem.

All the people sing the university anthem together

Written by Wang Jiayin

Photographed by Zhang Yuguang

Reviewed by Geng Rui