Embark on new journey: SISU welcomes freshman class of 2016

There are many ways in our life. Through years of hard work, today you've come here together by chance. Everyone should think about how to have a wonderful college life and how to make his own choice.”

The grand 2016 freshman convocation of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) was held in Songjiang Campus on the morning of September 9th. Coming from all over the world, about 1,482 new undergraduates wore identical college uniform and participated in the convocation.

Embark on new journey

“Obey your mind and keep the serenity. Combine your personal ambition with social development and national prosperity, and turn it into your motivation,” said Professor Cao Deming, President of SISU.

Liu Hongsong, Professor of Politics of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, expected new students to “read more fabulous books, develop into good habits, learn from others and make college life wonderful and meaningful.”

This year, SISU established a new Honors College to cultivate youth elites as a major educational reform. There are 33 freshman students enrolled in the two pilot classes for multilingual translation and area studies separately. The College adopted an honor education system to cultivate youth elites with both global and Chinese vision for smoothing intercultural communication and addressing international affairs.

Three generations

Freshman Xiong Ziqing, whose mother and grandmother are also SISU alumni, is one of the students admitted to the multilingual degree program of area studies of the newly-established Honors College. Xiong's mother is a 1988 graduate of SISU and his grandmother is not only a 1965 graduate in English major but was once a teacher of the English major. Today, filled with the attachment and trust to SISU, two family members send Xiong to SISU.

Xiong said he learnt basic linguistic knowledge and skills of Chinese and English from his grandmother, which proved that SISU had played a vital role in his language education. His decision to be pre-admitted to SISU won unified support from family.

“It's like some kind of succession”, said Xiong, “we should pass down the spirit and temperament of SISU. First, we should have broad vision and a pursuit of excellence. Second, we should dare to communicate, with ease we should understand and be connected by different cultures. That's the spirit a SISU student should bear.”

Shaping the future

Apart from local Chinese students, more than 600 international freshmen from over 80 countries and regions have registered in different schools and departments this year at SISU.

Sasha and Nastia are twin sisters, who come from Saint Petersburg, Russia. After learning Chinese for 4 years in China’s Liaoning Province, they decided to pursue further study at SISU. Sasha was admitted to the School of German Studies and Nastia chose to study Spanish.

Liu Jinzhi, president of SISU Students’ Union, told new students in his speech, “SISU is more than a destination. To be enrolled in this university should not only be regarded as an honor but also be treated as your responsibilities. We ought to shape our new self during the four-year university life.”

A new student Chen said, “Be a kind and warmhearted person, so that we can bear the burden of the future, to make our society a better place.”