On 27 June 2015, more than 100 graduates were awarded their master’s degree in a ceremonial act at the China-EU School of Law. Chinese Co-Dean Prof. Liu Fei, European Executive Co-Dean Dr Clemens Richter, representatives of the faculty, the graduates’ families and all graduates gathered to celebrate all the students have achieved and looked back at the years the students spent at Changping. The 2016 graduation ceremony was hosted by Wen Jin, a 2016 graduate.
The ceremony lasted for two and a half hours, including four parts, group photo, the speech by the teaching faculty representatives, the speech by the deans and graduation certificate awarding. The deans and teaching faculty representatives expressed their best wished for the graduates.
The first speech was delivered by Prof. Wu Hongyao. Prof. Wu congratulated the students on their graduation and emphasised the difference between undergraduates and postgraduates. ”Postgraduates should be more mature, self-controlled and responsible”, he said. “I also hope that the graduates can make a contribution to the development of society by using their legal knowledge.”
Prof. Zheng Yongliu began his speech by reading out the comments the graduates had written in 2013 on his course “Sociology of Law”, which made most students smile as they today are no longer freshmen who complain about the hard life as a postgraduate.
Dr. Qi Hong also talked about how students have changed in the past three years. She reminded the graduates to care about society and deal with social issues in a proper way, and to apply what they have learnt at the China-EU School of Law to settle a problem.
After the touching speeches of the teachers, the student representatives also shared their stories about study life at the China-EU School of Law, all of which demonstrated their unwillingness to leave the school.
Zhu Binbin, who represented the 2013 graduates, told the audience about inaugural ceremony at the China-EU School of Law in 2008.
Then the international student Lakshmi Menon expressed her happiness as a CESL student. She highly appreciated the unique teaching style at CESL and the help from teachers and other classmates. “I hope that the friendships that stroke up will last long,” she said.
Zhang Liang, who represented the 2014 graduates, told the audience that the education he received at the China-EU School of Law made him determined to protect and develop the legal community and he asked the 2016 graduates to try to reach the same goal.
The Co-deans also delivered their speeches. European Executive Co-Dean Dr Clemens Richer stressed the uniqueness of CESL, as the only law school which was approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People’s Republic of China under the “Sino-foreign Schools Agreement”. In the past eight years, CESL has found its teaching philosophy and the cooperation between China and EU has become deeper and deeper. Teachers from all over the world brought diverse ideas and culture to the students. Furthermore, as CESL students also have different cultural backgrounds they also developed teamspirit. Finally, he sincerely appreciated the devotion of the faculty and students to CESL and stressed that the days at CESL will belong to the best memories of the students’ lives.
Chinese Co-Dean Prof. Liu Fei also gave their best wishes to the graduates and expressed their appreciation to Assistant Professor Monika Prusinowska, Ma Anna, Zhao Tianshu, Chen Yingfang and Pan Chenwei from the administrative staff. At last, he spoke highly of the academic and work the graduates achieved, and expressed his hopes that all of them could be persistent to fulfill their dreams and to make their contribution to the construction of the rule of law.
As the culmination of the graduates’ study life at the China-EU School of Law Prof. Liu Fei and Dr Clemens Richter then awarded the graduation certificates to all students.
Chinese Text by: Meng Fanqin (CESL double masters' student from 2015 intake)
English translation by: Yang Xia (CESL double masters' student from 2014 intake)
Photographs by: Lu Shenglai
