NYU Shanghai Celebrates 2024 Graduate Convocation

NYU Shanghai held its fifth Graduate Convocation on May 26 to celebrate the graduation of 140 PhD and Master’s degree candidates from eight programs. 300 family members and friends attended the convocation in person, in addition to those around the globe who watched via livestream, as 127 students walked across the stage in NYU Shanghai’s New Bund Campus auditorium to receive their degrees in person, and 13 graduates participated remotely. 

The convocation kicked off with a procession of the degree candidates, school leadership and faculty representatives, followed by speeches by school leadership. Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen saluted the graduates for their academic achievements. “Our mission has been to bring together top students from around the world, who share a global ethos and the passion to acquire knowledge, to learn skills, and to absorb values that will enable you to become leaders dedicated to advancing the global good in your chosen fields,” she said. “At NYU Shanghai and at NYU New York, you leave behind a superb record of achievement in your studies.”

_{Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen}

Chancellor Tong Shijun congratulated the graduates on the beginning of a new chapter as integral members of the NYU Shanghai community. “From today onwards, your experiences at NYU Shanghai will become cherished memories. I hope you will fondly recall the days and nights spent in classrooms, libraries, and laboratories in Shanghai and New York, alongside your professors and fellow students,” he said. “NYU Shanghai is a community of shared values, interests, feelings, and memories, and we will always be with you, especially when your work is judged, valued, or appreciated by society at large and the general public.”

_{Chancellor Tong Shijun}

Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman praised the graduates for the tenacity and perseverance they displayed while completing their studies. “To earn a graduate degree from a great university requires a remarkable combination of qualities. It requires intelligence. It requires discipline. And it requires an ambition to acquire new knowledge, to develop new skills,” he said. “You, the Class of 2024 PhD and master’s graduates of NYU Shanghai, have proven that you possess all those qualities, and many more.” 

_{Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman}

Dean of NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science Lynne Kiorpes, Associate Dean of Global Affairs of NYU Steinhardt Lisa Sasson, Deputy Dean of NYU Stern and Deputy Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai Eitan Zemel, and Director of MA in Interactive Media Arts of NYU Tisch Craig Protzel conveyed their congratulations to the graduates as well. 

_{Deputy Dean of NYU Stern and Deputy Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai Eitan Zemel joined the ceremony in person}

Student representative Qin Shuo PhD ’24, NYU Shanghai’s first PhD graduate in Mathematics, reflected on his research journey, saying he firmly believed in the power of “loving what you do.” “It was my passion for research that motivated me to navigate through the disruptions [in my journey of puring the doctoral degree], and allowed me to find certainty in a life full of uncertainty,” he said. He encouraged fellow graduates to step out of their comfort zones and confront challenges head-on. “As part of the young generation, it falls upon us to try to solve the important and difficult problems in our society,” he said. “We shall not be afraid of failure because failure is often part of the journey to success.” After graduation, Qin will join the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA), becoming one of the first Chern Instructors at BIMSA. 

_{Student representative Qin Shuo PhD ’24}

Master’s program student representative Liu Zijie MS ’24 shared lessons from his undergraduate and graduate school study journey. He urged the graduates to keep exploring to discover their true passions and potential. “This path of exploration and discovery teaches us the resilience and adaptability needed to thrive in an ever-changing world,” he said. He also encouraged the graduates to stay humble. “The world doesn't need more people who think they have all the answers,” he said, “it needs more people who are willing to learn, to listen, and to grow. We must remain open-minded, eager to learn from others, and always remember that our perspective is just one of many.” 

_{Master’s program student representative Liu Zijie MS ’24}

Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao presented the three Doctor of Philosophy degree candidates from the PhD in Neural Science and PhD in Mathematics programs. Professor and Program Co-Director John Liang presented the 17 candidates for the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) degree. Capstone Director Zheng Tingjun presented the 17 candidates for the Master of Science in Data Analytics and Business Computing (DABC) degree. Capstone Director Han Shen Lin presented the 25 candidates for the Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (QF) degree. 

_{Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao}

Capstone Director Wang Yinghong presented the 20 candidates for the Master of Science in Marketing and Retail Science (MRS) degree. Capstone Director Chen Jing presented the 23 candidates for the Master of Science in Organization Management and Strategy (OMS) degree. Professor Jung Hyun Moon presented the 35 candidates for the Master of Arts in Interactive Media Arts (IMA) degree.

_{(From left, clockwise) Professor John Liang, Professor Zheng Tingjun, Professor Han Shen Lin, Professor Wang Yinghong, Professor Chen Jing, and Professor Jung Hyun Moon}

 Teng Jue MA ’24 was awarded TESOL’s Teaching and Learning Distinguished Scholar Award, and Gao Rong MA ’24 and Lyu Danyi MA ’24 received the Excellence in TESOL Award. Zong Mengmeng MS DABC ’24, Wu Xingjian MS QF ’24, Fu Kexin MS MRS ’24, and Kaarina Sorensen-Jarrett MS OMS ’24 were honored with excellence awards for their outstanding performance in their programs.

NYU Shanghai’s advanced degree Class of 2024 will continue their careers in a variety of industries and sectors. The PhD graduates will move on to institutions such as the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences. NYU Shanghai - NYU Stern MS graduates have accepted offers from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Tiffany & Co., Adidas Sports (China) Co., Ltd., and Guotai Junan Securities, among others. Graduates of the TESOL program will continue to advance in their careers at educational institutions in China and around the world. IMA graduates’ thesis project work will be on show from June 20-21 in the 3rd and 4th floor North Hall IMA studios on campus.