On Monday, 560 students from 42 countries and regions gathered at NYU Shanghai for the University Welcome Ceremony, marking the beginning of their undergraduate journey and their first day as members of the NYU Shanghai community. Orientation Ambassadors, upperclass students, and university leaders were all on hand to welcome the Class of 2030 to their new home for the next four years and offer their words of advice.
Chancellor Tong Shijun reflected on the rapid changes brought by AI, encouraging students to retain their love of learning in a changing world. “The true measure of success for the next four years,” he said, “lies in whether we can, together, make your learning processes ones of genuine enjoyment and satisfaction.” Quoting Confucius, he expressed his hope that the Class of 2030 students will be examples of the understanding and trust that can grow among “friends coming from distant quarters.”
Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman encouraged students to challenge themselves and step outside their comfort zones. NYU Shanghai students, he said, should try doing things they aren’t good at and “become comfortable making mistakes in front of teachers and classmates.” He challenged them to engage respectfully when faced with difference, not just “agreeing not to disagree” but seeking to understand why others may have a different point of view.
That advice resonated with Alix Ke, an incoming first-year student from Boston, who has been dreaming of attending NYU Shanghai since she was ten years old. A second-generation Chinese American, Alix said she is looking forward to challenging herself to open up to new perspectives. “I really want to broaden my horizons, see what a new environment has for my personal growth and see what kind of person I become after interacting with so many new people and living in an entirely different city,” she said.
Provost Bei Wu cautioned the incoming students that the next four years will be not only exciting but also demanding, and encouraged them to take care of themselves and ask for help. She suggested that apart from their coursework, they should also prioritize exploring Shanghai as part of their education. “I hope these next four years take you places you cannot yet imagine, and surprise you in the very best ways,” she said.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students David Pe encouraged students to build bridges across differences in nationality, culture, language, and majors, try to understand others, and enter one another’s worlds. Over the next four years, he urged them to take risks, make mistakes, change their minds, and find their voices as they discover who they want to become.
Incoming Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs Ted Magder encouraged students not to rush to judgment based on their previous experiences. He described the next four years as an opportunity to explore different ways of understanding the world, learn new things, and remain open as they engage with people from different backgrounds.
Tang Ziyan, an incoming first-year student from Shenzhen, China, said the advice was motivating. “I’m hoping to be in a more open environment where I can let go of some of the hesitation I’ve developed and become more confident in expressing myself, trying new things, and taking risks,” she said.
Wang Yuyan, from Hangzhou, China, said so far NYU Shanghai has exceeded her expectations. “Coming here, I find it even more diverse than I imagined,” she said. Taking Vice Chancellor Lehman’s advice to heart, she plans to challenge herself to spend at least two hours each day communicating in a language other than her native one.
NYU Shanghai Orientation Ambassadors were also at the Welcome Ceremony, performing a series of choreographed dances to hype up the incoming students as they began their Orientation Week. The incoming class also enjoyed two musical performances by upperclass students. Silvia Shu Yunying ’27 and James Qiu Hanze ’27 performed two Shostakovich pieces on violin, followed by Miao Zhuoer ’27 and Wang Zhehan ’27, who sang “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman.
