Dear students, parents, and distinguished guests:
Hello everyone!
Today, we gather to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2025 from BNBU, and I am filled with emotion. As president, I have witnessed your transformation from inexperienced students into confident and independent young adults, and I am genuinely proud of you. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to our founding institutions, to the dedicated teachers, supportive parents, and all the friends who have contributed to the growth and development of our university. Your unwavering support means the world to us.
Dear students, today I want to share a few inspiring stories from our alumni and discuss what BNBU seeks to impart—lessons that will serve you on your own journeys.
The first story: on "choice"
This year in Dubai, I met an alumna who majored in International Journalism at BNBU. After graduation, she made an unconventional choice—she turned down offers from prestigious US and UK universities to become a flight attendant for Emirates Airlines. Over the next two years, she travelled to every continent except Antarctica, experiencing the beauty of life in the skies. Yet, she felt an urge for greater challenges.
In March 2018, she made an even bolder decision: she resigned, flew solo to South Africa, and self-funded her flight training to obtain a commercial pilot's licence. While some may have called her "reckless", she said: "I love the feeling of driving a plane and galloping in the sky; this is what I truly want to do." Today, she is a female pilot, navigating the globe. As one of the 1% of female pilots in China's civil aviation industry, she is crafting her own aviation story high up above the clouds.
Her journey teaches us that the most valuable aspect of life is not to follow a "safe path" dictated by others, but to know what you truly want and have the courage to pursue it. BNBU aims to equip you with knowledge in various fields such as mathematics, accounting, artificial intelligence, communication, languages and the arts, but more importantly, we want you to learn the "wisdom of choice"—to stay true to your "authentic self" in all your endeavours. Throughout your lives, at different stages and critical junctures, you will face various choices. BNBU teaches you not to be following the path that others expect but to discover the one that best suits you.
The second story: on "diligence"
Let me tell you another story about one of our graduates.
Last year, while on a business trip to Boston, I met an alumnus deeply engaged in geopolitical studies and cultural participation in Africa. He graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at BNBU and, with a strong academic foundation, received an offer to pursue a PhD in East Asian Studies at Yale University. His research focuses on highlighting the history and contributions of the Chinese diaspora in Africa's national liberation movements through international advocacy. To deepen his understanding of local cultures and political shifts, he often travels alone to sub-Saharan African countries, conducting field research amid challenging conditions.
When I visited Boston, he had just returned from research in Kenya and met with me and other alumni at a small restaurant in Cambridge. He wore a well-worn shirt, but his eyes sparkled as he shared his ongoing research plans—he hopes to provide precise policy recommendations for China-Africa cooperation through academic insights. Before leaving, he remarked: “Every cross-cultural course and paper I wrote at BNBU taught me to view the world from a 'global perspective'. What I am doing now is simply turning the 'curiosity' from the classroom into a lifelong vocation.”
From his experience, we see that true diligence is not merely about passing exams or earning degrees; it is about igniting a "spark" in a particular field and transforming it into a "torch" that lights up the world. This is the "academic resilience" that BNBU aspires to instil in you.
The third story: on "creativity"
My final student story highlights yet another important attribute I hope you have acquired.
In the realm of entrepreneurship, a team of BNBU alumni founded "xCurrency Hubs", which has become an internationally recognised currency service platform. In 2018, one of our alumni noticed that foreign teachers and international students faced challenges when exchanging currency. He and several peers ventured into the cross-border fintech sector. They transformed an old building on Qi'ao Island in Zhuhai into their office, negotiating with banks by day and coding late into the night, ultimately developing a system for "real-time tracking of global exchange rates and fee-free cross-border transfers".
Today, xCurrency Hubs is an essential tool for international students and foreign trade enterprises. It has established branches in Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Malaysia; and Singapore, with many team members being BNBU alumni. During last year's homecoming, he shared: "During the toughest moments in entrepreneurship, I often recalled the 'innovation workshops' at school—where teachers taught us to solve problems with a 'user-centric' mindset. The best ideas often emerge not from thin air but from understanding the 'pits' beneath everyone's feet."
This story illustrates that creativity is not the exclusive domain of geniuses; it is about identifying problems through "empathy" and addressing them with "execution". This is the "innovative spirit" that BNBU aims to cultivate in you.
Behind these stories lies the "educational ethos" of our school. The protagonists in these narratives each embody the BNBU spirit of resilience and determination. Among this year's graduates, we can undoubtedly see these indelible "marks". I am thrilled to witness students exploring frontiers in their fields with solid professional achievements and innovative research; some skillfully balance their dual passions for coding and music, achieving success through interdisciplinary integration and relentless effort; others build knowledge foundations with systematic scholarship, constructing pathways for career advancement through rich practical experience; and some bravely break professional boundaries, exploring teaching, media internships, and academic research, successfully advancing to their dream institutions for further study. Some choose entrepreneurship, boldly charting their own paths; others enter the workforce, dedicating themselves to the development of our nation with a practical spirit.
Dear students, whether you soar high or accumulate strength, whether you seek opportunities through hard work or cultivate brilliance in silence, you are weaving your dreams with your own hands. Your stories are vivid interpretations of BNBU's educational philosophy and inspire every student to bravely pursue their dreams, shining their own light on the road ahead.
From today onward, you gain a new identity—BNBU alumni. BNBU stands for "Be Novel, Be Unique", or "Be Novel, Be You". No matter whether you pursue further studies, work, or entrepreneurship, and no matter where you are in the world, please remember that you are ambassadors of BNBU, and the school will always be your "spiritual home":
When you're tired, come back to sit under the phoenix trees and reminisce about the classrooms you once attended;
When you're uncertain, browse through the campus handbook, which contains "life advice" from your teachers;
When you have time, return to the school and share your stories from afar with us.
Students, graduation is not the end, but the "true beginning of your journey". May you carry forward the "wisdom of choice, diligence, and creativity" that you learned here and forge lives that make you proud. No matter where you go, remember: behind you, there is always a school called BNBU, lighting the way and waiting for you to come home.
Wishing you all a bright future and limitless possibilities! Thank you!
From MPRO
Photographer: Hanna He
Video: Owen Li
Editor: Cecilia Yu
