Opening Ceremony
With the golden light of September and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus in the air, Zhejiang Gongshang University (ZJSU) held the Opening Ceremony for International Students of the Class of 2025, together with the First Lesson of the Semester, on the morning of September 17 in the lecture hall on the first floor of the University Library. More than 200 new international students from nearly 30 countries around the world gathered for the occasion, officially embarking on their academic journey at ZJSU. As the opening session of the international student orientation program, the ceremony brought together remarks from faculty and student representatives and a lecture delivered by the Dean, providing new students with an important platform to learn about the University and settle into campus life. The event was hosted by Xu Zhenghan, Vice Dean of the School of International Education.
The ceremony opened with remarks from Wang Xiaohui, Director of the Teaching and Research Office of Chinese as a Foreign Language at the School of International Education, speaking on behalf of the faculty. Drawing on her many years of experience in international education, she introduced the University's distinctive academic strengths and achievements in international education, and encouraged the new students to cherish the opportunity of studying in China. She urged them to approach Chinese culture and the frontiers of scholarship with confidence, openness, and a love of learning, so as to broaden their horizons and strengthen their abilities through cross-cultural exchange. She also pledged that the faculty would support every international student in achieving their academic goals with professional dedication and patient guidance.
Joshua (An Shi), a returning student from France, then shared his own story of studying at ZJSU. As an experienced student who had been on campus for more than a year, he drew on vivid personal examples to describe his journey from the initial unfamiliarity and adjustment of arriving in China to steadily settling into campus life and the academic environment. He offered practical advice to the newcomers across course study, language improvement, and daily-life services. He noted that the international student community at ZJSU is warm and welcoming, and encouraged the new students to take an active part in campus activities and to communicate more often with Chinese faculty and fellow students, so that they may gain knowledge and friendship through mutual learning and exchange.
Dina, a new student from Russia, then shared her hopes for the future with heartfelt words. Speaking on behalf of all international freshmen of the Class of 2025, she expressed her enthusiasm for studying in China and her gratitude to ZJSU for providing high-quality educational resources. She said that coming to China and to ZJSU was about more than mastering an academic major; she also hoped to gain a deeper understanding of China's development achievements and cultural richness, and in the future to serve as a "people-to-people envoy" of exchange between China and the world, helping to build more bridges of cross-cultural communication.
The centerpiece of the ceremony, the First Lesson of the Semester, was delivered by Pei Bei, Dean of the School of International Education. She first extended a warm welcome to all the international students and offered them her sincere expectations, urging them to adapt as quickly as possible to life in China and to develop independence and self-reliance; to pursue their studies with dedication and to fully experience the unique appeal of Chinese culture and education; and to take an active part in building bridges, becoming a backbone of cross-cultural exchange.
Dean Pei then delivered her lecture under the theme of "Studying in China, Rule of Law First," focusing on three key areas: how to quickly adapt to study and life in China, the core purpose of orientation education, and the laws and regulations governing international students in China. Drawing on a wealth of real cases, she walked the new students through the essential laws and regulations they need to know while living and studying in China, reinforcing their awareness of observing rules and the law. She also offered an in-depth explanation of the multiple pathways available for their future academic and career development, inspiring the students' motivation to learn and their sense of career planning. She reassured them that the School of International Education would always be their strongest source of support, and encouraged them to seek help at the first sign of any difficulty. Her warm words left the new students on the scene feeling reassured and inspired.
The entire ceremony proceeded in good order and with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The new students said that the Opening Ceremony and the First Lesson of the Semester had given them a more comprehensive understanding of the University, eased their anxieties about settling into campus, and filled them with confidence for the studies ahead. ZJSU has always attached great importance to the education and cultivation of international students, working to help them settle in and thrive through a well-developed orientation system, strong teaching and service support, and vibrant cross-cultural exchange platforms. The ceremony also marked the official start of the Class of 2025 international students' academic journey at ZJSU.
