On the morning of September 3, 2026, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School (PKU Shenzhen) heldthe2026 Opening Ceremony. Filled with youthful enthusiasm and aspirations for the future, the incoming students joined the Nanyan Yuan community and embarked on a new chapter of their lives.
Opening Ceremony
Attending the ceremony were Gao Song, President of Peking University; Zhang Jin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Peking University Committee, Executive Vice President of Peking University, and Chancellor of PKU Shenzhen; Hai Wen, Deputy Director of the Peking University Education Commission, former Vice President of Peking University, and Founding Dean of Peking University HSBC Business School; Wang Xinqiang, Deputy Secretary-General of Peking University and Director of the General Office of the CPC Peking University Committee and the President’s Office; Tan Wenchang, Party Secretary of PKU Shenzhen; Vice Chancellors Wang Tianbing, Niu Hongwei, and Tian Yonghong; An Xiaopeng, Deputy Party Secretary and Discipline Inspection Secretary; Chancellor’s Assistants Chen Jiaojiao and Tong De; and leaders of the schools at PKU Shenzhen. Guests included Zhang Shan, Olympic champion in skeet shooting; Guan Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Subdistrict Office of Taoyuan Subdistrict, Nanshan District, Shenzhen; Li Junxuan, Director of Education Cooperation for Greater China at Dassault Systèmes; Cui Yan, Party Secretary of Peking University High School Shenzhen School (Group); and Jin Hao, Executive Principal of the school. The ceremony was hosted by Wang Tianbing.
Wang Tianbing Hosts the Ceremony
Before the ceremony officially began, a lively series of warm-up performances set the tone for the morning. Student representatives from Peking University High School Shenzhen School, members of the PKU Shenzhen Student Art Troupe, and representatives of the campus Top Ten Singers presented a rich variety of performances, including a recitation of “The Eternal Campus,” a choral performance of “The Stars and the Sea,” the street dance “We Rock,” and a medley featuring “Sticky Note of Wishes,” “The Big Dreamer,” “Dream It Possible,” and “Young China Says.” Their energy and confidence drew rounds of applause from the audience. A welcome video, “New Voices at Nanyan Yuan,” was then screened, capturing the anticipation of new students as they arrived on campus and conveying the warm expectations of faculty and mentors, allowing the audience to experience the human warmth and distinctive spirit of Nanyan Yuan.
Warm-up Performances
Schools Showcase Their Spirit
Xie Yuting, a 2024 master’s student from the School of Advanced Materials, spoke on behalf of current students. Framing her reflections around three “coordinates in time and space”—perspective, rhythm, and breaking boundaries—she described how the “North-South collaboration, AI-driven” approach had broadened her academic horizons in interdisciplinary innovation, how the open and inclusive campus environment had allowed her to experience the vitality of collaboration, and how innovation and entrepreneurship competitions had helped her move from a “technology mindset” to an “industry mindset.” She encouraged the incoming Class of 2026 to seize opportunities, make full use of the platforms provided by the University and their schools, devote themselves to research, grow through collaboration, and turn ideas into action and innovation in the Greater Bay Area, advancing together with Nanyan Yuan.
Xie Yuting Delivers Remarks
Liu Yumeng from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences spoke on behalf of the faculty. Drawing on her own academic journey from German studies to research in Marxist theory, she encouraged students to follow their inner convictions and pursue their youthful aspirations with perseverance; to learn to balance competing demands and find their own rhythm amid the complexity of life; and to draw strength from teamwork and cooperation. She said that faculty members would continue to refine every course, respond actively to students’ learning needs, and help them broaden their disciplinary perspectives and deepen their grounding in the humanities.
Liu Yumeng Delivers Remarks
Xu Ziyue, a 2026 master’s student from the School of AI for Science, spoke on behalf of the incoming students. Beginning with the story of how he first became connected with AI for Science, he shared his first impressions of Shenzhen and the inspiration he gained from participating in the Nanyan Summer Camp. He noted that Nanyan Yuan carries forward Peking University’s spirit of “freedom of thought and inclusiveness” while also embodying Shenzhen’s pioneering ethos of daring to explore, experiment, and lead. Through North-South collaboration, PKU’s century-old academic foundations meet cutting-edge innovation in Shenzhen, and the School of AI for Science stands as a response to the defining opportunities of the age of artificial intelligence. Xu encouraged his fellow students to remember that while AI may transform research paradigms, it cannot replace young scholars’ pursuit of truth. He called on them to become explorers and builders of the intelligent era, to grow through interdisciplinary exchange and mutual learning, and to write a vibrant chapter of youth for a new era.
Xu Ziyue Delivers Remarks
In an address titled “Study Real Problems, Create Real Value,” Zhang Jin shared three expectations for the incoming students. First, he urged them to integrate research with industry and build a positive cycle between “studying real problems” and “creating real value.” He encouraged students to go deep into frontline industries, identify real-world challenges, and ground their research in the needs of the country and society. Second, he called for stronger AI empowerment to shape a new paradigm for “studying real problems and creating real value,” encouraging students to seize the opportunities of the times, use AI to enable new research paradigms, and explore new paths of scientific inquiry. Third, he encouraged students to look to the future of humanity and cultivate a global perspective on “studying real problems and creating real value.” He urged them to uphold openness and independent innovation, strengthen international exchange and cooperation, and contribute Chinese wisdom and action to national development as well as to the progress of human civilization. Zhang encouraged all incoming students to carry forward Peking University’s proud traditions and the pioneering spirit of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, sharpen their abilities at Nanyan Yuan, and contribute the strength of youth to national rejuvenation and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Zhang Jin Addresses the Incoming Students
With the 42nd Teachers’ Day approaching, representatives of the incoming students presented flowers to faculty representatives, expressing sincere gratitude and deep respect to their teachers. In the presence of guests and faculty members, the Class of 2026 solemnly put on their Peking University badges. The emblem carries the honor and legacy of PKU, while also symbolizing the responsibilities and mission shouldered by a new generation of students.
Incoming Students Present Flowers to Faculty Representatives
Incoming Students Put on Their PKU Badges
The ceremony concluded with the audience singing “Affection for Yanyuan” in unison. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School. Over the past quarter-century, its mission and spirit have been passed from one generation to the next. With the new Teaching and Research Building for Emerging Interdisciplinary Studies now standing tall on campus, the Class of 2026 arrives at a moment rich with opportunity and at the beginning of a new stage of growth. May every member of the incoming class make full use of PKU Shenzhen’s distinctive strengths in North-South collaboration and AI-driven development, pursue their dreams with courage, face challenges without fear, study real problems, create real value, and write a brilliant chapter of their own at PKU Shenzhen.
All Sing “Affection for Yanyuan”
More Highlights:
