On 29 June, over a thousand students celebrated their graduation from UIC. Also, five distinguished individuals were awarded UIC Honorary Fellowships and met the press at an arranged conference.

A world view

At the 10th Graduation Ceremony and Honorary Fellowship Conferment, UIC President, Prof Ng Ching-Fai, said in his address: “Since UIC was founded in 2005, I have felt extremely proud to have served as president to nearly ten thousand graduates. ‘Ten thousand’ is a special number in Chinese culture as it symbolises something complete as well as something new.” (Read more: President Ng's Address to the Graduates)

 The graduation ceremony is held at the University Hall

 Every year, more than 50% of UIC graduates opt for overseas study as they have well been accustomed to the internationalised environment that UIC has provided over the past four years. Prof Ng encouraged the graduates to “Embrace the essence of the culture” and “Learn to distinguish what is good from what is evil” so that they will eventually become “A Junzi (gentleman/lady) who possesses a world view and respects different opinions.”

Student music performance

President Prof Ng Ching-Fai with a graduate

Vice President Prof Zee Sze Yong presents the graduate certificate to a graduate.

Vice President Prof Zhang Cong presents the graduate certificate to a graduate.

Dean of DBM Prof Stella Cho presents the graduation yearbook.

A graduate receives the graduation yearbook from Dean of DHSS Prof Sung Mei-hwa.

Dean of DST Prof Stephen Chung with a graduate.

Acting Assistant Dean of DCC Dr Jiang Wei presents the graduation yearbook.

Cui Yuxian (Public Relations and Advertising), Jiang Fengting (Accounting), Zheng Mengchuan (Cinema and Television) and Wang Haoyu (Environmental Science) deliver valedictory speeches.

AI and speech engines

UIC conferred the Honorary Fellowships to five individuals. The first was American psychologist as well as statistician distinguished professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Prof Peter M. Bentler. The second to be conferred was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of iFLYTEK Co. Ltd, Dr Liu Qingfeng. The next person was the founding President and now the current President Emeritus at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Prof Woo Chia-Wei. The forth to be conferred was the Boya (Liberal Arts) Chair Professor at Peking University, Professor Ye Lang. The last person to be conferred was a renowned Pipa (Chinese lute) performer and educator, as well as a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Central Conservatory of Music in China, Prof Zhang Hongyan. (Read more: Vote of Thanks by Honorary Fellow Prof Woo Chia-Wei)

Prof Peter M. Bentler

Dr Liu Qingfeng

Prof Woo Chia-Wei

Prof Ye Lang

Prof Zhang Hongyan

Prof Ng Ching-Fai and the five Honorary Fellows

Before the conferment, journalists from over ten media outlets in Beijing, the Guangdong region as well as Hong Kong and Macao attended the UIC Honorary Fellows Press Conference. Highlight included the showcase by the CEO of iFLYTEK, Dr Liu Qingfeng, of the world-leading intelligent speech engines which made real-time translation possible.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has posed a tremendous influence on the development of every field of specialty. Prof Peter M. Bentler believed that AI can help psychologists and statisticians to analyse a vast pool of data.

Reporter: Deen He
Photographers: Liang Jianhao, Guo Rui, Yao Zihong, Du Junyi, Ivy Liao, Cheryl Chen, Deen He
Editor: Samuel Burgess
(from MPRO)