News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　The graduation season unfolds with phoenix trees blossoming in full glory and cicadas singing their symphony, while flowers of golden shower trees pave a yellow carpet to bid farewell and blessings to the fresh graduates of NCYU. National Chiayi University’s graduation ceremony for the academic year 2019-2020 was held on June 20th at 9:30 at the International Conference Hall on the Lantan campus. Real-name registration was required for participation owing to the COVID-19 pandemic this year. The graduation ceremony was held in a small scale joined by a hundred graduates, as opposed to thousands in the past. It was broadcast live online to send out best wishes from the teachers to all the other graduates. From May 30th to July 20th, all the departments of NCYU have been organizing small but warm graduation ceremonies, which would become valuable memories for the graduates.

　　The theme of the NCYU graduation ceremony this year, “Life Goes as the Mind Wishes,” focused on the concept of “LIGHT,” which represents “Life Is a Glorious and Heartbreaking Travel.” It tried to deliver the message: all the distress and disappointments that happen in your life will, with the passage of time, be replaced by honor and joy. It was hoped that the precious memories of their campus life at NCYU will ultimately lead them to a bright future. To celebrate the grand moment, the teachers and students of the Department of E-learning Design and Management made a short film to congratulate on their graduation by putting their creativity and professional skills into practice. In the film, a sand painting was made to portray the memorable moments of school life they have shared together. It described how they had to wear masks during the class in the last semester, which is also one of the most unforgettable experiences shared not only by those who just graduated but by people around the world in 2020.

　　In his address during the ceremony, President Chyung Ay congratulated all the graduates who have finished their studies for they were ready to embark on the next stage of life. They should be stimulated by difficulties in the midst of challenging times, and try to think from a different perspective when troubles arise, since crisis is opportunity, and obstacles are opportunities in disguise. He urged them to “be proactive in everything you do, be sincere to people around you, and think positively about life.” They ought to take challenges not only with the vigor and energy as a NCYU graduate, but with the Kano spirit. NCYU would always be their strongest support, and they were always welcome back “home.” Today, Legislator Wang Mei-Hui, an alumna of NCYU, managed to squeeze in time to come to wish every graduate a promising future and happy graduation.

　　There were 2,577 NCYU graduates this year, including 18 with doctoral degrees, 527 with master’s degrees, and 2,032 with bachelor’s degrees. At the ceremony, an honorary doctorate was awarded to Mr. Huang Zhang-Biao. As Chairman of Shing Yan Co., Ltd., whose business expands across the Strait, he has several patented inventions and designs and is recognized for his remarkable contribution to the greater society. He has long been dedicated to educational, cultural and other events, and is respected and admired by all walks of life at home and abroad. His son Mr. Huang Nan-Syong attended the ceremony to receive the award and deliver a speech on his behalf, since the coronavirus pandemic had made his trip back to Taiwan impossible. With the NCYU motto “honesty, diligence, innovation and service,” Huang encouraged all the fresh graduates to unlock the door to success with the wisdom and knowledge they have acquired in the university, since all the hardships and frustrations are inevitable on the path to success. Their future lies in their own hands.

　　Zhuang Xin-Wei from the Department of Horticultural Science serves as the valedictorian. On the behalf of the fresh graduates, she expressed their gratitude to the teachers for their patient mentoring in the course of 1,460 days at NCYU. The teachers have offered them a glimpse into the professional world with step-by-step instructions, and taught them how to get along with people and deal with things during the class. They have also reminded the students to expand their worldview and critical thinking, and be humble and contribute to the society by putting their knowledge into practice. She hoped that all the fresh graduates could navigate their way through difficulties and create a hopeful life in the face of a future filled with uncertainties and challenges. At the end, Zhuang wished happy graduation to all the graduates in different languages: Selamat wisuda (Indonesian), Dob Men Mando I ren (Vietnamese), Selamat bergraduasi (Malay), Yindi tworian zuo (Thai), and so tsu gyo o me de tu o (Japanese).