On June 16, the 2026 Commencement and Degree Conferral Ceremony of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL), was held at the Arts and Sports Center on the Nanhu Campus. All university heads, members of the University Academic Degree Evaluation Committee, faculty representatives, heads of schools and administrative departments, alumni representatives, and parents’ representatives were in attendance, jointly witnessing more than 9,000 graduates of the Class of 2026 complete their studies and embark on the next stage of life.
The ceremony commenced at 9 a.m., with the solemn national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.
Hou Zhenfa, Secretary of the CPC ZUEL Committee, presented a ceremonial flag to graduates enlisted in national service programs. Over a thousand graduates have chosen to head to the western regions, take root at the community level, and dedicate their energy to building a better future in the places where the country needs them most.
In the commencement address, Zhu Fangwei, President and Deputy Secretary of the CPC ZUEL Committee, extended sincere congratulations to the more than 9,000 graduates of the Class of 2026 on successfully completing their studies. He reflected on the unforgettable years spent together with students and faculty, and expressed the university’s commitment to building itself into a top-tier institution with excellence in the fields of economics and law. He also shared that, as June 16 marked the day of commencement ceremony, he had run 6.16 kilometers in the morning to encourage them. Then he offered this message to the students: “Let’s run together toward the future!”
Addressing the graduates who are about to embark on a new journey in the marathon of life, Zhu Fangwei offered three earnest suggestions. Firstly, travel light and run boldly on this brand new track. Push past the boundaries of conventional thinking, step out of the comfort zone of experience, embrace the changes and opportunities of the AI era, and treat every new challenge as a fresh starting line. Only by traveling light can we go further.
Secondly, be true to yourself. Forge ahead at your own pace amid the rapid development of times. Instead of blindly matching with others, graduates can make full use of the humanistic heritage of ZUEL to craft unique blueprints for their lives in a calm and self-consistent manner. Aspire to be an irreplaceable soul rather than a cookie-cutter existence.
Finally, be persistent for long-term success. There will always be those who remain true to their original aspirations from a long-term vision and pursue arduous yet worthy causes with steadfast diligence. In ZUEL, a large number of excellent alumni devoted themselves to the “College Student Volunteer Service Western Project” and took root in the community-level. Taking them as examples, President Zhu stimulated graduates to improve their capabilities through long-term persistence. Life is a long-distance race, and unwavering forward motion lies at the core of every runner’s journey.
Then, Zhu Fangwei offered all the graduates an invitation to “Twins Project for alumni”, which means that graduates can co-construct their beloved ZUEL as partners to collectively enhance the lifelong value of both ZUEL and themselves. Moreover, he encouraged the graduates to explore the world, overcome the difficulties and step into a new stage of life with adherence to the university motto “Extensive knowledge, Rational thought, Moral integrity, and Social commitment”. He also emphasized that ZUEL will always be the most reliable harbour and exclusive supply station to support graduates in their future endeavors.
Chen Shi, Deputy Secretary of the CPC ZUEL Committee, hosted the graduation ceremony.
Liu Renshan, Vice President and Member of the CPC ZUEL Standing Committee, pronounced the decision to grant graduation.
Qin Hong, Vice President and Member of the CPC ZUEL Standing Committee, declared the decision on awarding degrees.
As the representative of faculty and the Dean of Law School, Hou Meng offered two suggestions for students who will proceed to the next chapter of their lives. First, be sensitive in terms of work. Hold responsibility in awe and strive for perfection in details. Second, be equanimous in terms of life. Without dwelling on temporary gains and losses, all the graduates should foster foresight and preserve inner peace.
On behalf of the graduates, Lv Fandi, a bachelor from School of Public Finance and Taxation, shared the insights into growth during the four years through “three questions of youth”(What do we graduates actually study in our major? How can we solve practical problems with our professional knowledge? How will we practice what I have learned in real life in our future careers? ). Under the integration of individual ideals and the development of times, she extended her wishes that all graduates can find particular ways to dedicate themselves to the new journey of Chinese modernization
“Ten years of constant learning and growth have yielded lasting rewards,” said An Jianfeng, a graduate representative and a PhD student from the School of Finance, Class of 2026. Reflecting on his decade at ZUEL, he described three enduring gifts bestowed by ZUEL: a deep-rooted commitment to the nation, scholarly confidence grounded in local realities, and the strength of growth gained alongside ZUEL.
“How time flies! This young man from Africa has become half a Wuhan native” said Qi Yunsong, a postgraduate student at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication who spoke on behalf of ZUEL’s international students.
Speaking in fluent Chinese, Qi shared heartwarming stories from his life at ZUEL and used a creative Kuaiban performance (a form of Chinese clapper talk show) to recount the everyday life and study of his campus life. He also expressed his hope of serving as an ambassador for friendship and exchanges between China and Africa.
Alumni representative Zhu Shunquan, a undergraduate alumnus of the Department of Industrial Economics, Class of 1988, and the founder of Hubei Dinglong Co., Ltd., delivered a speech.
Zhu recalled that, after graduation, he remained committed to contributing China through industrial development and ventured into strategically important fields facing critical technological bottlenecks like chip manufacturing. He encouraged the graduates to remain rooted in China, keep the interests of the country and its people close to heart, and stay true to their ideals and determination.
Heads of ZUEL presented Letters of Appointment to representatives of alumni liaison ambassadors, formally appointing them to serve as a vital link between their alma mater and fellow graduates.
A tribute segment followed to honor representatives of ZUEL’s “Four-Alls” education initiative, which engaged all members of the university community throughout the entire educational process, in all dimensions and across all fields. Graduate representatives presented flowers to the honorees, expressing heartfelt gratitude to the teachers for their dedication and attentive guidance.
As all attendees rose to sing the anthem, ZUEL’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony drew to a successful close amid its inspiring strains.
Following the ceremony, President Zhu will turn each graduate’s tassel in a series of sessions from June 16 to 18, present them with their degree certificates, and pose for photographs with each graduate.
It was also reported that, during this year’s graduation season, the Alumni Association hosted a “Welcome Market” at the entrance to the Arts and Sports Center. Twenty alumni associations offered more than 400 full-time positions and over 100 internship opportunities, providing graduates with job-matching assistance and support while strengthening ties between the Alumni Association and their graduating schoolmates.
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Reported by:Hou Jing
Photographed by:Du Peng , Peng Jia