On the afternoon of June 27, 2018, nearly 400 attendees comprising of the Law School’s graduating class of 2018 and their invited guests as well as faculty members gathered in the auditorium of Leo Koguan Law Building to witness the Fudan Law School Commencement Ceremony 2018.

Dean WANG Zhiqiang, Vice Deans CHEN Li and DU Yu, Fudan Law School CPC Committee Secretary HU Huazhong and Deputy-Secretary LUO Xiao, representatives of the teaching faculty, including Professors CHEN Haoran, DING Wenjie, GE Jiangqiu, HAN Tao, HOU Jian, HU Honggao, JI Ligang, LAI Junnan, LIU Zhigang, MA Zhongfa, SUN Xiaoxia, TAO Lei, WANG Mingliang, WANG Jun, YANG Xiaochang, YAO Jun, ZHAO Lihang and ZHU Shudi, student advisors for the graduating class WANG Yi and HAN Kang, and the staff from the administration department were all present at the ceremony, which was presided over by Vice Dean DU Yu.

The graduating class of 2018 boasted many excellent students. CPC Committee Secretary HU Huazhong announced the name list for the “Shanghai and Fudan University Outstanding Law Graduates for the Class of 2018”, and together with Dean WANG Zhiqiang, they presented the certificates for the Dean’s Scholarship for Juris Master to its two recipients. Thereafter, Vice Deans CHEN Li and DU Yu presented the Outstanding Juris Master Dissertation Award to the awardees.

LLB graduating student BAO Dingyurui and LLM graduating student YUAN Xueqi delivered the graduating speeches on behalf of the undergraduate and graduate class of 2018 respectively, fondly recalling their days of learning at Fudan Law School and expressing their gratitude towards the Law School. Professor LIU Zhigang then represented the teaching faculty in extending his congratulations to the graduating students on their graduation. This was followed by the highlight of the day – the turning of the tassels ceremony. The representatives of the Class of 2018 also presented their graduating gift to the Law School as a token of appreciation for the Law School’s nurturing over the years. Mr. YU Weifeng, the alumni representative and the founding partner of LLinks Law Offices, then addressed the graduating class and welcomed them into the Fudan alumni family and into the practice of law.

Finally, Dean WANG Zhiqiang delivered a thought-provoking keynote speech, focusing on the notions of ‘anxiety’ and ‘expectation’. He delved into the sources of today’s graduates’ increasing sense of anxiety, and pins these upon the momentous changing times that we live in today which has inevitably brought about an onslaught of unprecedented opportunities, responsibilities and challenges. To manage such anxiety, the Dean hoped that the graduates can put down their self-imposed burden of having to satisfy others’ expectations of them, to live life to the fullest and enjoy its simple pleasures. Most importantly, the Dean assured the Class of 2018 that Fudan Law School will stand by them just like their parents, to only wish for them to follow their hearts and walk right in life, and will always love them and welcome them home regardless of their apparent successes or failures in life.

The Dean’s speech was met with resounding applause from the audience and with that, the Commencement Ceremony drew to a successful close.