Every June, the graduation season at Shanghai Theatre Academy reaches its peak.
On 21 June, the 2024 graduation ceremony of Shanghai Theatre Academy was held at the Experimental Theatre. STA leaders, faculty representatives, alumni representatives, party and administrative heads from various colleges, departments and offices, and representatives of graduates' parents, along with 751 graduates from the 2024 cohort, witnessed this solemn moment together.
At 9 am, the 2024 graduation ceremony of Shanghai Theatre Academy commenced with the solemn national anthem. Xu Yong, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of STA, presided over the ceremony.
Zhang Weiling, Party Committee Standing Member and University Leader, read out the "Decision on Commending Outstanding Bachelor's Thesis (Summary of Creation) Winners of the 2024 Cohort of Shanghai Theatre Academy." Vice President Liu Qing read out the "Decision on Commending Outstanding Master's Thesis Winners of the 2024 Cohort of Shanghai Theatre Academy." Guo Kai, Party Committee Standing Member and Vice President, read out the "Decision on Commending Outstanding Graduates at the University Level of the 2024 Cohort of Shanghai Theatre Academy." Hu Min, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, read out the "Decision on Commending Outstanding Graduates at the Municipal Level of the 2024 Cohort of Shanghai Theatre Academy." The recipients of the aforementioned honors went on stage to receive their certificates of honor.
Eight students, including Yuan Puxu, Xu Jiawei, Huang Ruishuo, Xin Xuan'ang, Tong Tong, Yuan Qianling, Wang Miyu and Ding Xueqing, represented the graduates and, under the theme "Time, Growth, Future," deeply reflected on their years of study at their alma mater. They reminisced about the moments of initial confusion and longing when they first entered the campus, as well as the maturity and confidence they now possess as they were about to graduate. Every moment at Shanghai Theatre Academy has become a shining memory of their youth. With the expectations of their alma mater, the teachings of their mentors, the blessings of their families, and the deep camaraderie of their peers, the Class of 2024 graduates bravely embarked on a new journey in life.
As the representative of the graduates' parents, Mr Ke Guipeng, father of Ke Ke, a master's graduate from the Department of Dramatic Literature, delivered a speech. Ke Ke has been awarded the qualification for the "National Construction of High-Level University Public Scholarship for Overseas Study" and will soon pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Munich in Germany. Mr Ke Guipeng shared his insights on his daughter's growth and, with the message "experience a thousand sails, remain true to the original aspiration, be a grateful, inclusive, responsible and purposeful tide rider of the times," he extended his blessings to all the graduates of Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Sha Xiaolan, a renowned director and producer, and an alumnus of the Class of 1989 of the Department of Stage Design, delivered a speech on behalf of the alumni to the graduates of the Class of 2024. Sha Xiaolan, who directed the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, amazed the world with his work. However, he used plain and sincere words to encourage the graduates: after leaving the campus, strive to be a creator who is "observant and proactive," treats people with sincerity, and remains humble; be an innovator in art and beauty, presenting the beauty of China through creativity; in the era of artificial intelligence, dare to face challenges and continuously explore and expand.
Xiao Ying, Dean of the Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Center), represented the faculty and brought the "last lesson" at university for the graduates. She expressed her hopes for the graduates to "communicate genuinely with oneself" "communicate sincerely with others" and "communicate honestly with the environment," urging them to remember their original aspirations and strive for success in their future roles, identities and environments. She hoped that on the future artistic journey, the graduates will uphold the community spirit of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, perform well in their social roles, tell their life stories well, and thus better narrate the stories of China.
Huang Changyong, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of STA, delivered a speech titled "Choose to be Resilient, Believe in the Future" at the graduation ceremony. President Huang emphasized that the two speeches he values most each year are those at the opening and graduation ceremonies. To understand what the graduates wanted to hear from the president, he entrusted the Student Affairs Office to conduct a broad survey of opinions among the graduates. Based on this, he responded to the graduates' concerns with three key words: "employment, future, responsibility," inspiring them to correctly view the "changes and constants" in life amidst unprecedented changes in a century, to review themselves, set firm goals, resist anxiety, choose to be resilient, and believe in the future.
During the subsequent school flag handover ceremony, Party Secretary Xie Wei received the school flag from the graduate representatives and then solemnly handed it over to the representatives of current students. This was not just a handover of the school flag but also a transmission of the spirit of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, inspiring generations of STAers to always remember where they started.
Witnessed by the teachers and elders, the entire class of 2024 raised their right hands and solemnly swore to their alma mater: "Pursue truth and excellence, strive for the highest degree of goodness and beauty; never forget the original aspirations, serve the people. Promote the Chinese spirit, gather Chinese strength, and strive for the prosperity of socialist culture in the new era! Today, I am proud of STA; tomorrow, STA will be proud of me."
At the degree conferral ceremony, Party Committee Standing Member and Vice President Nie Wei announced the "Decision of the Shanghai Theatre Academy on Conferring Doctoral, Master's, and Bachelor's Degrees to the Graduates of the Class of 2024".
In the presence of attendees, the graduates receiving their degrees walked onto the stage one by one to accept their diplomas and certificates. This moment was a highlight for the graduates and a shared honor for all the faculty members.
Every year at the graduation ceremony of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, everyone sings the "Graduation Song" together. The "Graduation Song," with lyrics written by Mr Tian Han, who once taught at STA, was born in 1934. On its 90th anniversary, it was once again sung at the STA's graduation ceremony: "Today we are the blossoms of the peach and plum trees, tomorrow we will be the pillars of society!"
Wishing all the graduates of the Class of 2024 a splendid future and a prosperous journey ahead!
