On June 26, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (JXUST) bid farewell to its Class of 2026 with a commencement ceremony held at the gymnasium of its Sanjiang East Campus. University leaders, including Party Secretary Liu Zuwen and President Ge Shirong — an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering — were in attendance, alongside faculty representatives, alumni, parents, and the entire graduating class.
President Ge Shirong delivered the keynote address, titled “Forge a Future of ‘Three Supers’ with Our ‘Three Solid’ Traits.” He reflected on the graduates’ shared journey with a university that is striving to become a world-class institution in rare earth and critical minerals. Pointing to their accomplishments in research, competitions, and entrepreneurship, Ge offered three expectations. First, let the trait of honesty in conduct cultivate a super-resilience that can overcome any hardship. Second, let a solid grounding in fundamentals translate into a strong sense of responsibility to serve the nation where it is needed most. Third, let a steadfast and down-to-earth work ethic sharpen an exceptional set of skills for innovation. “Carry the confidence your alma mater has given you,” he said, “and write a youth worthy of the times on the new voyage ahead.”
Executive Vice President Xu Zhifeng then announced the decisions to confer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees upon 6,928 graduates of the Class of 2026, and to recognize outstanding graduates and alumni liaison officers.
Speaking on behalf of undergraduates, He Wenjie, a materials science and engineering student, traced her four-year transformation from a bewildered freshman to an award-winning researcher — with multiple national honors and a hard-won recommendation for graduate study at Xiamen University. She expressed deep gratitude to the university, her teachers, and her classmates.
Fang Xin, a Ph.D. graduate in mining engineering who spent a decade at JXUST, shared how his research on low-carbon grinding technology had already found industrial application. He will remain at the university to pursue postdoctoral work, applying his expertise to give back to the institution that shaped him.
Parent representative Wen Zhijuan, whose daughter majored in geographic information science, thanked the university for a nurturing environment rich in red culture and academic rigor — a journey that ended with her daughter’s recommendation for postgraduate study at South China Normal University. Alumnus Xu Guozuan, deputy general manager of Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., drew on 16 years in tungsten metallurgy to offer three lessons: anchor yourself in a field of national significance, embrace practical, grassroots work, and never stop innovating.
During the ceremony, university leaders presented graduation certificates, outstanding graduate awards, and alumni liaison letters. Graduates also expressed thanks by offering flowers to faculty and staff representatives. After taking their oath, the ceremony concluded with the university anthem.
The commencement was followed by the formal degree conferment. One by one, university officials and members of the Academic Degrees Committee turned the tassels on the graduates’ caps and placed degree certificates in their hands — a quiet, weighty gesture marking years of hard work and the beginning of a new chapter. As the newly minted alumni head out into the world, their alma mater’s parting wish is that they sail forth with purpose, knowledge, and an unwavering eye on the horizon.
