Dear faculty and students:

Good morning! It is a great pleasure for me to attend this year’s Opening Ceremony of Shenzhen Graduate School. First of all, on behalf of Peking University, I wish to extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to all new students and sincere greetings to other members of the School.

This year’s Opening Ceremony is unique because we are in a Universiade venue, where the athletes’ joy and passion are added to ours. “Dayun” the abbreviation of how we say Universiade in Chinese, also means blessings and happiness. I believe that today’s Opening Ceremony will mark a good starting point for us all.

My dear faculty and students, this is the tenth year anniversary of our Shenzhen Graduate School. With your efforts, the School has rapidly developed over recent years, from nothing to such greatness. This year, Shenzhen Graduate School has enrolled 904 new students, making up 1/8th of all new Peking University graduate students. Also, the 31 new international students who are to begin their study here, contributes historically towards the School’s internationalization. Great changes are happening on campus as more buildings are built. Shenzhen Graduate School is going to expand to the size of 200,000 square metres by this time next year. As a result, its developed area is expected to double what it is at present. As the infrastructure improves, the School gains more strength. The School offers graduate and doctorial programs in a series of forefront and interdisciplinary fields, such as Chemical Genomics, Urban Planning, Environment and Energy, Information Engineering, Finance and Economics, Transnational Law etc.. The past ten years have been fruitful for Shenzhen Graduate School. The School is proud of its outstanding faculty members and teachers with Dean Lehman, Academician Wu Yundong, Professor Hai Wen, and Professor Yang Zheng as main representatives. However, the School’s most valuable assets are its 2,248 students. The School is grateful and proud of all of you.

Dear students, in the past ten years I have visited Shenzhen Graduate School many times and each time I witness the School’s transformation and development. Each time I have seen faculty members, and students gradually and continuously develop a sense of affection for the School. Such affection grows intensely as their recognition of the School is realized.

The short welcoming video that was played on the screen just before is called “What is Nan Yan?” Faculty, students and staff on this campus all give their answers to that question. It is now my turn to give you mine. My answer is, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School is of much significance to our country, Peking University, and Shenzhen. This School is the pioneering force that leads national education reform. This School helps to promote Peking University’s aim of being ranked among the world’s best universities. This School serves as a supporting pillar in internal reform.

Further, Peking University becomes more attractive, more diverse, and more innovative due to endeavors and achievements of Shenzhen Graduate School. “New Frontiers, Interdisciplinary Studies, Applied Research, and International Standards” advocated by Shenzhen Graduate School has captured the world’s attention in the course of making its blueprint come true.

You are starting in a city which is the frontier of reform and opening up, and in a year when Universiade and our School’s tenth year anniversary coincided. As your senior, I would like to put forward several expectations for you.

Firstly, adhere to your own dreams and look forward to the future. Pursuing a master’s degree is a critical stage in your life. During this period, your knowledge, professional skills and experiences will undergo a dramatic transition. You will find a new direction and lay a solid foundation for the future. As a result you are required to set up great goals from the moment you enter the campus and take into account former President Cai Yuanpei’s teaching that you as students should dream for high goals and be a noble person. Therefore as students of Peking University, we must focus on our country and the future and take the responsibility of the new young generation.

Secondly, study and research conscientiously and rigorously with your heart and soul. Peking University has a great hall of academia and pursuit of excellence is everyone’s common goal. As graduate students, you are going to undergo strict academic and research training. As a student, your basic attitude requirements of your research should be done with truthfulness and tranquility, and you should enter the world of academic research with seriousness. Well-known professor of Peking University and founder of “Founder Electronics Company”, Wang Xuan, once said “I always encourage the young students to persist making great efforts in long-term pursuits, and never seek instant success and benefits.” I hope you can keep in mind his words while you study.

Thirdly, make innovations and explore the frontiers of your fields. Creativity is another outstanding spirit of Peking University and it has been integrated with PKU-ers for more than a hundred years. Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School is the product of creativity, for we combined chemistry, biology and transitional medicine to set up a new school for medicine research and also have built China’s first American J.D. program, all of which are great innovations to higher education. Studying in such an environment, you will understand creativity in a new way.

You, our newest students will spend much of your time studying and living in Shenzhen for the years to come. Leading China’s reform and opening up, Shenzhen has forged ahead. The Graduate School located here is working on providing students with not only access to Peking University’s resources, but also a world-class academic environment. Students here can more easily benefit from Shenzhen’s geographic advantage, and can more frequently receive guidance from international faculty of high distinction. You should grasp such valuable opportunities and make the best of them. However, you should pursue your personal interests and find your own direction and stick to it. Doing so will allow you to distinguish yourself from others by developing your own strength. I have every reason to believe that you will be professional elites, the future leaders of our country.

Peking University has a glorious history. Its future depends on your efforts. From today, you must be more aware of your responsibility as a member of Peking University. I hope that you will strive for excellence and higher performance for Peking University, for your people and for your country.

Thank you everyone!

在北京大学深圳研究生院2011年开学典礼上的讲话

2011年8月25日

老师们、同学们：

大家上午好!很高兴参加北京大学深圳研究生院2011年开学典礼。首先，我代表学校对各位新同学的到来表示热烈的欢迎!同时，也对深研院的全体师生致以诚挚的问候!

今年，我们的开学典礼在刚刚结束的世界大学生运动会的赛场举行，更是平添一份喜悦与激情。“大运”在中文中带有幸运与幸福的意思，我希望在这“大运”场馆中举行的开学典礼，给大家带来一个十分美好的开始。

老师们、同学们，今年是深圳研究生院建院十周年，我非常高兴的看到，在你们的不懈努力下，深圳研究生院取得了一个又一个显著的成绩。从无到有，深研院不断发展壮大。我了解到，今年深研院共录取了904名新同学，已经占到了全校研究生录取总数(含医学部)的1/8;今年还有31名留学生，显示出校区国际化水平的提高。校园基础设施建设更是日新月异，座座高楼平地而起。明年深研院的建筑面积将在现有基础上翻一翻，达到20万平米。随着硬件条件的改善，校区的实力也进一步增强。化学基因组学、城市规划、环境能源、信息工程、金融经济、国际法律等一批前沿交叉的学科在这里发展壮大。雷蒙院长、吴云东院士、海闻教授、杨震教授等一批国内外知名的学者汇聚到了这里。更重要的是，这里还有2248名青春激扬的你们。学校感谢你们，学校也为你们而骄傲!

同学们，从深圳研究生院创办之初，到现在的十年间，我多次来到深研院，每一次都会看见新的进步与变化，每一次都能感受到深研院师生对这个校区的认同与热爱又增进了一步。

典礼开始之前，大屏幕一直滚动播出着为欢迎你们到来所录制的短片：《南燕是什么?》。生活在这里的老师、学生、工作人员都给出了自己的答案。我想，北大深圳研究生院之于深圳，是提升城市综合竞争力的重要力量。北大深圳研究生院之于国家，是教育改革的先行试点;它对于北大，更是创建世界一流大学的重要组成部分。实践证明，深圳研究生院的创建和发展是一个为北大做增量的改革，它使得北大作为一个整体，更具吸引力、多样性和创新性。深研院“前沿领域、交叉学科、应用学术、国际标准”的办学特色，已经成为北京大学创建世界一流大学的闪光点。

同学们，你们是在大运之年，在改革的最前沿，从深圳研究生院建院十周年的新起点上扬帆起航的。作为师长，我想对大家提出几点期望。

一、坚持理想、着眼未来。攻读研究生学位的这几年是人生中重要的成长阶段。你们的知识结构、专业水平和人生阅历都应在这一阶段发生质的飞跃，以为寻找新的人生方向和日后的发展奠定坚实的基础。这就要求我们的同学们从进入校园的那一刻起就树立起远大理想，牢记蔡元培老校长关于“抱定宗旨、砥砺德行”的教诲，着眼于国家与未来，真正担负起时代青年的重任。

二、潜心研究，严谨治学。北京大学是一座崇高的学术殿堂，追求卓越是北大人的共同目标。进入研究生阶段，同学们就要接受严格的学术训练和科研训练，而做研究最基本的品质就是实事求是的精神和甘愿坐冷板凳的心态。你们刚刚进入学术研究之门，对此要认真体会。北京大学知名教授、北大方正创始人王选曾说“我一直鼓励年轻人，要长期积累，在年轻的时候就需要一种非常刻苦的精神，而且丝毫不能够急功近利”。大师教诲声犹在耳，希望大家在求学之路上谨记。

三、勇于创新、探索前沿。北大精神的另一特征就是创新。一百多年来，北大人始终在追逐先进，不断创新。深圳研究生院本身就是教育改革与创新的一种尝试。我们创造性的将化学、生物学与转化医学集成在一个学院从事新药研究;我们首创了中国的第一个J.D.项目等等，这些都是对高等教育的重大创新。在这样的环境中求学，你们一定会对创新有一个全新的领悟。

同学们，你们身处中国改革开放最前沿的深圳;深研院一直依托北大的学术资源在努力创造着 “与世界同步”的学习环境;毗邻香港的地理优势以及高水平、国际化的师资力量也为大家提供了一个放眼看世界的绝佳平台。这种多重复合、国际化的学术资源和学术环境是尤值珍惜和利用的!但反过来说，资源和条件再好，毕竟术业有专攻。我希望你们在这里的学习中，精准地为自己定位!找准方向打造出自己的核心竞争力!从而成长为一名优秀的精英人才。

同学们，北大有着辉煌的历史，北大的未来还要由你们去共同书写。从你们踏进北大校门的那一刻起，就承担起了重大的责任。希望你们为北大的明天，为民族的复兴和国家的富强，不懈努力，再创佳绩!

谢谢大家!