Graduates of Peking University take a selfie with Lin Jianhua, president of the university, after their graduation ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday. (Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily)
"Being able to think independently cannot be fully achieved in your four years of college life; it should be a goal for your lifetime, and I hope that you read more and travel more to realize that goal," Qiu said.
He also recommended graduates read A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, a classic work by Feng Youlan, a late professor of philosophy at the university.
"I hope that by reading the book, you are able to see Chinese culture from a modern and a global perspective and appreciate the charm of thinking," he said.
China University Media Union, a joint organization for more than 60 Chinese universities, collected and analyzed 116 speeches delivered by university presidents in China at commencements in 2017, and found that words such as innovation, dream, responsibility and the Chinese nation were frequently mentioned in university leaders' speeches.
Dou Xiankang, president of Wuhan University in Hubei province, encouraged graduates to shoulder the responsibility of achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the responsibilities of boosting technological innovation and making a global impact.
Gong Ke, president of Nankai University in Tianjin, said in his speech that the university had a responsibility to the Chinese nation and urged the graduates to combine their own dreams with the dream of the nation.
Wang Cheng, president of Lanzhou University in Gansu province, said in his speech that he hoped the graduates could help realize the Chinese dream and stay open-minded.
