YZU Postgraduates’ Opening Ceremony was held in the auditorium of Wenhui Road campus on September 5. YZU Party Secretary Yao Guanxin, President Jiao Xin’an, Vice Party Secretary Ye Baisen, Vice President Huang Jianye, Chen Guohong, Hong Tao, Chen Yaping, Yu Hongliang were present at the ceremony. Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President Liu Zuhan hosted the ceremony. President Jiao Xin’an addressed the welcome speech.

　　PHIPHAKKHAVONG PHOUTHAVANH, a new Ph.D. candidate from Laos  spoke at the ceremony as representative of new international postgraduates. In her speaking, she mentioned the long-term friendly relationship between China and her motherland, introduced the active role that Laos and the Laotians played in the Belt and Road initiative. She told her stories with China and the gratitude and happiness that she felt when getting the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies in YZU. Inspired by the YZU motto “perseverant and self-reliant”, she expressed her determination to study hard with unremitting efforts, and to be a knowledgeable, virtuous, humanistic YZUer

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　　In recent years, YZU international students’ number is growing steadily with more and more pursuing postgraduate studies. In the academic year of 2018-2019, YZU admitted nearly 170 international postgraduates from 25 countries. They are going to study in 19 colleges for master’s and doctoral degrees. Currently, there are nearly 300 international postgraduates studying in 22 colleges in YZU.

    PHIPHAKKHAVONG PHOUTHAVANH got her bachelor’s degree in Dali University in Yunnan, China and her master’s degree in National University of Laos. Before coming to YZU, she was a Chinese language teacher in the Confucius Institute in National University of Laos. She got to know about YZU in August 2017, when the YZU Art Troupe was giving performance in Vientiane. In December 2017, YZU and NUL signed MOU and built international partnership. Under the cooperation framework, PHIPHAKKHAVONG PHOUTHAVANH was nominated by NUL to pursue doctoral studies in YZU College of Social Development.