This post is about some of my ex-students who graduated this week. First, students in International Trade 1201 and 1202; second, students in Double Major 1201 and 1202.
Graduation of students in IT1201 & IT1202
I taught these two International Trade & Economics classes Oral English from September to
December 2013. Some classes make a greater impression than others; I liked and remembered the students in these two classes, so went along to their graduation.
A benefit of staying longer at one College is that you get to
follow students through their College life, at least superficially. Now IT1201 & IT1202 were graduating,
having completed their 4 year undergraduate course.
On Monday morning 27 June 2016 Vera and I attended UPC’s formal 2016 Graduation Ceremony in
the main gymnasium (see Post #107 for details). It was impressive, with about 6,000 students in attendance. The top
Post-graduate students were given awards, and two leaders and a student representative made speeches. The event lasted one hour, from
8.30 to 9.30am.
Later, the actual degree-conferring ceremony took place at
the Yi Fu Conference Center. The International Trade majors were the second group to get their degrees.
That afternoon I arranged to meet some of the students in
IT1201 and 1202 at the Library cafe. Eight students turned up, and we had a chat for
about an hour.
IT1201
|
Yan Hao Ben (Ben)
|
From Quzhu, Zhejiang Province. Father professor, mother teacher. Ben will go to a Summer School in Beijing,
and then start a Masters in Systems Science at UPC. He was hoping to study
Finance in Shanghai, but his father wants him to do something more practical.
|
Yang Liu Qing (Darren)
|
From Mianyang, Sichuan. Father civil servant, mother has a shop. Darren got a job in Chengdu with the China
Railway Construction Corporation.
|
|
Long Hai Sheng (Bean)
|
From Pengshui, Chongqing. Father worker, mother farmer. Bean has a
job with the Chongqing branch of a large Qingdao-based manufacturing company AUCMA.
|
|
IT1202
|
Li Xin (Ada)
|
From Qingdao, Shandong. Father driver, mother shop. Ada has found a job in
the Qingdao branch of a large Insurance Company.
|
Liu Ying Jia (Serena)
|
From Nenjiang, Heilongjiang. Father policeman, mother civil servant. Serena will do the Post-graduate Engtrance
Exam in December and hopes to do a Masters degree in a university in Beijing
in 2017.
|
|
Li Bo Jiang (Bob)
|
From Shenmu, Shanxi. Parents are farmers. Bob passed the Provincial
Civil Service exam and has a job with the local Tax Office in Xian.
|
|
Xu Jia Lun (Garen)
|
From Beijing. Father professor, mother editor. Garen will do a Masters Degree in
International Relations at the ANU in Canberra.
|
|
Di Shao Peng (Domesip)
|
From Shijiazhuang, Hebei. Father worker, mother housewife. He was one of three left-handed students in IT1202. Domesip has a job in Tianjin with a subsidiary of the National Petrochemical Corporation, Sinopec.
|
 |
| The 8 students I met in the Library cafe on 27 June. From left: Liu Ying Jia (Serena); me; Li Xin (Ada); Xu Jia Lun (Garen); Yang Liu nQing (Darren); Long Hai Sheng (Bean); Di Shao Peng (Domesip); Li Bo Jiang (Bob); Yan Hao Ben (Ben). |
 |
| The next morning I went for an early-morning bike ride around Tang Dao Wan bay, and came across these two joggers: Bob & Domesip from IT1202. |
 |
| Combined photo, IT1201 & IT1202, with teachers. |
 |
| International Trade majors. |
 |
| Taking teachers out to dinner. |
Graduation of students in DM1201 & DM1202
I actually taught these two classes Oral English two years ago, from February to June 2014.
Double Majors have a 'main major' as well as an English major. They will graduate with two degrees, for example a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Chemical Engineering or Geophysics) and a bachelor of Arts (majoring in English). You've got to be in the top 10% of your main major to be admitted into the Double Major program.
As you can imagine, they are the busiest students on campus, usually with more than 30 classes a week. It seems incredible to me that they would subject themselves to such 'torture'. They certainly don't have much time for anything other than study, yet most seem to be remarkably well-adjusted. Shows the strength of the human mind and body, don't you think?
This last semester (March - May 2016) I had them for "Selected Readings" (see Post #98 of 28 April for details).
 |
| The main hall in the Yi Fu Conference Center was packed with students and some parents |
 |
| Some of the students in DM1201 and DM1202. |
 |
| Some students in DM1202 |
 |
| Students lined up to get their degrees. From left: FAng Quan Yi (Annie, Public Administration); Cui Sheng Meng (Kevin, Petroleum Engineering); Kou Yin Yue (Crystal, Engineering Management). |
 |
| President Shan with Kou Yin Yue (Crystal, Engineering Management). |
 |
| President Shan with Shen Shuang (Betty, Environmental Engineering). |
 |
| Li Dan (Lillian, Electrical Engineering) unexpectedly hugged President Shan. A number of girls followed suit, which threw proceedings out a bit but showed genuine affection and respect. |
 |
| President Shan with Zhang Chao Qun (Judy, Law). |
 |
| Guo Jing Wen (Skye, Law) gave a speech on behalf of the graduating students. |
 |
| With Zhao Yue (Linda, Accounting) |
 |
| With Kou Yin Yue (Crystal, Engineering Management). She was an excellent student. |
 |
| Later I met these two students. Left, Zhou Chen Chen (Lyra, Economics) and Liu Tong (Camellia, International Trade). |
 |
| Next to the bust of author Lu Xun in the Wen Li Lou Building, with Zhang Xiao Cheng (Roy, Process Equipment & Control Engineering) from DM1201. |
 |
| Class DM1201 on the esplanade of Tang Dao Wan Bay, just across from UPC's South Gate. |
 |
| DM1201 Tang Dao Wan bayside. |
Some of the Double Major students will start work, but most have enrolled to do Masters Degrees. For example:
Celine - will do a Masters in Accounting at Ocean University in Qingdao.
Lillian - her main major is Electrical Engineering and she will start working at the Huangdao office of State Grid, China's national power distribution company.
Mandy - will do a Masters in Communication Engineering at Beijing Telecommunications University.
Flora - will do a Masters in Applied Chemistry at Changsha Army University, Hunan.
Delia - will do a Masters in Oil and Gas Storage & Transportation at UPC.
Cherry - will do a Masters in Oil & Gas Exploration at UPC.
Eva - her main major is Storage & Transportation and she will start working at China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) in Ningbo.
I really admire the Double Major students. They are smart and very diligent. I wish them health and happiness for the future.
International Students
 |
| A number of foreign students were also graduating (Petroleum Engineering majors). There are 830 foreign students at UPC; the biggest groups are from Pakistan and Kazakhstan. With oil prices so low it's difficult to find employment in the Oil Industry in most countries - not a good time to be looking for jobs for these students. Pity. |
 |
| Sheba (left) was from Uganda. She was tiny, but full of life. Her father came all the way from Uganda to attend her graduation. |
 |
| With Saya, a girl from Kazakhstan. Her parents sent her to China when she was just 15 years old. She wants to do a Masters degree in Beijing. A really kind, lovely girl. |
That's it for this post.
We are having many farewell functions as our time of departure draws ever closer, so I'll do a couple of posts on those next.
...
Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.
Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Thursday 30 June 2016
