With the coming academic year, IIIS held Opening Ceremony 2018 on Sept. 16, 2018, at the Lecture Hall, FIT Building. Prof. Andrew Chi-chih Yao, IIIS Dean, Prof. Gang Peng, Director of Academic Affairs Office, all freshmen and new graduates of 2018, IIIS faculty, students and parents attended the ceremony together. Assistant Prof. Yang Yu, advisor of YaoClass 80, hosted the ceremony. This year, 50 undergraduates and 38 graduates became new members of IIIS.

Prof. Yao extended welcome to all new students, for their arriving at this university and entering the field of computer science. To do research with enthusiasm in the era of innovation, to make a tremendous impact on the development of China and even the whole world, and to be a person with responsibility is Prof. Yao’s great expectation and encouragement to all IIIS members.

Prof. Peng, the invited guest to the ceremony, spoke highly of the teaching and research at IIIS. He encouraged all freshmen to make good use of peer pressure, make constant progress and become a better person.

On behalf of faculty members, Prof. Ma emphasized the importance of long-term plan, interested research field and courage to face difficulties. Shichuan Deng, 2015 PhD candidate, also shared his 7-year learning experience at IIIS.

YaoClass freshman Yilun Sheng presented the most concerned issues of freshmen based on the statistical results of a class investigation. 2018 PhD candidate Jiatai Huang looked forward to his coming graduate study after having been a 4-year YaoClass member.

During the ceremony, Yao Award 2018 was granted to recognize 11 outstanding YaoClass students. “Exciting” was the key word in the speech of Kaifeng Lv, representative of prizewinners, who wished all had an exciting academic journey at IIIS.

The ceremony successfully concluded in the Old Anthem of Tsinghua.

Since they registered in late August, all new students have had military training, safety education, team building and other group activities in the recent three weeks. The new academic year will start at Sept. 17 and a rich campus life at Tsinghua awaits them.

(By Shuai Sun, Photo by Xiang Li)