It’s graduation season once again, and the time has come to bid farewell. In this vast world, it is truly rare to have walked side by side as teacher and student for several years. Whether this encounter was destined or not, it remains a beautiful bond that cannot be repeated and is well worth cherishing.

Looking back on the past few years, I believe everyone must have mixed feelings: joy and frustration; excitement and melancholy; a sense of relief and a touch of reluctance. Those days and nights “tormented” by academic work, those moments when you “endured” your advisor’s criticism and reminders over minor details, the nearly exacting demands and various restrictions of the laboratory, the arduous process of repeated revisions and starting over from scratch, as well as the solemnity of the degree system and the “uncompromising” rigor of the review experts... All of these experiences—whether you feel gratitude or still harbor doubts and confusion; whether you once thought of “escaping as quickly as possible,” or now feel a deep, heartfelt reluctance to leave—after graduation, all of this will eventually settle into memories deep within your lives.

In fact, this experience has not only borne witness to your growth, but has also awakened and honed the resilience, clarity, and sense of responsibility deep within you. It is precisely these seemingly mundane, routine, and even arduous experiences that have endowed you with the ability to surpass yourselves and continue to grow, and that will sustain you as you move forward with greater composure and determination.

After graduation, some of you will leave campus to enter the workforce, while others will pursue further studies, embarking on new journeys of learning and research. But whichever path you choose, a new chapter in your lives is about to begin. If you leave campus to enter society—where the road ahead is long and the world is vast—your roles will inevitably change. Whether in the workplace or in your personal relationships, the kind of “picky” yet benevolent “nitpicking”—done without seeking anything in return, as your mentors have done—will likely become a rare commodity in the future. It will also be difficult to find an environment as relaxed and harmonious as the one you experienced as students on campus, where trial and error is permitted and where youthful inexperience and recklessness are embraced.

You will truly step into a more complex and expansive arena of life, facing workplace competition and the trials of fate, shouldering multiple responsibilities toward family and daily life, and weathering the impacts of the surging tides of society. You will encounter the mundane details of daily life and may face the dilemma of balancing filial duty with professional responsibilities; you will learn the limits of rules and experience the harsh realities of life; you will feel the happiness of self-reliance and finding joy in your own efforts, yet you will inevitably encounter the coldness and warmth of human relationships, setbacks, and even the disappointment brought by injustice and unfairness.

If you choose to pursue further studies, although your status may appear unchanged, important new responsibilities await you. A new environment, new advisors, and new research topics also mean new standards and new pressures. The path of academia, like the path of life, is never smooth sailing. I hope you will approach your new academic life with dedication, treat your professors and peers with sincerity and kindness, and respond to their expectations with optimism, ambition, and hard work. May you continuously improve and achieve your full potential through unwavering perseverance, day in and day out.

No matter what life throws your way in the future, these are all part of the human experience. Life is inherently difficult; we constantly navigate between making choices, shouldering responsibilities, and experiencing both loss and gain, all while shaping and affirming our sense of self. May you remain humble in times of prosperity and resilient in the face of adversity; may you not lose your way amid applause nor lose heart when met with indifference; may you uphold your principles when faced with temptation and stay true to your inner self amidst life’s storms. Remember to treat yourself and others with kindness, to carry gratitude in your heart, and to hold reverence in your soul. You must have ideals that reach for the stars, yet also the steadfastness to keep your feet firmly on the ground. Only those who dare to carry their burdens forward are true heroes; only those who, having weathered life’s storms, still carry a light within their hearts, are worthy of poetry and distant horizons.

As you graduate, though I am filled with a thousand feelings of reluctance to part, what I feel most deeply are my sincere hopes and blessings for your future. This year’s college entrance exam essay question quoted a line from Fengsu Tongyi (General Principles of Customs and Traditions) by Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty: “The sun and moon do not lose their essence, so though obscured, they shine again; the Yangtze and Han Rivers do not lose their source, so though blocked, they flow again.” In fact, there is a line that follows: “The sage does not lose his virtue, so though set aside, he rises again.” At this very moment, these words serve as the most sincere counsel for you as you set out on your journey, and they are also my heartfelt advice to you as you depart.

This learning experience is about to become a thing of the past, but we must not lose our “essence”, sever our “source”, or forget our “virtue”. “To preserve one’s essence” means that no matter how the outside world may obscure the truth, one must never compromise one’s inherent character and moral standards; “to preserve one’s source” means that no matter how winding the path ahead may be, one must never forget where one began or why one persists; “to preserve one’s virtue” means that no matter how circumstances may change in the future, one must never abandon the fundamental conscience, kindness, and sense of responsibility that guide one’s conduct in life.

In the course of a person’s life, what truly accompanies one to the very end is never fleeting fortune, status, or honor and disgrace, but rather the unchanging essence and virtue that have always been within. If one remains true to one’s original heart, even amidst storms, one will eventually see the sun and moon; if one does not lose one’s resolve, even after traversing mountains and rivers, there will surely be an echo.

No matter where you may find yourselves in the future, no matter where you study or what careers you pursue, no matter what circumstances you face, and no matter how your unique personalities may clash with the realities of life, I sincerely hope that you will always hold fast to the kindness and justice within your hearts; that you will preserve your reverence for nature and science, your respect for rules and order, and your love for life and the world; and that you will maintain the integrity to stand firm against the tide. May you never abandon your unwavering diligence, nor forget your original aspiration to strive for excellence; may you, in the vast landscapes of your own lives, possess both the confidence to stand on your own and the generosity to warm the hearts of others.

From the moment you graduate and leave campus, this place will be nothing more than a chapter in your past; embarking on a new life and venturing out into the world is what truly defines your future. May you set out into the world with the hopes and blessings of your teachers, fearless in the face of wind and rain; may you overcome countless hardships and return as the “spirited youths” you once were.

After years of diligent study, I have honed my skills;

now I return to the world to test my mettle.

With the world in my heart, I gaze upon the bright moon;

as I set out, the land and rivers will speak for themselves.

Liu Kaiqiang

June 2026

Zhi Zhi Building, Shaanxi Normal University