On June 25, the Nankai University-University of Glasgow Joint Graduate School held its 2026 commencement ceremony and degree conferral ceremony at Tin Ka-ping Music Hall on Balitai Campus. A total of 126 students jointly trained by the two universities received dual master’s degrees from China and the UK.

Before the ceremony, Chen Yulu, President of Nankai University, met with a delegation led by Professor Andy Schofield, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. The two universities held in-depth exchanges on advancing future cooperation. The meeting was also attended by Chen Jun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Executive Vice President of Nankai University; Zhu Shoufei, Vice President of Nankai University and Dean of the Joint Graduate School; Richard Berry, Academic Dean of the Joint Graduate School; and Liu Yiman, Deputy Secretary of the Education Working Committee of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee.

At the ceremony, a member of Nankai University’s Degree Evaluation Committee announced the decision to confer Master’s degrees on 126 graduates. The degree conferment ceremony was conducted in accordance with the traditions of both universities. Professor Andy Schofield performed the cap-touching ceremony for the graduates and presented them with master’s degree certificates from the University of Glasgow. Chen Yulu then adjusted the tassel on each graduate’s academic cap and presented them with master’s degree certificates from Nankai University.

Chen Yulu congratulated the students on successfully completing their studies and expressed his gratitude to the faculty members of both universities for guiding and supporting the graduates’ growth. He said that the Joint Graduate School has gone through ten years of development, during which the two universities have achieved fruitful results in high-quality collaborative talent cultivation. He expressed hope that the graduates will turn their cross-cultural learning experience into youthful strength as they set out on new journeys, and use their knowledge and wisdom to write a fulfilling and enterprising chapter of life. Nankai University looks forward to continuing to deepen practical cooperation with the University of Glasgow and jointly opening a new chapter in high-level cooperative education and high-level academic exchange.

Professor Andy Schofield extended warm congratulations to the Class of 2026. He noted that Nankai University and the University of Glasgow each have profound academic traditions and a strong commitment to education. As graduates of the Nankai University–University of Glasgow Joint Graduate School, the students have brought together two great educational traditions. They are not only curious thinkers, but also empathetic individuals and globally minded citizens with a strong sense of responsibility. He expressed hope that, whatever fields they enter in the future, the graduates will move forward with confidence and courage, and use their talent, knowledge, and kindheartedness to contribute to the well-being of humankind.

Richard J. Cook, Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the Zhou Enlai School of Government, spoke as a faculty representative. Addressing the Class of 2026, he said, “The future will require not only professional competence, but also empathy; not only ambition, but also a sense of responsibility. We firmly believe that you are ready to meet such challenges.”

Ke Jiawei, a graduate of the Environmental Science programme, spoke on behalf of the graduates. He said that the most valuable gift the Joint Graduate School has given is not only knowledge itself, but also the ability to remain curious, think independently, and exercise rational judgment in a complex world. He expressed hope that the graduates would continue to approach the future with curiosity, humility, and courage, and carry forward the spirit and values bestowed by the two universities as they step into a broader world.

This year, the Joint Graduate School welcomed its 10th cohort of graduates. At the ceremony, the Nankai University–University of Glasgow Joint Graduate School Teaching Achievements Collection was released, followed by a celebratory artistic performance.

Nankai University–University of Glasgow Joint Graduate School officially began enrollment in 2015. It is the first international postgraduate education institution in China established by a British university under the name of a “joint graduate school”. It currently offers four programmes: International Relations, Regional Economics, Environmental Science, and English Language and Literature.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)