Yao Ming's message to NYU Shanghai graduates
Edited by Yang Meiping. Reported by Yang Meiping. Subtitles by Yang Meiping.
Basketball legend Yao Ming appeared at the Shanghai New York University's eighth commencement ceremony on Sunday, and encouraged graduates to take brave steps and face up to mistakes in their new life journey.
At the Grand Theater of Shanghai's BOCOM New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center, the ceremony saw more than 400 graduates from 29 countries, including six study-away students from NYU in New York and 243 Chinese students from 28 provinces across China, accept NYU bachelor's degrees and NYU Shanghai diplomas.
They were joined by more than 1,400 family members, including some 654 family members of international students who flew in from over 25 countries.
More than 400 graduates from 29 countries accepted NYU bachelor's degrees and NYU Shanghai diplomas on Sunday.
During the ceremony, Yao was presented with the NYU Shanghai's Chancellor Medal of Honor by Chancellor Tong Shijun.
Yao was a core player on the Chinese men's national basketball team from 1999 to 2008. During his almost decade-long career with the Houston Rockets, he became one of the most celebrated Chinese basketball players in the NBA and in 2016, he became the first Chinese national to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Yao has been the FIBA Asia chairman and EABA president since 2019. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023.
Yao addressed the Class of 2024, urging them to bravely forge ahead and follow their dreams rather than be hindered by fears of failure.
"On the basketball court, the simplest way to avoid making mistakes is to hold onto the ball, do nothing, or pass it to a teammate," said Yao.
"This way, you'll avoid errors, but you'll never score. The same principle applies to life. No matter how foolish your decisions may be or how reckless your actions are, the biggest mistake is to stand still and do nothing.
"Graduates, from today onwards, you are about to embark on a new journey," he added. "It is a journey filled with unknowns, constant changes, and a mix of disappointments and surprises. On this journey, there are no sure fire shortcuts. What matters most is to take each step bravely. When we look back, behind every shining moment, there are countless footprints of trial and error. At this moment, I challenge you. Make a mistake and let it cheer you on."
Yao witnessed the graduation of the students.
International student representative Christine Yosephin Wijaya, from Jakarta, Indonesia, spoke about the resilience and adaptability of NYU Shanghai students who navigated uncertainty with a spirit of adventure and found ways to build community and a sanctuary of joy during hard times over the past four years.
"We have learned to be adaptable, re-framing the challenges we faced over the previous years into feasible solutions and learning how to lean in and support one another in our different journeys," she said.
"From navigating cultural nuances to collaborating across borders, we have honed our abilities to thrive in an interconnected global landscape."
International student representative Christine Yosephin Wijaya speaks at the NYU Shanghai graduation.
Chinese student representative Li Yutong, from Suzhou, said NYU Shanghai's classrooms were a place to develop global perspectives, push boundaries, take on leadership and service roles, and empower dreams.
Chinese student representative Li Yutong speaks to the Class of 2024.
In their speeches, NYU Shanghai leadership used the opportunity to give one last "lesson" to the graduating class and express their wishes for the lives they will pursue beyond NYU Shanghai.
Chancellor Tong Shijun spoke from the heart about learning together with the graduates and the role the Class of 2024 has played in his own development as chancellor over the past four years.
He reminded them that they will be seen as role models for the graduating classes behind them.
The Grand Theater of Shanghai's BOCOM New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center was filled with students in violet graduation gowns.
Vice chancellor Jeffrey Lehman quoted "To Hold Up the Sky," a science fiction by Chinese writer Liu Cixin, author of "The Three Body Problem" and winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and issued a call to action to the graduating class, exhorting them to recognize the power each of them has to change the world for the better.
"May you be the Mirrors that can help others to see the world in healthy and constructive new ways," he said. "May you know enough bad weather that you never take sunshine for granted, and enough good weather that your faith in the coming of spring is never shaken."
Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen offered the graduates a meditation on what lies at the heart of humanity, and the human characteristics that ultimately distinguish us from machines.
"I hope you will always remember what it means to be human, that you will constantly put into practice and cultivate those four tightly interwoven human qualities of empathy, creativity, humor and ethical judgment," she said.
Some students creatively decorated their graduation caps.
NYU president Linda Mills shared with the graduates the moving story of her Austrian family members who, when faced with the dangers of Nazi expansion throughout Europe, grasped an opportunity to escape and found a safe haven in Shanghai, thanks to the humanitarian efforts of Chinese diplomat, Ho Feng Shan.
"It is deeply heartening that at NYU Shanghai you too embody this spirit of bridging divides, taking risks, and developing a deep and abiding sense of our shared humanity," she said.
She continued, framing for the graduating class the significance of their role as students at an international Sino-American institution during this day and age.
"Today, the relationship between East and West has rarely been as important as it is now," she said. "Where others doubted that Western universities in China could thrive, NYU saw possibilities. You are a living testament to our success."
NYU President Linda Mills speaks at the graduation ceremony.
