Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) officially welcomed the Class of 2026 on August 30, kicked off a grand opening ceremony at the Guoding Road campus gymnasium. Over 6300 incoming students, carrying their dreams and aspirations from all over the world, have gathered at SUFE to embark on their academic journey.
University leaders, joined by heads of university administrative departments, as well as heads of various colleges, faculty representatives, and freshmen attended the ceremony at the main venue and parallel venues. The ceremony was livestreamed through SUFE's official media channels, allowing students, faculty, and families outside the main venue to follow the proceedings and the opening lecture.
Before the ceremony, a welcome video captured moments from the new students' arrival, including their first steps in completing registration independently. The Student Art Troupe then presented a flash mob performance, and students and faculty recited Ode to SUFE together.
Volunteers who introduce SUFE's history joined students from the university's affiliated school in a staged presentation about SUFE's development over more than a century. Through the words and experiences of earlier generations, the performance showed how SUFE's teaching and scholarship have responded to the needs of their time. It invited new students to uphold the university motto: To pursue moral and academic excellence in service of the country and society.
At the opening ceremony, President Liu Yuanchun extended a warm welcome to all freshmen and reflected on the scholars who have built SUFE's academic foundations over the past century. Turning to the changes brought by artificial intelligence, he described the university's work to develop a new approach to finance and economics education supported by digital technology and AI. He encouraged students to use their university years to strengthen their abilities, remain open to different perspectives, and shoulder the responsibilities that come with their expertise. He also stressed the importance of pursuing academic excellence while developing the judgment and character needed to apply that knowledge for the greater good. Ultimately, he challenged the freshmen to align their personal ambitions with the nation's broader development, ride the wave of digital transformation and emerge as forward-looking leaders ready to fulfill SUFE's mission of serving the needs of the country and society.
Professor Yao Lan from the School of Economics delivered a speech as the faculty representative. From an economic perspective, she likened university life and human existence to an exploratory journey of seeking optimal solutions under constraints, and offered three pieces of advice. Her first piece of advice was to think about what is worth pursuing before rushing toward an apparent "optimal solution." Secondly, she also encouraged students to leave room for exploration and to adjust their direction as they gained experience. What's more, whatever path they chose, she said, they should take each step with care, observe rules even when no one was watching, and treat others with kindness in a competitive environment. She hoped students would combine broad ambitions with attention to detail and use their time at SUFE to question, learn, and discover what mattered to them.
Speaking on behalf of the alumni, SUFE board member Xie Hong, founder and executive director of Shanghai Jinde Private Fund Management Co., Ltd., reflected on her own time on campus. She traced her professional journey from developing early information systems and managing major industry projects to ultimately forging a highly successful career in asset management, a path that earned her a spot on the global "50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds" list. Turning to the freshmen, she described the university years as a crucial period for shaping not only professional expertise but also core values. She encouraged students to dive deeply into their majors while reading widely to broaden their horizons, advising them to stay grounded in their principles amid life's inevitable distractions and competing demands.
Wang Jinwen, a new graduate student majoring in World Economy at the College of Business, spoke as the graduate student representative. She recalled visiting villages in southern Anhui as part of SUFE's Thousand-Village Survey during her undergraduate studies. By listening to residents' firsthand experiences, she learned to look beyond abstract economic data to uncover the real lives and choices shaping it. She noted that this fieldwork taught her to approach research with a deep respect for on-the-ground realities, to test her theories in practice, and to persevere through uncertainty. Inspired by the university's long history of responding to national needs and serving the public good, she expressed her commitment to carrying this grounded, truth-seeking approach into her graduate studies.
Fang Changxiao, a new undergraduate student majoring in Artificial Intelligence at the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, spoke on behalf of incoming undergraduates. Arriving from Nanping, Fujian, he was struck by SUFE's interdisciplinary studies across computing and finance and economics. A display in the university history museum showing earlier generations using abacuses for economic planning gave him another perspective on that connection. To Fang, AI is a tool for understanding financial and economic questions and finding new ways to address them. He encouraged his fellow students to build a strong foundation in their fields, put what they learn into practice, and stay curious as they discover their interests.
At the close of the ceremony, Huang Xiangfeng, Chairperson of the University Council, presented university badges to student representatives. The new students pledged to study diligently, act with integrity, pursue excellence, and use their knowledge to contribute to their country and the wider world.
(Source: Department of Student Work and Graduate Work）
Translated by: QIAO Xirui
