On the morning of July 14, 2017, the century-old PUMC campus located at No.9 Courtyard Dongdan Santiao saw a bustling scene as the 2017 commencement and degree conferral ceremonies were to be unfolded. The CAMC & PUMC President Xuetao Cao, other leaders including Guoqin Li , Longshan Yao, Zhongwei Zheng , Yunfeng Wang, Qin Zhang, Xue Zhang, Tsinghua University Vice President Bin Yang, the heads of relevant institutes and hospitals as well as departments, representatives of the faculty, leaders of the CAMC & PUMC administrative departments, representative of excellent alumni, all the 2017-class graduates and their families, along with the leaders of the fraternal universities witnessed the commencement ceremony which fell on the year marking the 100th birthday of PUMC and was presided over by the Party Secretary Li Guoqin of CAMC & PUMC.  

To the pleasant Ode to PUMC played by the Swift Choir, excellent graduates walked into the conference hall with a commemoration badge in hand. The restoration of such a grand commencement ceremony in the year marking the 100th founding anniversary of PUMC was intended to remind the PUMC graduates that they should remain committed to their original aspiration, carry on the 100-year tradition, and usher PUMC into the next chapter of glory. The commencement ceremony started amid the solemn national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

Longshan Yao, CAMC & PUMC Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary for the Commission of Discipline Inspection, announced the academic degrees to be granted for 2017. This year PUMC awarded 612 doctor’s degrees, 572 master’s degrees, and 223 bachelor’s degrees. The CAMC & PUMC leaders presented graduation certificates to the representatives of the graduates.

The CAMC & PUMC Deputy Party Secretary Yunfeng Wang read aloud the decision to honor the excellent students of the 2017-class graduates: altogether 66 students were honored as outstanding graduates from higher education institutions in Beijing and 66 excellent graduates from PUMC. The CAMC & PUMC leaders presented awards to the honored students.

Shuo Zhang, a major of clinical medicine admitted into PUMC in 2009, made a speech on behalf of the 2017-class graduates. She looked back upon the eight-year stay in PUMC, shared her thoughts on the PUMC philosophy, expressed her gratitude to the alma mater and the teachers for their education and inspiration, and extended congratulations to the PUMC on its upcoming 100th birthday. She indicated that she would stay committed to her original aspirations and ceaselessly endeavor to live up to the expectations pinned on her. In this way, she would add splendor to the alma mater and contribute to the PUMC’s radiant chapter in the next century.

Prof. Jingmei Jiang from the School of Basic Medicine as a representative of the faculty shared a relevant story which has been lingering on her mind for long and exerts huge impact upon her career and even her life. She stressed that as the students are becoming full-fledged and soaring into the vast space of the world, they should bear in mind the oath of Health Related, Life Entrusted as medical personnel, take it as the impetus to overcome sorts of difficulties on their way ahead, make greater contributions to the development of the Chinese medicine and healthcare undertaking, and in this way carry forward and build on the glorious tradition of the 100 year-old PUMC.

Prof. Hao Wu, eight-year major in clinical medicine from the 1982-class graduates and representative of excellent alumni, has been elected into the US National Academy of Sciences. She said, “no matter where you go, which job you engage in and what challenge you face, please always remember you are a PUMC fellow, a miracle maker, a pioneer in the frontier of the new world and most important of all a fellow to carry forward the tradition of a prestigious 100-year old college!” She told her junior alumni who would step out of the campus very soon that they should cherish this pure land for academic pursuit and medical science, go on with the quest of the dream of the 100-year old PUMC, disseminate the PUMC philosophy to each corner of the motherland and the world and make it take roots and flourish wherever it gets. She sent a congratulatory message to the alma mater on its upcoming 100th birthday and showed her willingness to work together with the fellow alumni to deliver even more miracles in the next century of PUMC. Finally, she said excitedly,

The CAMC & PUMC President Xuetao Cao wrote an inscription of “100 Years On, Glory to Continue”. In the first place he extended warm congratulations to the 2017-class graduates upon their fulfillment of academic study and expressed gratitude and respect to the devoted faculty and their families who provide them with unfailing support. Then President Xuetao Cao recalled in the past century the PUMC and the PUMC people always adhered to principles even in adverse circumstances and exhorted the students to observe three points. First, always entertain the feeling of patriotism. No matter where the students go, they should always entertain the feeling of patriotism. Second, always have the strength of character as a scholar. No matter where the students ago, they should always have the strength of character as a scholar. Third, always uphold the oath of medical personnel. No matter what post and status the students hold, they should remember the solemn oath of “Health Related, Life Entrusted” made when being just admitted into the PUMC, and build on the legend of the 100-year PUMC. Finally, the CAMC & PUMC President Cao Xuetao invited all the alumni from at home and abroad to attend the commemoration meeting in celebration of the 100th founding anniversary of PUMC this September 22 to rejoice in its 100-year legend and plan for the delivery of another legend in the next century.

The Party Secretary Guoqin Li gave the concluding remarks to the effect that the students should entertain an intense feeling of patriotism when shouldering social responsibilities, have a proper world outlook on life and values, and endeavor to improve the mind and the character, so as to carry forward the PUMC spirit, push the progress of the medical undertaking of the motherland and make their share of contributions to enhancing the health of the people.

（This article comes from PUMC website）