Bai Ruojing

    bairj@pkusz.edu.cn

    Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School (PKU Shenzhen) launched its first opening camp on August 25 and 26 to welcome new postgraduate students.

    For the past 14 years, a formal opening ceremony had been a routine event to welcome new students and start a new academic year. But this year, in order to create a unique opportunity to have nearly 1,000 new students mingle with their upper classmates, future teachers and university staff, an opening camp was held on the sports ground of Peking University Shenzhen campus in University Town.

    At 8 in the morning on August 25, the opening camp commenced with Chancellor Wu Yundong’s welcome remarks and warm-up tai chi (on a huge scale!). Students were randomly broken into 10 teams and selected their team leaders. Chinese students were required to assist their non-Chinese-speaking classmates in choosing partners. “Imagine I was in the same team with Chancellor Wu!” Zou Yueyao, a second-year student at Peking University School of Transnational Law, excitedly told us. “He is an amiable man. In his welcome remarks, he shared with us his vision for PKU Shenzhen. It is exciting! I am now more positive about my future!”

    The highlight of August 26 was a huge dinner party held in the University Town gymnasium, with nearly 1,000 people attending. “I love being here with so many students! I love having a bite of the local cuisine. It’s hilarious! I didn’t expect this much. I love my Chinese classmates,” Frauke Schaefer, a new exchange student from Germany, majoring in management at HSBC Business School, happily shared with us.

    Classes for the 2016-17 academic year started on Monday.