Zhang Qian

zhqcindy@163.com

THE Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen organized an inauguration ceremony at its newly expanded campus in Longgang District yesterday morning.

More than 1,300 students, including a record number of nearly 50 international students from more than 10 countries, were admitted to the university. Thousands of school faculty members, students and parents joined yesterday’s ceremony to witness the exciting moment as the students entered the university.

Lance James Czachorowski, from the United States, was one of the international students accepted by CUHK(SZ)’s School of Science and Engineering this year. At the inauguration ceremony, he gave a speech as a student representative.

“It is my third year now living in Shenzhen, China, and the 15 years prior to that, I was living in my hometown of Houston, Texas,” Czachorowski told the Shenzhen Daily before the ceremony. He attended an international school in Shekou for the last two years and used his outstanding academic performance there to apply to the university.

The American student had received a letter of admission and scholarships from several Ivy League universities, but he chose to stay in Shenzhen and favored CUHK(SZ). “I chose this university because I know it is still developing and there are so many opportunities available here, just like the city is growing to be an international hub of technology,” said Czachorowski.

During his speech, Czachorowski added that the strong science faculties at CUHK(SZ) were also a driving factor in choosing the university. The student will major in bio-informatics.

Professor Xu Yangsheng, the university’s president, initiated the inauguration ceremony with a welcome speech, motivating students to cultivate the good habits of self-learning, a passion for life and to pursue a meaningful college life for the next few years at the university.

The vice chancellor and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong also delivered an inspiring speech yesterday. He encouraged the new students to pose as many questions as possible during their studies at the university as the next few years will be a golden period for students to raise questions and solve problems.

The university’s Distinguished Professor and Nobel Laureate, Professor Brian Kobilka, gave a welcome speech to the new students, sharing his experience of growing up as the son of an ordinary baker and becoming a Nobel Laureate.

“I believe my career to date is an example of how an average individual can achieve a measure of success by a combination of factors that include hard work, persistence, an element of luck, and a great deal of help from family, friends and colleagues,” said Professor Kobilka in his speech.

Professor Kobilka joined the university and set up a research institution this year. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2012.