Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremony: Seeking the Truth, Serving Society Through Science
Written by Hsu Tsu-Yueh. Image credit to NCKU News Center.
With warm hopes that graduates will shine like the sun and step boldly into a new chapter of life, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) held its 2025 commencement ceremony on June 7. Themed “Golden Hour” (symbolizing NCKU's light), the celebration saw over 6,000 graduates bidding farewell to the campus and preparing to carry what they've learned into the world. In his keynote speech titled “Seeking the Truth, Serving Society Through Science”, President Meng-Ru Shen reminded students that the true NCKU spirit isn't about being the fiercest competitor, but about practicing mutual growth and shared success. Being the helping hand in someone else’s life is not just a state of mind, but a powerful force.”
Graduating students joyfully attended the commencement.
This year, NCKU sent off a total of 6,218 graduates: 2,650 from undergraduate programs, 3,345 master’s students, and 223 PhD. Among them, there were approximately 507 international graduates. The Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing, established to cultivate top talent for the advanced semiconductor industry, sent off 70 master’s graduates. The class included three students from India and one from Indonesia. Nearly half of these graduates had already received job offers from the industry even before completing their degrees.
International students brought their national flag to attend the commencement.
Over 4,000 proud parents, family members, and friends filled the auditorium of Cheng Kung Hall on the Guangfu Campus for the commencement ceremony on the morning of June 7. Among the distinguished graduates was Prince Sewele Mphumelelo Dlamini of the Kingdom of Eswatini, who earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering after completing his master’s degree in NCKU’s International Program on Natural Disaster Mitigation in 2019. His father, Prince Mphiwa Dlamini of Eswatini, attended the ceremony alongside Ambassador Promise Msibi.
The event also welcomed several international dignitaries, including Ambassador Lily Jane Becan-Tzun of Belize, Chargé d'Affaires Adriana Rojas from the Embassy of Paraguay, and Ms. Jade Hsu, assistant to the Ambassador of Saint Lucia. The ceremony officially began with the grand entrance of NCKU President Meng-Ru Shen and senior faculty members, setting the stage for a heartfelt and memorable celebration.
Family and friends making a banner to congratulate the graduate.
To celebrate this important milestone, a few graduates' families and friends brought custom-made banners wishing them a happy graduation. One banner, featuring a striking photo of the graduate, caught the attention of many. The student, Pin-Chih, smiled as he shared the story behind it: last year, he had made a similar banner for his girlfriend’s graduation. This year, she returned the gesture for him. He expressed his happiness at receiving this unexpected gesture. Some international students also added personal touches to their graduation outfits, wearing sashes with the ROC national flag over their gowns or proudly posing for photos with their home country’s flags, clearly excited to mark the occasion.
President Meng-Ru Shen encouraged the graduates “Seeking the Truth, Serving Society Through Science”.
In his speech, President Shen told the graduates that NCKU’s nearly 100-year history shows that true success is not personal glory, but contribution to society. He said the graduates’ future efforts in all fields will be NCKU’s greatest pride. He emphasized the university motto, “Veritas et Conscientia” (Latin, meaning the pursuit of truth through exhaustive reasoning) as a belief in the power of knowledge. In today’s world of confusing information, he hopes students can tell true from false, stay focused on what matters, and think bravely. He encouraged them to be seekers of truth who don’t simply follow the crowd. He said the lines between different fields will become more and more blurred, and that NCKU graduates should be the ones who build bridges between different disciplines. He added that NCKU’s finest tradition is “serving society through science.” Their expertise, he said, is not just for personal success, but to make the world better.
President Shen encouraged all graduates to remember this, wherever they go in the future: You are a practitioner of seeking truth through knowledge. You are a pioneer of cross-disciplinary innovation. You are who brings knowledge into the real world. You are a guardian of humanistic values. You carry forward the spirit of serving others. You are a flower in full bloom. “When the flower blossoms, butterflies will come,” he said. “When you are ready, the world will respond to your efforts.”
Alumnus Ho-Shang Lee shared his life experiences and observations with the graduates.
Ho-Shang Lee, alumnus from the Class of 1979 in Mechanical Engineering, Chairman of DiCon Fiberoptics, was invited as the guest speaker. Seeing the hall full of graduates, Chairman Lee recalled the mix of excitement, reluctance, and uncertainty he felt when he was about to leave campus years ago. Now leading a successful career, he shared with the students the lessons he has learned over nearly half a century, his experiences, observations, and views on life.
First, “All roads lead to Rome, use your creativity.” Lee encouraged graduates to imagine the future of their fields, whether in academia or industry, and to envision what the next 10 or 15 years might bring. Second, “Aim high and step out bravely.” He reminded students that fear limits potential. He urged them to reflect each day whether they did better today than yesterday. Third, “Humanistic literacy is just as important as professional skills.” Reading keeps the mind sharp and serves as nourishment for the spirit. He recalled how, during the crash of the dot-com bubble more than 20 years ago, it was the literature, philosophy, and history he had read in his younger years that helped him gain new insights and supported him through tough times. Fourth, “Put people first.” All efforts should ultimately aim to improve lives and bring meaning to life. Every human connection is a special one, so treat people around with kindness. Before concluding, he called on graduates to give back to their alma mater. He invited them to remember the joyful days spent at NCKU, and to consider donating to support the university in the future.
The graduation speech by the duo Materials Science and Engineering drew strong resonance (Left: Hsing-Hui Liu. Right Li-Yu Hsieh).
Graduating students Hsing-Hui Liu and Li-Yu Hsieh, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, paired up to deliver this year’s commencement speech. Breaking from tradition, the duo chose “Ordinariness” as their theme, presenting it with a lively back-and-forth style that drew strong resonance and enthusiastic applause from their peers. They opened with self-deprecating humor, asking how two “nobodies” like them ended up on stage. But the tone quickly shifted: “It’s because we’re ordinary,” they said, “that we can stand here on behalf of everyone, that we are representing each unique yet unassuming university journey.” They even brought in science to make their point, saying, “According to the second law of thermodynamics, all extraordinary achievements are low-probability entropy-defying events. Being ordinary is actually the most natural state of all.”
Drawing from their own university experiences, the two speakers continued with a humorous take on lessons learned during their studies. First, never fully trust your partner to cover your part of the task. Everyone needs to have their own plan. Second, opportunities are for those who are prepared. Even if you’re not holding the best cards, don’t let it show. This isn’t being cunning but about adapting to the situation. Third, always keep something in reserve. At NCKU, there’s no shortage of hidden talent. The truly strong ones don’t always show off, as they know when to hold back and when to shine.
Still, the duo wrapped up their speech on a serious note. They encouraged fellow graduates to carry the spirit of a champion even if they come in second. “Our attitude toward service and our ability to handle pressure will be what companies value most,” they said. They also reminded everyone that not every story has to be dramatic. Simply making it through these four years is already something extraordinary. “You don’t have to change the world to live a life you can be proud of.”
Chun-Wei Yang expressed gratitude to his parents and professors for their support.
With many students now relying on ChatGPT, Chun-Wei Yang from the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering opened his speech with a joke. He said he had always had a good relationship with ChatGPT and thought that by simply typing in a few keywords, he’d get a perfect graduation speech. But what came out was just a long string of pretentious and outdated clichés. So, he decided to write it himself to prove he could do better.
Chun-Wei Yang spoke on behalf of the graduates to thank their parents and professors. He expressed gratitude to all the parents who quietly stood behind their children, giving them the courage to explore the world without fear. He said to the parents, “Sorry for making you worry.” In today’s world of diploma inflation, students must work extremely hard just to make it look effortless. He called on everyone to give each hardworking graduate a proud and affirming hug. He also thanked the faculty, who helped shape and guide them, “We were like raw steel and are now forged into shining blades.”
Referring to the 2021 university entrance exam essay title, “If I Had a New Fridge,” Yang wondered what would everyone’s fridge hold now? As for his own, he said it was packed to the brim with the gloom of the pandemic and the wild joy that followed its end, with late-night study anxiety, moments of indecision, and everything that belonged to NCKU, to youth, and to the journey ahead. He enthusiastically invited his fellow graduates to bring their own fridge and step into a future full of hope.
Graduates shared an emotional hug at the commencement ceremony.
The ceremony continued with the symbolic turning of the tassel and the presentation of diplomas. As each college’s graduate representative took the stage, cheers and applause erupted from the audience, encouraging those on stage and cheering on their own new chapter in life. As the event drew to a close, graduates exchanged hugs, well-wishes, and farewells. With blessings and encouragement from their professors, they bowed in gratitude, sang the school anthem, and stepped forward into a brand-new journey.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2025-06-17
