NYU Shanghai held its sixth Graduate Convocation on May 24 to celebrate the graduation of 146 PhD and Master’s degree candidates from 11 programs. Over 400 family members and friends attended the convocation, congratulating the graduates as they walked across the stage in NYU Shanghai’s New Bund campus quad to receive their degrees.
The convocation kicked off with a procession of the degree candidates, school leadership, and faculty representatives, followed by speeches by school leadership and student representatives. Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen saluted the graduates for their academic achievements. “Our mission has been to bring together top students from around the world, who share a global ethos and the passion to acquire knowledge, to learn skills, and to absorb values that will enable you to become leaders dedicated to advancing the global good in your chosen fields,” she said. “At NYU Shanghai and at NYU New York, you leave behind a superb record of achievement in your studies.”
Chancellor Tong Shijun congratulated the graduates on embarking on a new chapter as integral members of the NYU Shanghai community. “From today onward, whether you choose to continue pursuing knowledge or to apply what you’ve learned in practice, I hope you will not only enjoy the outcomes of your endeavors but also find joy in the process itself,” he said. He encouraged graduates to go after the intersection of personal passions, individual strengths, and broader societal needs—to give their best while enjoying the journey.
Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman commended the graduates for the tenacity and perseverance they displayed along their academic journey. “It requires intelligence. It requires discipline. And it requires an ambition to acquire new knowledge, to develop new skills,” he said. “You, the Class of 2025 PhD and master’s graduates of NYU Shanghai, have proven that you possess all those qualities, and many more.”
NYU Vice Provost of Doctoral Affairs Diana L. Arpino, Associate Dean of Global Affairs of NYU Steinhardt Lisa Sasson, Interim Dean of NYU Stern J.P. Eggers, and Director of the Low Res Master’s in Interactive Media Arts Craig Protzel of NYU Tisch, also conveyed their congratulations to the graduates.
Student representative Lyu Xiaoai, PhD ’25—NYU Shanghai’s first PhD graduate in biology—reflected on the challenges of her research journey, recalling a low point during Shanghai’s 2022 COVID lockdown when she lost access to her lab and all her cells died.
“I could remain stuck in frustration, or I could start over,” she said. “I chose the latter.” She rebuilt her project from scratch and, over the next three years, made exciting discoveries, sharing her work through publications, international conferences, and research symposiums. Reflecting on her growth, she concluded, “It is less about the research and more about the person we have become: someone who thinks deeply, persists through uncertainty, and contributes original knowledge to the world. And for that, I am so proud.”
Master’s program student representative Li Yixuan MA ’25—from the IMA Low Res program— defined the 2025 cohort as unafraid to revise and adapt, calling them the “Ctrl + Z generation”, like the keyboard shortcut for “undo.” “That is what grad school gave us—not a final version of ourselves, but a more flexible, more resilient one,” she said. “As we step out into the world, we do so at a time shaped by rapid transformation. In a world that keeps rewriting the rules, we carry something powerful: The ability to reflect, adapt, and begin again—with intention. To look at what’s messy, not with fear—but with possibility.”
Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao presented the six Doctor of Philosophy degree candidates in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Transportation Systems. TESOL Professor and Program Director John Liang presented the 14 degree candidates for the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
MSDABC Capstone Director Zheng Tingjun presented the 10 candidates for the Master of Science in Data Analytics and Business Computing degree. MSQF Capstone Director Han Shen Lin presented the 19 candidates for the Master of Science in Quantitative Finance degree.
MSMRS Capstone Director Wang Yinghong presented the 31 candidates for the Master of Science in Marketing and Retail Science degree. MSOMS Capstone Director Chen Jing presented the 35 candidates for the Master of Science in Organization Management and Strategy degree. Professor Jung Hyun Moon presented the 32 candidates for the Master of Arts in Interactive Media Arts (IMA) degree.
Professor Wang Yinghong, Professor Chen Jing, and Professor Jung Hyun Moon
Chen Xiaoyuan MA ’25 and Li Minlu MA ’25 received the Excellence in TESOL Award. Guan Yunfan MSDABC ’25, Kwan Wing Jacqueline Ho MSQF ’25, Song Kewei MSMRS ’25, and David Tyler Kwok MSOMS ’25 were honored with Excellence Awards for their outstanding performance in their programs.
NYU Shanghai’s advanced degree Class of 2025 will continue their careers in a variety of industries and sectors. The PhD graduates will move on to companies such as Huawei and Marriott. NYU Shanghai - NYU Stern MS graduates have accepted offers from Deloitte, JD.com, Inc., China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd and UBS, among others. Graduates of the TESOL program will continue to advance in their careers at educational institutions in China and around the world. IMA graduates’ thesis project work will be on show from June 19-20 in the 3rd floor North Hall IMA studios on campus.