On Friday, NYU Shanghai celebrated 58 colleagues who reached their 10-year anniversaries and 49 colleagues who reached their 5-year anniversaries by the end of last year.
The annual Service Award Ceremony brings together the NYU Shanghai community to congratulate full-time faculty and staff.
In his opening remarks, Chancellor Tong Shijun noted the sweet coincidence of the ceremony falling on Valentine’s Day before acknowledging the honorees for their commitment: “NYU Shanghai is a community of love, trust, and optimism, which are the most cherished qualities in today’s world. Therefore, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those who contribute vigor and wisdom to our community.”
Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman commended the joint efforts of the NYU Shanghai community in fulfilling the promises made to students and faculty of a unique and supportive educational environment. “We have been able to keep those promises,” he said, “thanks to a core group of long serving colleagues who provide experience, wisdom, and the sense of continuity to all that we do. Thank you for your commitments to helping us continue to develop.”
Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen praised the honorees, calling them the backbone of NYU Shanghai. “All of you are a major part of why NYU Shanghai consistently has been such a wonderful place to work,” she said. “And it's partly that consistency that you provide by your dedication, your steadiness, your being here, your experience, that makes this university community so successful.”
Representing the faculty honorees, Professor Chen Jian from Arts and Sciences delivered a passionate speech proudly affirming his decision to join NYU Shanghai after teaching atCornell University: “Thank you to the NYU Shanghai leadership for upholding academic freedom and academic excellence at NYU Shanghai, and for giving me support at the most critical moment.” Professor Chen emphasized the importance of DEI and academic excellence: “NYU Shanghai, by its birth, is an institution of DEI values, which must go hand in hand with the pursuit of academic excellence.”
Staff representative Yvonne Liu, chief of staff to the provost, looked back on her journey since joining NYU Shanghai in 2014 at the Century Avenue campus: “Each campus move has been more than just a change of address—it’s been a testament to our adaptability, resilience, and shared sense of adventure. What hasn’t changed in all these years is the spirit of this incredible community: the friendships, the collaborations, the shared struggles over deadlines, and the unique challenges—big or small—that no other institution in the world has faced before, which forced us to innovate and create something entirely new.”
Following the celebration of the 5-year and 10-year service awardees, University leadership also acknowledged the hard work of a group of 150 exceptional individuals within NYU Shanghai who have generously volunteered their time and talents for various university events and activities in 2024. Maggie Zhang from Finance was invited to share her volunteering insights. “What I cherished most is the opportunity to connect with our students,” she said. “It's not just about education, it's about nurturing young minds and helping them realize their potential. I am deeply grateful for the trust and opportunity our school has given me.”
