Cheers to future endeavours : Class of 2026 celebrates postgraduate milestones at School of Graduate Studies Graduation Dinner
Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Acting President of Lingnan University and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, delivers the opening remarks, congratulating the graduating class on embarking on a new chapter in their lives and describing the University's recent milestones.
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, delivers an enthusiastic welcome, congratulating the over 500 graduating students from the GS and urging them to use their new toolkit of skills to serve the common good.
Student representative Kyle Zhou Ziwei from the Doctor of Policy Studies programme describes his inspiring and transformative time at Lingnan, thanking the faculty for their mentorship and mentioning the enduring bond between peers.
The event brings together over 400 graduating students, esteemed guests, faculty members, and staff in a shared celebration of academic excellence and the Lingnan spirit.
The gala continues with ceremonial toasts led by university management marking the start of a festive dinner.
University management and guests on stage celebrating at the School of Graduate Studies Graduation Dinner 2026.
Fang Qian, Li Yuxuan, and Wang Zihan from the Master of Arts in International Higher Education and Management programme sing, enhancing the lively atmosphere at the dinner.
Chen Jieying (right) from the Master of Social Sciences in Health and Social Services Management programme wins the grand prize in the lucky draw.
Yuan Boyang from the Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Heritage Management programme enchants the audience with a beautiful violin piece.
The evening reaches a high point when Victor Olorunjuwonlo Omole from the Master of Science in Health Analytics and Management programme sings.
Ms Yilia Xu Yuying, Chairman of the Lingnan University Postgraduate Alumni Association, welcomes the Class of 2026 officially into the alumni network.
Prof Yau Yung, Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, delivers the closing remarks, wishing the Class of 2026 a bright future and encouraging graduates to remain proud ambassadors of the University.
The evening brings students and faculty from each programme together to capture a final, definitive image of their shared journey.
On 30 April 2026, the School of Graduate Studies (GS) at Lingnan University hosted the GS Graduation Dinner 2026, a grand annual celebration honouring the hard work, achievements and growth of its latest postgraduate cohort. The event brought together over 400 graduating students, esteemed guests, faculty members, and staff in a celebration of academic excellence and the Lingnan spirit.
Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Acting President of Lingnan University and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, opened the festive evening by congratulating the Class of 2026 on embarking on a new chapter in their lives, and highlighting the University's recent milestones. He called attention to Lingnan’s first worldwide for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025 and the new United Nations University Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology, and encouraged students to live out the University’s enduring motto “Education for Service”. As Lingnan approaches its 60th anniversary of re-establishment, and the 140th anniversary in 2028 of its founding in Guangzhou, Prof Chan reminded graduates that their future success will stand as the University’s proudest legacy.
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, followed with an enthusiastic welcome, saluting the hard work of the graduating class. He highlighted GS’s commitment to nurturing socially responsible and globally minded leaders, urging the Class of 2026 to remain inquisitive and courageous, and concluded by reminding them that true impact is a shared endeavour, so that they should lead with integrity and use their newfound toolkit of skills to serve the common good.
Student representative Kyle Zhou Ziwei from the Doctor of Policy Studies programme delivered an inspiring speech on his transformative journey at Lingnan, describing the most memorable experiences in his dual-degree studies and Postgraduate Summer School at the University of Oxford, which broadened his academic horizons. He thanked the faculty for their mentorship, spoke of the enduring bond between peers, and ended with a spirited call for the Class of 2026 to "make it count" as they step into the future.
The gala continued with ceremonial toasts led by the university management and their guests, marking the start of a sumptuous dinner. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and laughter, and enlivened by the highly anticipated lucky draw and some delightful student performances, displaying the GS community’s many talents. Students from a diverse range of programmes, including the Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Heritage Management, Master of Arts in International Higher Education and Management, and Master of Science in Health Analytics and Management performed, and then, in a touching gesture, students presented handmade flowers to their professors as tokens of heartfelt gratitude for their unwavering guidance, mentorship, and support.
The sense of community was further strengthened as Ms Yilia Xu Yuying, Chairman of the Lingnan University Postgraduate Alumni Association, welcomed the Class of 2026 officially into the alumni network, describing the Association as a vibrant platform for sustaining professional and personal connections among Lingnan alumni around the world.
Prof Yau Yung, Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, delivered the closing remarks, and applauded the graduates’ sense of purpose and accomplishment. He thanked Lingnan’s senior management and staff for their constant support, and exhorted graduates to be worthy ambassadors of the University. Prof Yau closed by wishing the Class of 2026 a future filled with discovery and fulfilment, bringing the formal proceedings to a celebratory close.
The evening culminated in a class photo session, which captured the final, definitive image of each programme’s shared journey.