On the afternoon of July 3, 2025, the School of New Media at Peking University held its 2025 commencement ceremony, themed "New Dreams Take Flight, the Future Awaits," at the Science Lecture Hall of the Peking University Library.

The ceremony was attended by Dean Xie Xinzhou, Party Secretary Tian Li of the School of Journalism and Communication, Associate Dean Li Wei, and faculty members Wu Jing, Xu Jincan, Yu Lu, Li Jialun, and Bai Qiyu. Industry mentors Zhu Defu, Huang Xiang, and Li Lihua were also invited to join the event. All master's and doctoral graduates of the Class of 2025, together with their families and friends, gathered to celebrate this important milestone. The ceremony was hosted by Luo Longxiang, a doctoral graduate from the Class of 2024, and Li Xiaoqian, a master's student from the Class of 2024.

The ceremony officially began with the solemn performance of the national anthem.

Dean Xie Xinzhou opened the ceremony with a keynote address. On behalf of the entire School community, he extended his warmest congratulations to the eight doctoral graduates and sixty-one master's graduates. Reflecting on the broader context of civilizational change, he spoke about three sets of relationships that are especially meaningful in today's world: value leadership and intellectual openness, the present and the future, and steadfastness and perceptiveness. In his closing remarks, he encouraged graduates to embrace diversity with an open and inclusive spirit while maintaining clear moral judgment and shared values; to remain attentive to the demands of the present while keeping their eyes on the horizon and integrating personal aspirations with the broader course of national development; and above all, to cultivate the defining qualities of new media professionals—steadfastness amid the complexities of the information age and a keen sensitivity to change.

Associate Dean Li Wei presented certificates to the recipients of the Jiubo Scholarship of the School of New Media (2024).

Professor Xu Jincan presented awards for Outstanding Master's Thesis of the School of New Media (2025).

Tian Li, Party Secretary of the School of Journalism and Communication, presented certificates to graduates recognized as Outstanding Graduates of Peking University (2025).

Dean Xie Xinzhou presented certificates to students honored as Meritorious Students of Beijing (2023-2024) and Outstanding Graduates of Beijing (2025).

As graduation approached, faculty members offered words of reflection and encouragement. Bai Qiyu, faculty advisor for the Master's Class of 2023, spoke on behalf of the faculty. Drawing on her perspective as an observer of the new media era, she reflected with students on their intellectual journey—one she described as an "upgrade of the mind." In an age empowered by technology, she encouraged students to remain wary of the distortions of relentless competition, to rediscover the value of embodied understanding, and to preserve the rare space for thinking beyond immediate utility. She concluded by urging graduates to remember the strength of their own voice in an age when AI can write on their behalf, to find anchors for reflection amid torrents of data, and to move through the digital landscape both as natives of technology and as nomads of ideas.

Speaking on behalf of the doctoral graduates, Gong Gu, a direct-entry doctoral student from the Class of 2020, shared reflections on his academic journey. He summarized his growth in three dimensions: developing intellectual capabilities, maintaining close engagement with society, and safeguarding physical and mental well-being. Looking ahead, he expressed his determination to transform the skills he has cultivated into meaningful contributions, carrying forward the sense of responsibility shared by members of the Peking University community and scholars of new media. In the currents of social transformation and the rise of intelligent technologies, he pledged to serve the nation and society while pursuing a fuller realization of his own potential.

Zhang Ranyue, representing the master's graduates from the Class of 2023, reflected on her transformation during her time at Yanyuan through the theme of "seeing." She spoke of learning to see one's authentic self through challenges, to see others and build meaningful connections through community, and to recognize the call of the times amid ongoing transformation. She concluded by encouraging fellow graduates to continue seeing, understanding, responding, illuminating, and creating as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.

Representing the current students, Yan Li, a master's student from the Class of 2024, offered heartfelt congratulations to the graduating class. Reflecting on the School's decade of development, she expressed her hopes that the graduates would carry forward the spirit and vision of new media scholars, allowing the ideals they hold to take root and flourish wherever they go. She also noted that she and her fellow students would continue striving for excellence in their own academic journeys at Peking University.

Associate Dean Li Wei then read the Resolution on the Conferment of Doctoral and Master's Degrees to the Class of 2025. The degree-conferral ceremony followed, during which faculty members formally conferred degrees upon the graduates, adjusting their tassels and posing for commemorative photographs.

As the familiar melody of "Yanyuan Qing" filled the hall, the 2025 commencement ceremony of the School of New Media at Peking University came to a close.

Though the ceremony has ended, the journey continues. May all graduates move forward toward bright futures, returning one day with the same ideals that first brought them to Yanyuan. In the ever-changing tides of the digital age, may they continue to embody the pioneering spirit of Peking University.