On December 7th, 2025, Intake 2024 Graduation Ceremony of the Joint MBA Program between East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) and the University of Canberra (UC) was grandly held. Distinguished guests in attendance included The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra; Prof. Uwe DULLECK, Executive Dean, Faculty of Business, Government and Law; Prof. Riyana MIRANTI, Associate Dean, Partnerships and International, Faculty of Business, Government and Law; Mr. Simon Woods, CEO and Executive Director, The Australian Chamber of Commerce Shanghai; Prof. YAN Haifeng, Vice President of ECUST; Prof. ZHAN Wangcheng, Deputy Director (Acting Director) of ECUST's Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; Prof. FAN Tijun, Dean of ECUST School of Business; Prof. PENG Delei, Dean of ECUST School of Law; Prof. LOU gaoxiang, Vice Dean of ECUST School of Business; Associate Prof. PENG Zeyu, Director of ECUST School of Business International Exchange and Accreditation Office; all faculty members, class supervisors, graduates and their family members from the ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program. Prof. HUANG Lujin, Academic Director of ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program, hosted the graduation ceremony.

The Graduation Ceremony Venue

Prof.HUANG Lujin Hosts the Ceremony

25 Years of Cooperation: Nurturing High-Level Management Talents Together

At the ceremony, Prof. YAN Haifeng delivered a speech. He congratulated the 24 intake of students on successfully completing their studies and specially thanked The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN and the Australian delegation for personally attending the graduation ceremony, which fully reflects the depth of cooperation and profound friendship between the two universities.

Prof. YAN Haifeng introduced that over the past 25 years, the program has cultivated more than 1,600 high-level management talents with a global perspective, cross-boundary capabilities and innovative spirit. These talents have become an important force in promoting China-Australia cooperation, serving regional development and supporting Chinese-style modernization. The 25-year stable cooperation has also made the program an important benchmark for Sino-foreign cooperative education, facilitating the common progress of the two universities in international education, teaching reform and faculty development. "This 25-year cooperation experience has provided a valuable model for collaborative education in the context of globalization and laid a solid foundation for the university to further enhance its international influence," he added.

Prof. YAN Haifeng Gives a Speech

Addressing the graduates who are about to embark on a new journey, Prof. YAN Haifeng offered three pieces of advice: first, maintain professional perseverance and create value in the era of innovation-driven development; second, continuously expand global horizons and participate in international cooperation with an open mind; third, assume social responsibilities with a broader perspective and promote sustainable development. He also stated that in the future, ECUST will join hands with UC to further deepen international cooperation, promote scientific research innovation, serve social development, and stride towards a more brilliant next 25 years with a more open attitude.

In his speech, The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN noted that this graduation ceremony coincides with the 25th anniversary of the joint MBA program between the two universities, making it a particularly memorable occasion. It was also his first time attending the program's graduation ceremony in China. "This celebration is not only a recognition of the students' outstanding achievements but also an acknowledgment of the hard work behind each graduate. It is this effort that has brought you here today, opening a new chapter full of opportunities and challenges," he said.

Prof. SHORTEN further introduced that the University of Canberra is globally renowned for its high-quality teaching and applied research. The university has always adhered to the transformative power of education, continuously deepened close cooperation with various industries, ensured that the skills learned are closely aligned with the needs of the modern workplace, and helped graduates embark on meaningful and fulfilling careers. He expressed his expectation that the graduates will join the global alumni network built by the two universities, work hand in hand with influential leaders and elites from the business, political and community sectors of both countries, and fully utilize the skills and knowledge gained from the program to achieve personal success and contribute to society.

The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN Gives a Speech

Witnessing Glory, Embarking on a New Journey

The degree-awarding ceremony is not only a confirmation of the graduates' academic achievements but also a symbol of the fruitful results of educational cooperation between the two universities. At this glorious moment, Prof. GAO Louxiang read out the list of graduates who obtained master's degrees in the 24th intake of the ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program one by one; The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN personally awarded the master's degree certificates to the graduates and took group photos with them.

Prof. LOU Gaoxiang Announces the Graduates’ Name list

The Hon Prof. Bill SHORTEN Awards Degrees

Setting a Model for Educational Collaboration, Cultivating Cross-Boundary Compound Talents

Prof. Uwe DULLECK highly praised the 25-year solid partnership between the two universities as a happy "marriage," which has made important contributions to transnational cooperation and set a successful model for educational collaboration. He sincerely hoped that in the next 25 years, the two universities will further deepen cooperation and move forward hand in hand in areas such as opportunity development, scientific research collaboration and joint teaching. He also wished the program graduates to always cherish the friendship formed during their studies, unite their strengths and create brilliance in their future career journeys.

Prof. Uwe DULLECK Gives a Speech 

In his speech, Prof. FAN Tijun stated that the ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program is not only a combination of resources from the two universities but also a model of in-depth integration of Chinese and foreign educational concepts. It is rooted in the needs of Chinese management practices while introducing an internationally advanced business education system; it focuses on the refinement of professional skills and emphasizes the cultivation of global perspective and cross-cultural leadership. As one of the less than 1% of business schools worldwide accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA (the "Triple Crown" accreditations), ECUST School of Business has always regarded "serving national strategies and leading innovative development" as its ultimate mission. In the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the School has identified the innovative talent training model under the iBEST (Integration × Innovation, Business, Engineering, Science, Technology) mission as one of its core directions, committed to cultivating cross-boundary and interdisciplinary compound talents, and enabling business education to resonate with engineering advantages. The ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program is a vivid practice of this concept.

"Graduation is not an end, but the beginning of greater responsibilities," Prof. FAN Tijun encouraged the graduates. He urged them to always maintain the spirit of lifelong learning, embrace the world with an open perspective, promote the sustainable development of enterprises and society through practical actions, connect with the world with an open and inclusive attitude, and drive progress with pragmatic and responsible efforts. "Every step of your growth will continue to write the wonderful chapter of Sino-foreign cooperative education; every breakthrough you make will inject new vitality into the internationalization process of Chinese management education."

Prof. FAN Tijun Gives a Speech

Reshaping Personal Cognition, Embracing Global Business

As the representative of the 24th intake of graduates, DAI Jia shared heartfelt memories in her speech of the class's first ice-breaking activity. Through the collision of ideas with classmates from different industries and countries, she was able to reshape her personal cognition and learn to step out of her professional "shell" to embrace the broad world of global business—one of the spiritual treasures bestowed by the ECUST-UC Joint MBA Program. She admitted that during the two years of study, she not only gained forward-looking professional knowledge and expanded her international perspective but also honed her resilience and adaptability for the future. She believed that with graduation as a new starting point, every graduate of the program will strive to make positive impacts in various industries and achieve their own extraordinary lives.

Speech by DAI Jia Intake 24 Graduate Representative

With the chorus of "We Are the World," everyone took group photos together, and the graduation ceremony came to a successful conclusion. During the past study period, the students gained new knowledge and concepts of business management through the program and developed the wisdom and courage to dare to reform. Now standing at the starting point of a new journey, they agreed to pursue their life paths respectively, carry the ideal and belief of "building a better world," solve real problems with business wisdom, illuminate the path of decision-making with humanistic care, and surely write a new chapter of business civilization worthy of the times!

The Chorus “We are the world”

Group Photo of Intake 24