SSDPP welcomes new CDC students!

In addition to new and old cohorts, faculty, and staff of SSDPP (including the all-important Dr. Xu Yuebin, new dean of SSDPP), Dr. Chen Guangju (Vice President of BNU) and Dr. Wang Xiumei (Director of International Office of BNU) were in attendance and offered their kind and encouraging words for the new students, urging them to take advantage of this very special time in their lives. The ceremony also welcomed some inspirational speeches from Ms. He Xiaojun (Vice Director of IPRCC) regarding “Poverty Reduction Strategy in China” along with a very informative “South-south Cooperation” speech given by Ms. Yang Fang (Assistant Director in China, UNDP). These speeches gave students an idea of how their future CDC degree can be translated into real-life careers.

After the coffee break, the spirited SSDPP international student union board (Tope, Sidik, Alessia, and Gina) gave a brief presentation on study and life in Beijing. This presentation encouraged new students that even though the work involved with obtaining a master’s degree is indeed rigorous, finding the sweet spot for balance of academics and fun is one of the most important skills that can be learned! Beijing is a cultural playground, and our time here would be wasted if exploration and adventure in this magnificent city become an opportunity wasted.

Welcome Class of 2014! SSDPP is looking forward to seeing some very bright things coming from you!

(Article/Photo by Gina Holly, Weihan Yu)