On the morning of June 28, 2026, the National School of Development (NSD) of Peking University held its 2026 commencement ceremony at the Peking University Hall.

Graduates are from all NSD programs, including economics bachelor’s degree, economics double major, economics minor, PhD in economics, PhD in management, MBA, EMBA, and Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS).

Professor Lei Xiaoyan

The ceremony was hosted by Professor Lei Xiaoyan, Chair of Management Council of NSD and professor of economics, who declared the ceremony officially open. All attendees stood for the national anthem.

Dean’s Speech

Professor Huang Yiping

Professor Huang Yiping, Dean of NSD, delivered a speech centered on the theme of “staying true to one’s original aspiration”. He instructed graduates to safeguard human warmth and dignity in the AI era, respect objective laws and basic common sense amid innovation, and abide by social norms and the rule of law. He encouraged graduates to hold to their initial ideals, carry forward NSD’s ethos of “patriotism and harmony in diversity”, and contribute to the development of the country and the world.

Faculty Representative Speech

Long Xianling

Professor Long Xianling, Boya Young Scholar and Assistant Professor of Economics at NSD, spoke as the faculty representative. She recognized the hardships, anxiety and confusion students experienced during their studies, caused by academic performance pressure, career uncertainty and peer comparison. She advised graduates to break away from constant comparison, as there is no uniform track for life. She noted that seemingly useless experiences help shape and enrich individuals, and the process of pursuing the meaning of life is itself meaningful. She wished graduates to move forward steadily and live a life they approve of without creating negative externalities.

Graduate Representative Speeches

Six graduate representatives took the stage to speak in turn:

Chen Zhuoyu

Drawing on the theory of capital depreciation and the reality of AI-accelerated skill iteration, PhD graduate Chen Zhuoyu stated that physical capital, existing knowledge and current tools will all depreciate, but the core asset gained from NSD is the ability to build problem-solving frameworks from scratch for unfamiliar issues and the confidence to overcome difficulties, which is an endogenous growth force for lifelong value creation.

Zhou Zhuoxiang

Undergraduate graduate Zhou Zhuoxiang said the most valuable ability in the AI era is to keep asking questions beyond given answers. He summarized three layers of inquiry fostered at NSD: questioning underlying operational mechanisms, probing the boundaries of theoretical application, and examining the value orientation behind choices.

Liu Zhi’ang

Double-major graduate Liu Zhi’ang reflected on the youth involution dilemma from an interdisciplinary perspective of philosophy and economics, pointing out that individual anxiety stems from over-focus on personal competition while ignoring structural forces. He stated that people are both shaped by the economic system and can jointly transform it, and true happiness requires the courage to change the environment and a sense of responsibility for the nation.

Fu Yi 

As an experienced investor returning to campus, MBA graduate Fu Yi said that people should not only be followers of efficiency but also identifiers of meaning in the AI era, and not just adapters to change but also responsible participants. She noted that NSD cultivates students’ ability to think rigorously and judge clearly in a complex world.

Sun Xiaodan

EMBA graduate Sun Xiaodan reviewed her study experience and concluded that the most precious things in life lie in small, specific and warm details. She shared that growth means becoming one’s true self rather than someone else, and lies in living earnestly at every stage of life.

Wei Chen

DPS graduate Wei Chen shared her insights on growth and passion. She stated that lifelong growth means inward self-improvement rather than outward pursuit of higher status or power, and passion is a choice and an ability rather than just an emotion.

Guest Speaker's Address

Xu Jun

Xu Jun, an NSD EMBA 2005 alumnus and Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Leapmotor, was the invited guest speaker. Based on his 30 years of cross-industry work experience and his study insights at NSD, he shared three life lessons with graduates: 1. Follow trends and focus on deep cultivation instead of pushing forward blindly. People should follow their own pace according to their life stage and not care too much about others’ opinions. 2. Learn from alumni across different fields, and shine together in the community rather than networking for utilitarian purposes. 3. Keep learning and updating oneself throughout life, as graduation is a new beginning rather than an endpoint.

Degree Conferral

When Professor Lei Xiaoyan announced the start of the degree conferral ceremony, graduates went on stage one by one to receive commemorative certificates from their supervisors and took photos with them.

Closing and Farewell

After the conferral ceremony, all faculty members gathered on stage and the whole audience stood to sing “Ode to the Motherland”.

 At the end of the ceremony, accompanied by a farewell song performed by Professor Zhang Weiying, NSD faculty and staff lined up along both sides of the red carpet to see off the graduates.