The graduation ceremony for the NPUST Class of 2025 was held at 9:30 a.m. on June 14 at the Shuyun Hall. A total of 2,652 students graduated this year from 44 departments and six colleges, including agriculture, engineering, management, humanities and social sciences, international studies, and veterinary medicine. Among those graduating were 20 doctoral students, 398 master’s students, and 1,805 four-year bachelor’s students in the daytime division and 76 master’s students and 353 four-year bachelor’s students in the continuing education division. Additionally, 98 senior university students graduated from the Senior University program. NPUST’s president, Chin-Lung Chang, conducted the tassel-turning ceremony and awarded diplomas to the graduates. He also presented the Senior University graduates certificates of completion. During the ceremony, awards were presented to encourage students for their outstanding performances, including an “Excellent Academic Performance Award”, “Excellent Conduct Award”, “Postgraduate Research Achievement Award” and “Sports Excellence Award”.
In his speech, President Chin-Lung Chang said that for over a century NPUST has adhered to an educational philosophy that gives “equal emphasis to theory and practice, while simultaneously integrating international standards”, and it has been continuously committed to cultivating top technical and vocational talent with “professional abilities” and “international vision”. In recent years, the world has been facing climate change and the digital transformation. In order to cope with the high levels of uncertainties that the future is presenting, NPUST has integrated “sustainable development” and “social responsibility” into its curriculum and campus life, making sustainability not only an ideological initiative, but also a practical one. In accordance with the 17 SDGs proposed by the United Nations, the seven colleges at NPUUST have been guiding students become the seeds of sustainable development.
President Chin-Lung Chang also gave the graduates three tips: first, bravely stand up and keep moving forward when you fall; second, be “modest” and remain willing to ask and learn from others; and third, be “warm” and always grateful—when you take from society, give back to society—use your abilities to help those in need and be a good citizen who brings justice and warmth to society. Finally, President Chang reminded the graduates that graduation is not the end: “the knowledge and skills you learned in school, the accumulated resilience, and the courage to face problems will be you most valuable assets; and in the spirit of benevolence, as you care for people and nature and seeking truth from facts, you will be able to move steadily forward on the journey of life”.
Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi also came to the ceremony to give her best wishes to the graduates, saying “I am very happy and honored to attend the graduation ceremony of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology. In the process of growing up, everyone must learn to have courage, and not be afraid of failure. Through the process of facing setbacks, we can cultivate the genes and nutrients of resilience and courage. I wish the graduates a challenging and successful journey in the future!”
The celebrity speaker at the graduation ceremony was Mr. Pao-yu Liu, Chairman of Merry Yard Group and LA New International. Mr. Liu, who was among the students graduating from the Master’s Program at the NPUST Graduate Institute of Landscape Architecture and Recreation Management, encouraged the other graduates, saying: “Be brave to try and face failure. Every experience of cleaning up a mess is the nourishment for future success.”
During their studies, a number of the graduating students actively participated in various domestic and international competitions and achieved excellent results. In 2024, Yu-Kai Li, a graduate of the Department of Wood Science and Design, represented the country in the 47th WorldSkills Competition held in Lyon, France, and won the Excellence Award in the Landscape Gardening group. Yi-Chen Chen, a graduate of the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Management, was also the first competitor from NPUST to participate in the WorldSkills Competition Western Pastry category in the school’s 100-year history. In 2024, she participated in the Finnish International Skills Competition and won the silver medal in Western Pastry group.
At the end of the graduation ceremony, students from the Pingtung Guitar Club sang a song on behalf of the current students to bid farewell to the graduates, expressing blessings to their seniors through melodious song. They then led all the graduates in a singing of school anthem before the graduates threw their graduation caps high into air to mark the end of the ceremony and the beginning of new journey and a new stage of life.
