Distinguished guests, Professors, dear alumni and students,

 

I am Larissa Paschyn from United State of America. I am currently a student of MID2010. It is a great honor to be here today as a representative of over 120 international students in SPPM, celebrating the 10^th Anniversary of the founding of SPPM.

 

Since its establishment in 1911, Tsinghua University has consistently maintained its position as the top school in China, and has been in the top 50 schools globally.   So when I decided to pursue a post-graduate degree in international development, I looked no further than Tsinghua. It’s School of Public Policy and Management, has been offering an innovative development studies program and the program's multidisciplinary curriculum excited and inspired me.

 

The School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM) at Tsinghua University is a pioneer in public policy and development studies in China.  Research at SPPM is problem driven, with in-house research institutes working jointly with government ministries, academic institutions, and international think tanks.   With the multitude of workshops, conferences and publications, SPPM is internationally recognized as the leading public policy research institution in China. In last June, Tsinghua even joined a select group of 10 universities around the world to be part of a global alliance for conducting the Master degree program in Development Practice, as well as advanced research and fieldwork through the MacArthur Foundation.

But the merits of studying at Tsinghua go beyond its prestige, and this university offers distinctive and unforgettable life experiences. My classes have already opened my mind to a whole new way of viewing the world, and I am continuously driven to find new ways to think about development. At Tsinghua and SPPM, I have had the rare privilege to discuss development-related matters with policy-makers from developing and developed countries, and this has turned my previous views upside down, and has left me humbled.  Our professors are in a league of their own, consultants and former government employees, NGO heads, and academic leaders.

Tsinghua's Master in International Development (MID) program is truly designed to make each student cognizant to the ramifications of trade policy and globalization and sensitive to the nuances inherent in development throughout the world.   The program provides hands-on experience in a wide range of disciplines, and gives us an extensive global network of partners to work with, in our research. 

China is critically important on the world stage, with amazing dynamic and perpetually progressing sustainable development policies.  It is a country other’s look to for support and cooperation, and Tsinghua attracts the best and the brightest to one day lead those policies and partnerships.

Tsinghua University has produced many notable graduates, including China’s current president，numerous engineers, government officials, entrepreneurs and famous scholars. Indeed Tsinghua has the best students in the world.  Every student is chosen from among millions, and I am humbled and proud in having been chosen as one of them.

My time at SPPM has thus far been brief, but I am confident that Tsinghua and SPPM will continue to train me and mold me to one day lead my field.  There are other educational programs in international development offered by world-class universities, but, what makes the MID program at SPPM so unique and crucial in this current age is that it promotes international development through understanding and advocating Chinese experiences.  SPPM bridges the gap between Chinese and Western perspectives, providing innovative, boundary-pushing ideas for sustainable development.  Without SPPM’s perspective and dedication to social commitment, I would just be another person confused as to how to bring change to the world.  Instead, I and my fellow classmates will become global leaders in international development, and we will have SPPM to thank for giving us the knowledge, skills, and passion to make a difference. 

I would like to wish SPPM a happy 10 year anniversary, and I am positive that SPPM will be celebrated for 100 more years to come!  Thank you!  

 

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