On September 5, 2025, the opening ceremony of Grade 2025 freshmen of Shenzhen University WeBank Institute of FinTech was solemnly held in No.3 Lecture Hall of Huixing Building. In this golden autumn season full of hope and vitality, 67 undergraduate freshmen, 29 master freshmen and 2 overseas students from afar gathered here to start their new journey in Liyuan with their vision and dreams for the future. Members of the leading group of the institute, expert tutors of WeBank and representatives of faculty members attended the opening ceremony and witnessed this exciting moment.

Amidst the solemn and stirring strains of the national anthem, the opening ceremony officially commenced. Professor Chen Haiqiang, Dean of the Institute, extended his warm congratulations and a sincere welcome to the new students arriving from various regions and delivered the opening address.

He shared his personal experience of entering Peking University for his studies, recalling the profound guidance and lasting influence of renowned mathematician Academician Jiang Boju and Professor Lin Yifu. Dean Chen mentioned that just two days prior, he had watched the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War together with the students. He spoke of feeling the immense strength of the nation through the grand and powerful display, calling on everyone to strive collectively for the prosperity of the motherland.

Dean Chen also introduced the development history of Shenzhen University and the Shenzhen Audencia Financial Technology Institute, encouraging students to write their own brilliant chapters on this promising land, guided by the Shenzhen University spirit of Self-Reliance, Self-Discipline, and Self-Empowerment.

He concluded by sharing the "Eight Rules of Success" by the acclaimed American actor Denzel Washington, hoping students would embrace them:

Hard Work, Patience, Sacrifice, Consistency, Discipline, Self-Confidence, Positive Attitude, Focus

He encouraged all to maintain a positive and upward-looking mindset, fearlessly pursue their dreams, achieve their own success, and grow into outstanding young leaders with knowledge, vision, and a strong sense of responsibility.

Yao Huiya, Head of the Digital Finance Development Department at WeBank and Corporate Mentor, delivered a novel opening speech to the students through a unique digital avatar. He emphasized that students are entering an era like no other, where AI is reshaping society and organizational structures, transforming enterprises from traditional pyramid hierarchies into networks of intelligent agent collaboration.

Quoting a popular workplace phrase, “What will outperform you isn’t AI itself, but those who are better at using AI,” he encouraged students to actively learn how to leverage AI as a tool to enhance efficiency and solve real-world problems. At the same time, he urged them to strengthen the uniquely human capabilities that AI lacks.

Yao also referenced McKinsey’s perspective, highlighting five irreplaceable human abilities:

·Instinct: intuitive reactions at critical moments

·Intuition: judgment beyond data

·Imagination: the power to create the future

·Integrity: adherence to values

·Identity: trust built on empathy and belonging

These capabilities, he noted, are not innate but can be cultivated through learning, practice, and life experience. He encouraged students to let the “Five I’s” guide them—to stay driven by curiosity and anchored by values—so that no matter how the future evolves, they will remain at the forefront of change, becoming versatile talents equipped with both technological proficiency and humanistic insight.

Zhang Jingjing, the student representative for the new freshmen, opened her speech with the theme of "Why We Are Here" and Shenzhen University's "Three-Self Spirit," sharing her reflections on university life. She encouraged her peers to hone genuine skills through the integration of finance and technology:

·Building "Self-Reliance" as a foundation – striving to master solid expertise and prepare for future challenges;

·Adopting "Self-Discipline" as a principle – managing time wisely, setting boundaries for freedom, and cultivating habits that make discipline a way of life;

·Aiming for "Self-Improvement" as a goal – actively responding to the call of the times, exploring the unknown, and continuously elevating oneself.

She expressed her hope that all students would move forward together, integrating the "Three-Self Spirit" into their growth journey: self-reliance to become oneself, self-discipline to refine oneself, and self-improvement to fulfill oneself. In closing, she called on everyone to stay mindful of their mission, to code innovation into reality, to answer the era with responsibility, and to grow together at Shenzhen University in realizing their personal value.

To achieve deep integration of the education chain, talent chain, and industry chain, the institute has fully leveraged its industry-academia-research collaboration with WeBank to develop personalized training plans for each student. Starting this year, the Institute and WeBank have jointly implemented a "Dual-Mentor System," appointing 13 industry mentors from the enterprise and 13 academic mentors from the institute to provide coordinated guidance for the undergraduate freshmen of the Class of 2025 throughout their entire four-year university journey.

This innovative initiative will offer students more diverse learning resources and practical opportunities, fully leveraging the strengths of industry-academia collaboration to cultivate FinTech talents who excel academically, are well-versed in practice, and possess innovative capabilities, thereby contributing to the development of the "Dual Zone."

In order to further attract outstanding students, the institute has set up "Academic Master's Scholarship for Excellent Training" and "Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellent Training" to reward new students with excellent entrance results.

The WeBank Scholarship Summer Camp, a distinctive educational initiative co-developed by the Institute and WeBank, has been successfully held for five consecutive years. Its programs have spanned cities including Beijing, Chengdu, and Hong Kong in China, as well as the United Kingdom and Singapore. Through learning, practice, and observation, students have broadened their horizons, stimulated their minds, connected with the world, and gained inspiration to shape the future.

This year, the summer camp turned its focus to the Middle East for the first time, traveling across the UAE from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Participants visited top universities and leading companies in finance and technology, gaining firsthand exposure to cutting-edge developments.

The outstanding group from this year’s camp took the stage to present their project titled "BizChain UAE – Building a New Fully On-Chain Business Ecosystem in the UAE." Throughout the program, students engaged in hands-on practice and reflective thinking, fostering a deep dialogue between tradition and modernity at the crossroads of Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures. They actively explored new possibilities for integrating Chinese wisdom into the global FinTech ecosystem.

With this, the opening ceremony for the Class of 2025 of SWIFT at Shenzhen University has successfully concluded. A new journey has begun, and a new chapter is being written.

May every student of the institute, throughout their four-year exploration of the FinTech field, navigate with self-reliance as their vessel, self-discipline as their sail, and self-empowerment as their oar. May they courageously chase the light, become the light, and radiate the light on this fertile ground of innovation.

Let us all, with passion and purpose, journey together toward a galaxy of possibilities!