The University of Southern California's graduation season is already in full swing in early summer in Los Angeles. The USC Marshall School of Business hold its 2019 Commencement Ceremony at the Galen Center on last Friday, May 10, 2019. Faculty, staff, and thousands of graduates together with their parents and friends attended the ceremonies to celebrate academic achievements and the beginning of their professional lives as well. 31 ICCI students were admitted to USC Marshall School of Business in 2018 Fall and have earned their master degrees after a hardworking year-long study on USC campus. Weimin ZHANG, Dean of ICCI and James G. Ellis, Dean of USC Marshall School of Business, together conferred the USC Degree Certificates of Management Studies in Cultural and Creative Industry on 31 ICCI students.

The guest speaker always holds its charm for the graduates. At this year's Marshall School of Business graduation ceremony, the guest speaker is Michelle Witteman Taylor, a successful businesswoman who has served as CEO of Chanel, Lancome, Kiehl's and more. She shared that “Empathy and compassion for those below and above you is vital.”

On the morning of May 10th, Weimin ZHANG, the Dean of ICCI, Professor Sherwood HU, Rex Kovacevich, Associate Dean of the Marshall Business School of the University of Southern California, and representatives of the parents of the graduates were invited to gather at Fertitta Hall. ICCI students shared their academic achievements and future plans. After hearing students sharing their study and life in the University of Southern California, Dean ZHANG shared his views regarding the arrangements for the internship and employment at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and encouraged everyone to achieve excellent results and face life head on. At the same time, Dean ZHANG expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Marshall Business School for their support in the cooperation. 31 students from 2017 class graduated from the University of Southern California, 17 of whom won the Marshall Business School Dean’s Scholarship. Most students gain a wealth of practical experience while studying at USC. Dean ZHANG shared his vision and hope of ICCI students. He encourages the students not only share their study experiences and sentiments to more personnel in cultural and creative industry, but also continue to carry forward their hard-working spirit and achieve to become the leaders of the cultural and creative industries with “creative, innovative and entrepreneurial” minds.

Your degree is not just a piece of paper. It is the set of wings that will help you fly away and burst out of the horizon into a new world called YOUR LIFE. Congratulations.