IHB held its 2026 graduation ceremony on June 16, 2026 (Credit: IHB)

The Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences held its 2026 graduation ceremony on June 16, 2026, awarding degrees to over 200 doctoral and master’s candidates. The event brought together faculty, families, and honorees in a formal recognition of years of research and fieldwork.

Director MIAO Wei opened the proceedings with a commencement address that acknowledged the graduates’ intensive laboratory work and extended field missions across China’s aquatic ecosystems. He urged the cohort to carry forward the institute’s scientific rigor, stating: “The institute stands behind you; the country’s vast waters lie ahead. Carry that light with you.”

Prof. ZHANG Cheng-Cai, speaking on behalf of the faculty, took an unconventional approach by invoking the Diamond Sutra to frame two central questions: why pursue scientific research, and what it ultimately offers the researcher. He encouraged graduates to shed unnecessary burdens, maintain intellectual honesty, and set ambitious goals.

Graduate representative ZHANG Qincan, a doctoral recipient, reflected on the dual themes of persistence and responsibility. His research on herpesvirus-resistant synthetic polyploid crucian carp, published in Advanced Science and other international journals, earned him this year’s Yunshui Scholarship, presented during the ceremony by Director Miao.

The institute also conferred the LIU Ruiyu Marine Science Scholarship and recognized recipients of the UCAS Outstanding Graduate Award. Deputy Director LIANG Qiong read the full list of honorees, while Deputy Director XIE Shouqi joined in presenting the awards.

Following the formal proceedings, a traditional Chinese “drum-passing” game added a lighter moment, with faculty passing a flower to the beat of a drum, which is a symbolic gesture of goodwill and shared fortune.

The ceremony concluded with graduates lingering on campus for group photographs, reluctant to part ways. Many were heard exchanging a classical verse among themselves: "Though we each strive on our own paths, the same wind connects us across a thousand miles." With the institute's encouragement and expectations weighing warmly on them, the 2026 graduates set forth from the shores of East Lake, ready to write their own chapters in the years ahead.

A student offers flowers to a faculty advisor as graduates express their gratitude to teachers at the graduation ceremony. (Credit: IHB)