With the theme "Cross Peaks and Seas, Sail Light with Us," Beihang University held the 2025 International Student Award Ceremony & 2026 New Year Gala at the Sunrise Concert Hall on its Xueyuan Road campus on the afternoon of December 31. The event celebrated academic excellence and showcased the vibrant multicultural community at Beihang.

The ceremony was attended by Beihang Vice Presidents Zhao Weisheng and Wu Jianghao, alongside distinguished guests including Chen Yu, Director of the International Exchange and Experts Service Division, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; Dong Chuan, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division, Beijing Municipal Education Commission; He Pei, Director of the Cross-Border Education Quality Assurance Department, China Education Association for International Exchange; and Mostafa Mansourpour Bonab, Senior Official of the Education and Training Department, Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).

The event opened with a thematic video titled "Cross Peaks and Seas, Sail Light with Us," reviewing the milestones of Beihang's international education in 2025. It highlighted the memorable journeys of international students in academics, scientific research, and cultural exchanges.

Awards were presented to students in recognition of their remarkable accomplishments. Recipients included winners of the Award of Beijing Government Scholarship, the China Link Scholarship Program, the Award of Excellent Study, and the Award of Outstanding Behavior. Additionally, Outstanding International Student Peer Mentors for their dedicated peer guidance, and "Study at Beihang" Outstanding Student Admissions Ambassadors for actively promoting the university's story, received honors. Contributing schools, departments, and faculty members were also presented with awards for their roles in advancing the "Study at Beihang" brand.

In their addresses, student representatives Loh Yi, an undergraduate from Malaysia, and Antezana Lopez Franz Pablo, a doctoral candidate from Bolivia, shared their transformative experiences at Beihang. They expressed profound gratitude for the university's cultivation and faculty guidance, pledging to continue striving for excellence and serving as bridges for cultural exchange.

The gala featured a series of captivating performances that showcased the diversity and talent of the community. The International Students Wushu Team delivered a captivating martial arts performance combining strength, speed, and grace. The team had previously excelled at the 2025 Chinese College Students Wushu Routine Championships, securing three gold and two silver medals, ranking first among universities in Beijing.

A science-and-art fusion program titled "Youth Pathfinder" seamlessly integrated robotics with stage performance, showcasing the innovative capabilities of Beihang's international students. The International Student Robotics Innovation Team had swept the championship and runner-up titles in the international student track of the National University Student Robot Contest ROBOCON.

Musical performances spanned cultures: Mexican undergraduate Gorocica Diaz Jared Joaquin sang "Hong Yan" (Wild Geese), Bangladeshi graduate student Utsho Shayer Shabab performed "I Believe," and Cameroonian alumnus Tchiegue Francois presented the classic Chinese song "Utmost Loyalty to the Nation."

Dance pieces added further splendor, including the graceful and gentle Myanmar dance "Mingalarpar Myanmar" and the energetic, vibrant Bangladeshi dance "Beatzz of Bangladesh." A collaborative performance by Chinese and international students and teachers, "What the World's Given Me," served as a vivid practice of China's national conditions education.

The gala culminated in a heartfelt chorus of "We Are the World," sung in multiple languages by the assembled community, resonating with messages of peace, unity, and hope for the new year.

The year 2025 marked significant strides in Beihang's internationalization efforts. Under the strong leadership and strategic planning of the University Party Committee, the International Relations Department has focused on building the "Global Beihang" vision. By implementing the comprehensive "UPS" international development strategy and balancing "going global" with "bringing in," the university actively fosters an integrated new landscape for education, science, technology, and talent development.

Source: International Relations Department

Editor: Lyu Xingyun