Universities give grads unique parting gifts

As graduating students prepare to move on from campus life, many universities have carefully prepared creative commemorative gifts to imbue them with hope and blessings.

Among the unique presents, one from the University of Science and Technology Beijing stands out. This year, every graduate from the university's carbon-based materials and functional thin film research laboratory received a diamond ring.

The platinum ring is set with two diamonds, a 0.5-carat black diamond and a 0.5-carat white diamond.

According to the university, the lab that developed the diamonds was the first in China to expand research on the thermal application of diamond film. Diamonds possess excellent thermal conductivity, insulation and radiation resistance, making them an ideal material for manufacturing high-performance electronic devices.

"I hope that every graduate can withstand all the pressures in their future lives just like a diamond, remaining strong, resolute and dazzling!" Professor Li Chengming said.

While universities like USTB promote their technological prowess, others found other ways to send off their graduates.

Wuhan Technology and Business University in Hubei province prepared a special gift for all graduates — ginkgo leaf bookmarks.

The bookmarks have five different themes, inscribed with phrases to encourage the graduates as they start their new lives. Each contains an embedded ginkgo leaf that was collected by the faculty and students last autumn.

Crafting the bookmarks took nearly eight months.

"The ginkgo tree is our school's emblem," said Fan Yongpan, a graduate student in environmental and biological engineering, who received one of the bookmarks. "A bookmark made from ginkgo leaves on campus is truly thoughtful."

The ginkgo symbolizes resilience and love, and the bookmark carries the blessings and hopes from the school, with wishes that students will go where the country needs them to and stand tall, like the ginkgo tree, according to Peng Chong, director of the publicity department of the Party committee of the Wuhan university, who also assisted in the planning of the bookmark.

Meanwhile, Beijing Forestry University presented its graduates with blind boxes.

Themed around plants, the outer frame features a square wood mortise and tenon structure, with an embedded plant specimen. The school hopes the gifts will encourage graduates to contribute to a greener China.

Other schools also have unique and eye-catching designs in their graduation gifts.

Wuhan University of Science and Technology has prepared unique keychains and building blocks for graduates.

The School of Communication of Yangtze Normal University in Chongqing presented its graduates with special letters, written by the graduates themselves four years ago when they were admitted to the university.

The school has also prepared flower-shaped lollipops for each graduate, hoping that no matter what happens in the future, they can face life as sweetly and joyfully as the candies.

Du Juan contributed to this story.