In addition to Yao, Lerner’s Rick Andrews, senior association dean for faculty and foreign associate dean of the joint institute; Jennifer Gregan, senior assistant dean for global programs and partnerships; Bintong Chen, professor of operations management and  director of the Institute for Financial Services Analytics; Harry Wang, professor of management information systems (MIS); Fei Xie, Chaplin Tyler Professor of Finance; Liying Mu, associate professor of operations management; and Forough Pourhossein, assistant professor of operations management, were in attendance. 

Shilei Yang, dean of the SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science, told the graduates, "Always maintain a heart of gratitude, cultivate the ability to adapt, and preserve unwavering ambition.” 

During the festive graduation ceremony, UD awarded bachelor of science degrees in management, finance and MIS. SWUFE awarded degrees in information management and information systems, financial mathematics and logistics management. Seven students received honors awards for academic excellence. 

Throughout their four years, many students participated in UD’s study abroad tradition by taking courses in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley and in Europe at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Budapest Business University.  

“The SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science would not have been possible without the collaboration and continued support from several UD departments,” said Gregan, who noted the several UD departments, including the Registrar, Admission, Professional and Continuing Studies, Student Financial Services and the English Language Institute, that all helped to make a seamless experience for the students.

More than half of the graduates will continue their education overseas, including Yuhang Huang, who earned a bachelor of science in finance from UD. Huang will pursue a master of science in business analytics and information management at UD’s Lerner College this fall.

“I feel that my perspective has broadened, especially coming from China's exam-oriented education system, where our value judgment has always been rather singular,” Huang said. “My four years at SWUFE-UD taught me to view things and people with a diverse set of evaluation standards. Additionally, I made great friends at SWUFE-UD who will be spread all over the world, and I feel that they have given me a strong inner strength.”

The graduation ceremony marked another milestone for the joint educational initiative. The program, which started during the pandemic, has grown to more than 700 students and includes 17 UD faculty who travel to Chengdu to teach throughout the year. 

During their visit, the team from UD’s Lerner College met with their SWUFE counterparts and current students to share their experiences and ways to enrich the learning environment. 

“For new students, especially at SWUFE-UD, I believe it’s important to stay in touch with upperclassmen and UD staff,” Huang said. “Due to information gaps, directly communicating with UD is often more effective when handling various matters. Additionally, as a member of the first graduating class of SWUFE-UD, I think many of our experiences can be valuable references for others.”