It was in very unusual circumstances, following an extraordinary semester, that the 283 students of the sixth graduating class of the IFC came together. Now holders of two bachelor's degrees, one French and one Chinese, they embody the institutional and cultural ties that today unite Sorbonne University, Paul Valéry University, Kedge Business School, and Renmin University of China within a joint university faculty.

The Franco-Chinese teams warmly welcomed the students to campus for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health guidelines in force made organizing the ceremony a delicate task. Mandatory mask wearing, temperature checks, social distancing, and limits on the number of people were all precautions scrupulously observed by the organizer and participants. In order to share this moment with all those who were unable to travel to Suzhou, particularly the Beijing students stuck in quarantine, the event was filmed and broadcast live.

The ceremony began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the pandemic in China, France, and elsewhere. This was followed by pre-recorded speeches from representatives of French and Chinese educational institutions, as well as a noteworthy speech in Mandarin from the French Consul in Shanghai. The speakers offered their congratulations and best wishes for success to the students, reminding them of the important role they play as ambassadors in an international context made turbulent and tense by the health, political, and social situation.

Most of these students will continue their Master's studies at French partner institutions and universities ranked among the top 50 in the world. As every year, the new bachelor's degree cohort will be recruited following the national university entrance exam, which is scheduled to take place in the first week of July in all provinces of China.

ABOUT THE IFC RENMIN & KEY FIGURES

Created in September 2012 and located in Suzhou near Shanghai, the Franco-Chinese Institute of Renmin University of China (IFC Renmin) is a Sino-foreign institute for academic cooperation in the fields of humanities, economics, and social sciences.

• Renmin University of China is ranked first in business management, public management, economics, law, communication, statistics, and sociology.
• Within the framework of the IFC, it is associated with three founding French partner institutions: Sorbonne University;
  Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 University;
  Kedge Business School
• (triple-accredited by EQUIS, AACSB & AMBA).

The IFC Renmin aims to train high-potential trilingual Chinese specialists in the fields of finance, economics, management, applied foreign languages, and the humanities. Its students are recruited from among the country's most brilliant minds in the national university entrance exam (top 2%). With 40 resident French-speaking teachers and 1,200 students, IFC Renmin is the largest Franco-Chinese cooperation in its field.