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Connecting with the Community: Introducing Our New Parents to NYU Shanghai at the New Parents Panel
On August 25, NYU Shanghai introduced the parents of the Class of 2028 to the NYU Shanghai Community through a New Parents Panel. Chancellor Tong Shijun, Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, and Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen attended the event. The panel aimed to help parents better understand the resources and services NYU Shanghai provides, while two sets of panelists shared their experiences to help new parents integrate into the community. An International Parents Panel was also organized for international parents to have a deeper understanding of NYU Shanghai.
From Left to Right: Cathie Liu, Minqing Wang, Tong Jin and Hao Guo
The first set of panelists were Minqing Wang from Academic Advising, Tong Jin from Academic Resource Center, and Hao Guo from Center for Career Development, highlighting the different resources students are able to access in order to enrich their college experiences from the moment they enter NYU Shanghai till graduation. Yang Lu from the Student Health Center gave a presentation after the panel talk, sharing the different resources for students to take care of their health and wellness.
From Left to Right: Cathie Liu, Jasmin Shi, Shan Lu, Hammond Liu and Yuning Zhang
The second panel was a parents and alumni panel, which included Ms. Yuning Zhang, parents of a Class of 2024 alumnus, Hammond Liu, Shan Lu, and Jasmin Shi, Class of 2023 alumni. During the discussion, the alumni shared an overview of their individual experience in NYU Shanghai, speaking about how they have grown in both knowledge and character over the 4 years. Ms. Zhang, concurred with them, noting the growth in her son during University.
When asked what advice they would have given themselves during their freshman year, Jasmin Shi, an IMA graduate and an entrepreneur, said, “this is something my senior told me at the beginning, always check your email. Students don't usually have the habit of checking emails, but at NYU Shanghai, the email inbox is the hub for all the resources communicated to you.”
Shan Lu, an economics Ph.D. student at UCSB, advised parents to spur their child to be brave and direct, to step out of their comfort zone quickly, so they can explore opportunities early on in their college journey. He shared his story that it was not until around his junior year that he slowly began to have the courage to have more open one-on-one communication with professors. But many of his classmates started doing this as early as their freshman year, and they got to know their professors very well. By the time they were seniors, they had known their professors for four years, and they had many interesting exchanges, including non-academic ones. This can lead to forming good friendships and gaining more learning and research opportunities.
“I think the biggest takeaway from our four years is the ability to think independently—to really understand a lot of abstract issues. These lessons can be applied to real life, making our college experience more fulfilling and helping us become more clear-minded, “ said Hammond Liu who is now doing a joint Ph.D. program in Computer Science with NYU and NYU Shanghai.
Ms. Yuning Zhang, parent of a Class of 2024 alumnus, shared her observation as a parent, noting how she was impressed with her child’s increased independence in his daily life over the four years and how this independence also influenced his ability to make sound decisions for himself. She acknowledged that this growth process would not have happened without the support and guidance of the University and teachers. Coming from a parent's perspective, during her son, Ziming's four years in college, she shared that parent’s need to trust their children. Trust gives power needed to support their child’s growth and it is also important to give them space; letting go a little can help them grow faster.
Chancellor Tong Shijun
Chancellor Tong addressed the parents, sharing some facts that are unique to NYU Shanghai, and highlighted the University’s position as a Sino-American collaboration in higher education that encourages multicultural exchanges beyond education. Lastly he urged parents to spur their child to make the most out of the tangible and intangible resources available to them that would help with their educational goals.
Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman
Vice Chancellor Lehman remarked how over the next four years, the freshmen would not only learn a variety of subject knowledge and soft skills that would carry them into their first job, they would be entering a different environment, explaining, “they will have to learn how to take risks, how to get up onto their feet after they make mistakes in front of their classmates. They will have to learn how to create, they will have to learn how to innovate.” He advised parents, “This will not always be easy for you, their parents, to watch. Sometimes your children will make poor choices, sometimes they will make mistakes… But this is a necessary part of the process through which they will grow up during the next four years”.
Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen
Provost Waley-Cohen spoke about the university experience students go through, describing it as, “college is a time of experimentation.” She encouraged parents to allow their children the freedom to learn and grow, sharing, “ Although we live in a constantly changing world, what never changes is that the undergraduate years are a time for young people to experience intense personal growth and the development of the individual and independent character.” She ended the session by highlighting other ways parents can connect with NYU Shanghai, such as connecting with other parents and sharing their child’s experiences with prospective parents. She also mentioned that parents can offer to mentor existing students or help make connections in the larger community for the institution or individuals to grow stronger.
