Students are awarded certificates at the commencement of a joint program between China and the United States on June 18 and 19. [Photo/hqu.edu.cn]

Fifty-six students from Huaqiao University (HQU) in Xiamen, Fujian province, graduated from a joint program between China and the United States on June 18 and 19, highlighting cooperation on higher education and professional development (CHEPD). 

Forty-six of the students were named outstanding students by the program, and 16 of them have been admitted to master's degree programs at world-leading schools such as Columbia University, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Melbourne. 

The number of graduates and outstanding graduates at HQU has helped the school overshadow 70 other Chinese universities for three consecutive years. 

The program aims to cultivate professionals with innovative minds. It is jointly managed by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), the China Center for International Education Exchange (CCIEE) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). CEAIE and CCIEE are subordinate to China's Ministry of Education. HQU first took part in the program in 2010 and set up the international courses in 2013. 

A total of 254 Chinese graduates and some 300 representatives from 70 Chinese universities and 23 American ones attended the commencement. 

On the sidelines of the commencement, HQU also reached a consensus with US universities, including George Mason University and Northern Arizona University, in terms of program upgrading and the mutual exchange of students and teachers between the two countries.

Graduates from Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Fujian province, pose for a group photo at the commencement. [Photo/hqu.edu.cn]