From the classrooms of SJTU’s Global Competence Education to the desks of the United Nations headquarters, an increasing number of graduates are choosing international organizations as the starting point of their careers. In 2025, many SJTU students are stepping into different roles within the UN—from field missions in Africa to policy work in Europe. Some have already begun work with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), others are packing for posts in Northern Europe, while a few have even missed their own graduation ceremonies for overseas internships. Their choices reflect not only the impact of SJTU’s global competence education but also a growing commitment among young Chinese talent to contribute to global governance.
For these graduates, joining the UN is more than a career move—it’s where ideals meet action, and personal growth with global responsibility.
Three Journeys, One Purpose
Graduated: From Interns to Global Citizens
In Kenya, Jielei Liao (M.S. SJTU School of Agriculture and Biology, 2021) now works at the FAO, advancing sustainable farming across East Africa. In a world where 733 million people still face (FAO, 2024), he travels across Kenya’s farmlands, coordinates climate resilience projects, and conducts research on dryland farming techniques. In doing so, he bridges academic theory with the needs of local farmers. From the lab to the East African savannah, he has come to understand global governance not as lofty rhetoric, but as tangible collaboration—scientists, policymakers, and farmers working hand in hand. For Liao, every task is more than a job; it’s where youthful ideals meet the world.
Photo taken at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
Though she said her goodbyes to campus last year, spring 2025 remains meaningful. While ICCI celebrates its 10th anniversary, Zhang Xuan watches from afar. “Not every absence can be made up for,” she reflects, “but we can still make the moments we live now unforgettable.” In a foreign land, she shines with quiet purpose—already looking forward to returning to SJTU in a new chapter of her journey.
In Copenhagen, Xuan Zhang starts her day with a lit-up computer screen and a flurry of multilingual emails. As a graduate of the USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry (ICCI), she chose to intern onsite at the UN—not in pursuit of some unclear mission, but to experience firsthand the realities of working in an international organization, which are often overshadowed by grand narratives.
Though she said her goodbyes to the campus last year, the spring of 2025 remains meaningful to her. While ICCI celebrates its 10th anniversary, Zhang can only watch from afar. Some absences can’t be undone—but the moments we have now can still be unforgettable,” she says. Far from home, she carries herself with quiet determination, already envisioning the day she returns to SJTU in a new role.
Photo taken at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
As spring sunlight breaks through Copenhagen’s lingering winter, Kaige Ni, a 2024 graduate from the School of Education, turns his thesis defense questions into momentum for flight. Now as an intern with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), he works with the Connected Education team to build digital bridges for refugee learners—documenting meetings, drafting reports, and designing AI application frameworks. Over the past year, he has transformed from a university lab student in Shanghai to a UN professional in Copenhagen. Although the road ahead is long and full of unknowns, for Ni, each step of uncertainty is part of a story uniquely his own.
Photo taken at the UNHCR
About to Begin: A Future Packed in a Suitcase
Xin Su, a soon-to-be graduate from the KoGuan School of Law, will depart for an FAO internship in Ghana this April. Specializing on data analysis and project support, Su saw a rare opportunity to gain insights that go far beyond what travel alone can teach after learning about SJTU’s partnership with FAO. "The older I get, the more I realize life doesn’t unfold according to plan—it’s shaped by experience, encounters, and choices,” she reflects, suitcase in hand and ready for what’s next.
Photo taken in Lhasa, Tibet
Yiming Wang from the School of Foreign Languages, is also a student heading to Copenhagen to begin her role as a fundraising coordination intern with UNHCR. She will be developing an digital platform to monitor and share the impact of four major global fundraising campaigns. Determined not to miss another academic milestone like she did during the pandemic, Wang arranged to leave just one day after graduation. “Do not regret the past, do not waste the present, do not fear the future,” she says, carrying the SJTU spirit proudly into her next chapter.
Wang Yiming with country flags of the world in Geneva
For Xinyue Song, a soon-to-be graduate of the China-UK Low Carbon College, international affairs aren’t just theory—they’re a personal journey to engage with the world. Answering the UN’s call is her way of turning ideals into action, venturing into corners of the globe that do not often make headlines.
Though missing her graduation ceremony is bittersweet, she has already planned a return visit to campus with her family next year, thus marking her farewell as not an end, but a meaningful pause.
Song Xinyue’s graduation photo at SJTU
Graduates: Striving to Make Their Mark
Meanwhile, Chaoyue Zhang is spending his graduation season under the Ecuadorian sunlight. A 2025 graduate of ICCI, Zhang is a public information intern at UNHCR’s Ecuador office, documenting community stories through photos and words. Each image, each report, is his own tribute to graduation—an expression of vitality and purpose far from home. “Maybe not being there makes me even more memorable,” he jokes, turning absence into a lasting impression.
Photo taken at the UNHCR Ecuador office
While her peers flooded social media with cap-and-gown photos, Wei Zhang was deep in the fields of Rwanda, applying her expertise to advance agricultural innovation at the FAO Rwanda office. As a master’s student at the SJTU School of Agriculture and Biology, she took a gap year to intern in Africa—transforming what others might see as an "absence" into a powerful presence in the global movement for sustainable development.
Photo taken at the FAO Rwanda office
At the same time, as SJTU’s graduation ceremony unfolds back home, Feng Jiaqi—a graduate from the School of Foreign Languages—is buzzing between departments at FAO Africa, coordinating crucial data. International development had always been a quiet dream for her, and SJTU was the place where that dream finally took root. Now she plays a vital role as a “bridge” in global affairs, linking teams and driving collaboration.
As SJTU’s graduation ceremony unfolds back at home, Jiaqi Feng, a graduate from the School of Foreign Languages, is shuttling to and from departments at FAO Africa, coordinating the sharing of essential data. International development had always been a dream for her, and SJTU was the place where that dream finally took root. Now she plays a vital role as a “bridge” in global affairs, connecting teams and promoting collaboration.
Missing the chance to wear her gown and toss her cap with classmates stung only for a moment—but the past four years at SJTU had already put in place a solid foundation which would soon bring her back to campus. When she does return to campus, it won’t be with regrets and doubts, but with stories from Africa and a sense of purpose.
Jiaqi Feng (right) with FAO colleagues
At the UNDP office in Beijing, Liyao Zou keeps two notebooks: one filled with observations on Shanghai’s community gardens and the other on governance practices in 12 countries. A graduate from the School of Design majoring in Landscape Architecture, Zou embodies how young Chinese professionals are setepping into global governance. His nine-month UNDP internship reflects a harmony in between tradition and innovation—echoing ancient Chinese wisdom: finding unity in diversity.
Though based in Beijing, he frequently returns to Shanghai, where the scent of camphor trees and the sight of SJTU’s campus always bring him back to center. He cherishes every return to campus, whether it is attending the graduation gala, posing for commencement photos, or reuniting with old friends. Each return writes another layer of memories into the final chapter of his student life. For him, SJTU is more than just an academic launchpad—it’s a place he calls home.
Photo taken at the UN Beijing office
From the School of Design, Jiani Lai serves as a project operations intern at the FAO, where she bridges theory and practice through the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). Lai translates documents and facilitates discussions between experts and farmers, all the while witnessing firsthand how green agriculture comes to life—moving from from paper plans to real-world impact. Unlike many classmates stationed overseas, her absence had a silver lining. Since she was based in Beijing, she could return to Shanghai for commencement and reuinite with old friends amid the spring season.
Jiani Lai (second from left) at an event for rural women on technology empowerment
When Jielei Liao asssesses food security in Kenya's arid fields, when Liyao Zou bridges Eastern and Western governance through the lens of traditional Chinese wisdom, when Wei Zhang brings Chinese agricultural innovation to African soil—these graduates are not just participating in global change, they are redefining global perspectives. Rooted in Chinese values and driven by the spirit of SJTU, they are reimagining solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
The farewells of graduation season may look different, but every graduate shares the same unwavering conviction: To choose SJTU is to choose responsibility. To leave SJTU is to carry forward a mission. From this campus to the edges of the world, they are not just stepping into the future—they are helping shape it.
Authors: Student Affairs Committee – International Student Services Center
Contributor: Student Affairs Committee – International Student Services Center
Editors: Luo Xin, Zhu Siyi, Zhao Pengfei
