Speeches a good image campaign for universities
No one knows when commencement speeches delivered by university presidents became a highlight of the graduation season in China, but they have been drawing wide public attention nowadays.
College presidents have exhibited their styles in their speeches - solemn, sincere, easy-going and humorous. In fact, many of their remarks have gone viral on the internet. Some people have criticized the university presidents for turning the speeches into entertainment, but there are more advantages than disadvantages in the trend.
The college presidents' speeches, in their own characteristic styles, are a good image campaign for their universities. For decades Chinese universities' reputation has depended on academic rankings, and how much score a student has to gain admission to so-called top institutions. People, especially the students, know little about the universities and how their function.
