Setting Out for the Future | Asia-Australia Business College Holds Welcome Ceremony for Its 2026 Intake

As autumn brought cooler weather and the promise of a plentiful harvest, the Asia-Australia Business College held its welcome ceremony for the 2026 intake on the afternoon of 18 September 2026. The ceremony took place in Lecture Theatre 111 of the Economics Division Building. Professor Li Yupeng, Vice-President of Liaoning University, attended and delivered an address, while Professor Adam Shoemaker, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, delivered a video address.

The ceremony was attended by Ma Shuang, Secretary of the College Party Committee; Zhao Deqi, Dean of the College; Wang Nan, Deputy Secretary of the College Party Committee, Vice-Dean and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission; Vice-Deans Ma Yali and Hu Gang; and representatives of Victoria University: Caryn Nery, Director of Cross-Border Education Partnerships; Raquel Licciardi, Academic Director for Cross-Border Education Partnerships; Dianne McKeagney, Director of the VU Transition Centre; George Yue, China Programme Manager for Cross-Border Education; and Venus Liao, Transnational Education Coordinator. Chinese and international teaching staff, together with all undergraduate and postgraduate students joining the College in 2026, also attended. The ceremony was chaired by Dean Zhao Deqi.

Professor Li Yupeng, Vice-President of Liaoning University, addresses the ceremony.

Professor Li Yupeng warmly welcomed the delegation from Victoria University in Australia and congratulated the new students who had travelled from near and far to join the Asia-Australia Business College. She noted that Liaoning University and Victoria University had worked in close partnership for 27 years. Throughout this period, the two universities had remained committed to educating students, sharing high-quality educational resources, exploring new approaches to business education and nurturing internationally minded graduates. By sustaining their commitment to established principles while embracing innovation, they had developed a distinctive and successful model of international collaborative education.

Addressing the College’s 2026 intake, Professor Li encouraged students to develop a strong sense of responsibility to their country while broadening their international outlook; to draw on knowledge and perspectives from China and abroad, work diligently and combine learning with practice; and to cultivate integrity, exercise self-discipline and take responsibility for their actions. She urged them to uphold the spirit of Liaoning University’s motto —“Noble in Morality, Extensive in Learning, Tenacious in Action and Independent in Spirit”— and to make the most of their time at the College, pursuing their aspirations with determination and laying the foundations for a promising future.

Professor Adam Shoemaker, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, delivers a video address.

Ma Shuang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Asia-Australia Business College, delivers an address.

Zhao Deqi, Dean of the Asia-Australia Business College, chairs the welcome ceremony.

Raquel Licciardi, Academic Director for Cross-Border Education Partnerships at Victoria University, delivers an address.

Liu Chang, Head of the Foundational Studies Teaching and Research Unit, speaks on behalf of the College’s teaching staff.

Wu Meihui, a student from the 2024 intake, addresses the ceremony.

Yu Jiaxin, a student from the 2026 intake, addresses the ceremony.

Ma Shuang, Secretary of the College Party Committee, and Raquel Licciardi, Academic Director for Cross-Border Education Partnerships at Victoria University, each delivered an address. Liu Chang, Head of the Foundational Studies Teaching and Research Unit, spoke on behalf of the College’s teaching staff. Wu Meihui, a student from the 2024 intake, represented the College’s senior students, while Yu Jiaxin spoke on behalf of all new students joining in 2026.

A new chapter has begun, and the future holds great promise. May all students in the Asia-Australia Business College’s 2026 intake put down strong roots at Liaoning University, flourish through the opportunities offered by the College, and embark on the journey ahead with youthful ambition, perseverance and determination.