From Hong Kong to Evanston, Graduates Mark a Shared Journey
Strength lies not in uniformity but in respectful diversity, graduate Zixin Ling said during convocation remarks for Northwestern University’s Master of Science in Social and Economic Policy program at the Ryan Family Auditorium.
“We must never allow differences to become grounds for discrimination or be so quick to believe every rumor we hear, fracturing our communities into opposing camps,” said Ling, one of three student speakers.
Ling credited the pioneering dual-degree program—spanning two campuses, cultures and education systems—with giving graduates “the courage to think independently, the grace to listen deeply and the wisdom to stand united,” he said. “In a world that can often seem complicated and capricious, we have built something special.
Ling was among the 54 members of the Class of 2025 who received dual master’s degrees in applied economics and social and economic policy during a December ceremony. Featured speakers included Michelle Yin and Douzhe Li, co-directors of the Dual Master’s Degree Program, and School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan Brayboy. In addition to Ling, graduates Yangxi Liao and Yifei Chen delivered remarks.
“The power of these degrees lies in your ability to create and manage policies that matter,” Brayboy said. “The policies and ideas you drive will have consequences not only for you in the moment, but for the next generation and beyond.”
- Read Michelle Yin's full remarks.
- Read Zixin Ling's full remarks.
- Read Yifei Chen's full remarks (coming soon!)
- Read Yangxi Liao's full remarks(coming soon!)
The dual-degree program combines the quantitative rigor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong with social policy expertise from Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, the nation’s fourth-ranked graduate school of education.
Students spend the first 10 months on a hilltop campus in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, taking quantitative courses taught by award-winning faculty from both institutions. They complete the final seven months on Northwestern’s Evanston campus, where they pursue additional social policy coursework and participate in alumni panels, career workshops and cultural outings.
“The Chinese University of Hong Kong gave us beautiful views of the sea, and Northwestern welcomed us with the endless blue of Lake Michigan,” said student speaker Yifei Chen. “Two very different places, yet both carrying pieces of who we became.
“This journey wasn’t just a geographical move,” Chen added. “It was a shift in perspective, a widening of the world and a deepening of the friendships that carried us across continents.”
Making Room
Program director Michelle Yin reminded graduates of a saying she has kept close through uncertain times, grant cycles, evaluations and unexpected pivots: “Everything will be fine in the end. If it’s not fine, it’s not the end.”
She added a second reflection she said was especially relevant for the Class of 2025: “Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.”
“Not every disappointment is a stop sign,” Yin said. “Not every uncertainty is a warning. Sometimes the hard moments are just making room for the right next step.”
As graduates head to new cities, goals and unknowns, Yin urged them to “be brave enough to keep rewriting your story, be generous enough to let others be part of it and be patient enough to let the things that are ‘not fine yet’ unfold.”
For Chen, the past 17 months were among the happiest and most unforgettable of her life, marked by late-night study sessions, spontaneous travel and discovering new cities.
“This experience reminded me that education is not only about what we learn,” Chen said, “but about who we become—and who we become together.”
Student awardees
- Academic Excellence Award: Jufan Zhou, Shi Huang
- Distinguished Student Service Award: Yifei Chen, Yuanyi Meng
- Excellence in Professional Development: Yang Gao
Faculty award winners
- Excellence in Teaching: Ofer Malamud
- Innovation in Teaching: Scott Ogawa
- Applied Learning Award: John Olson