The symphony orchestra of China Pharmaceutical University performs at the school’s opening ceremony in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on Sept 12. [Photo/Xinhua]

Students often dread the hours-long opening ceremonies that kick off the new semester at Chinese universities. But China Pharmaceutical University found a clever way to stifle the yawns of its new intake of undergraduates on Sept 12. 

The school in Nanjing, Jiangsu province got its new students involved in the ceremony by allowing them to post comments in real time using the social media app WeChat, which were then displayed on a big screen onstage. 

The live chat system delighted the 4,000 young scholars at the ceremony, with thousands of comments popping up on screen throughout the event. 

One student laid down a challenge to their new classmates. “Newbies, listen up: I will ‘occupy’ the library for the next four years!” 

Others used the system to send a message to their professors. “I must be admitted as a postgraduate,” wrote one cheeky freshman. 

Xu Zifan, a first-year student at the ceremony, said he never imagined a science and engineering-focused school could be responsive to its students. 

“It’s amazing; I love the interactive and open environment [the live chat feature created],” Xu said.