2024 Graduation Ceremony
The 31st Graduation Ceremony of Shenzhou Open University of TCM (SOU) was held at SOU main campus in Amsterdam on 4 October 2024.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Zhilin Dong, SOU president, as well as teachers, graduates and their families and friends.
You will soon find a detailed report on this page!
Welcome by Rob van Hees
Welcome to the 2024 graduation ceremony
On behalf of Mr Dong, director of Shenzhou Open University of TCM and Dan Tan, Academic dean of the programme, I warmly welcome everyone: the representatives of the professional associations NVA and Zhong, whom I will introduce to you in a moment, our teachers and last but not least, the Graduates and their guests.
Students and guests of the graduation ceremony
I am Rob van Hees, study coordinator, and I will guide you through the programme this afternoon. I will therefore briefly go through the programme, while also introducing the speakers.
Our special guests who will speak this afternoon are:
- Dan Tan, Dean of Shenzhou Open University of TCM.
- Ling Zhang, from the department of Communication of the professional association NVA.
- Karel Blontrock, Board member of the professional association Zhong, for the committee of ‘Further Training, Education and Science’.
- Senior teacher Mr. Toine Korthout, will speak on behalf of the teachers and examination committee.
- and finally, our graduate Mrs. Ilonka Kamans, who will speak on behalf of the graduates.
Dr. Dan Tan
Dean of SOU
Today, we gather here to celebrate a profound milestone in your lives— the conclusion of years of dedication, study, and a deep passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
As your dean, it brings me immense pride and joy to stand in front of you, You are all remarkable individuals, carrying forward a legacy of healing that has existed for thousands of years.
Your journey to this day has not been easy. It required long nights of study, countless hours of practice, and a deep commitment to understanding the human body and spirit.
You have learned to see beyond the symptoms, to listen to the body’s silent messages, and to treat each patient as a unique individual. This holistic approach is what makes TCM so powerful and relevant in people’s lives today.
In the years to come you will face many challenges. You may encounter doubts, misunderstanding and hurdles in integrating TCM into mainstream healthcare. But I urge you to remain steadfast. Be confident in the knowledge you have gained and the values you uphold. Continue to learn, to grow and to innovate, for medicine is an ever-evolving field and you are now part of its evolution.
Today is a day of celebration, but it is also a day of gratitude. I ask you to take a moment to reflect on the support of your families, friends, teachers, coordinators and all those who have been by your side on this journey. Their belief in you has been a cornerstone of your success.
Ling Zhang, NVA
We congratulate you all on your graduation.
Dear members of the board, Mr. Dong, Mrs. Tan, Mr. Van Hees thank you for inviting us to this graduation ceremony. My name is Ling Zhang, I am from China and I live on Texel more than 18 years now. I work as an acupuncturist and herbalist for 6 years in Den Helder. I am a taskforce member of the communication department of the Dutch Acupuncture Association: de NVA (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Acupunctuur.
It’s an honor that today I may speak to you on behalf of the Dutch Acupuncture Association, NVA. We congratulate you all on your graduation.
Toine Korthout, teacher
My graduating students of course know ‘The Tea Pot Story’ from my syllabus on Communication.
Dear Mr. Dong, dear representatives of therapists organizations, dear dean and study coordinators of Shenzhou Open University, and most of all: dear graduating students and their guests.
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the crew of teachers and the exam committee.
First of all my congratulations to each graduate! Each one of you has successfully fulfilled a tough work. Studying at Shenzhou Open University of TCM is studying at an education institute that meets with HBO (Bachelor) level standards and that is accredited as such. That means not only attending quite a lot of classes, but besides that a lot of study at home as well. Besides there was practical education in the clinic downstairs for those to whom apply.
Ilonka Kamans, Student (Graduate)
I never ever could have foreseen, that I would be so lucky, to embark on the Journey inside Traditional Chinese Medicine at Shenzhou university.
As a child (I grew up once upon a long time ago in the most Northern part of the Netherlands), I was never really exposed to Chinese culture; except for one very important item, which had made a deep impression on me as a child: the magical power of little Chinese lucky charms.
I so strongly believed in their power, that they became part of my life; especially when I grew older. If I feel like wishing someone good luck (for anything), I still give it away as a little present. I have quite a stock at home. It could very well be the case, however, that I adopted the little Chinese lucky charms, so enthusiastically, because Dutch culture lacks such a small pretty token of good luck; we have a horseshoe as a symbol for good luck. It goes without saying, that this not easily to give away, leave alone, carry it around in your handbag.
Meer informatie over SOU
Met 30 jaar onderwijservaring, hebben we een uitstekende reputatie in ons vakgebied opgebouwd, waar zowel de school als de alumni trots op zijn.
