On June 21st, Graduation Ceremony and Course Completion Ceremony for MASTA/DOCSTA was held in the conference room No. 8 of the conference center in New Main Building, Beihang University. Mr. Li Xinjun, Secretary General of APSCO, Mr. Egemen Ozalp, Deputy Secretary General of APSCO, representatives from China National Space Administration and Department of Military-Civil Technology Integration, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, staff of International School, Beihang University, and representatives of RCSSTEAP attended the ceremony. Twenty-three (23) master candidates and one (1) doctor candidate who will graduate in June, 2017 and thiryt-five (35) master candidates who completed their course and entered into thesis writing period attended the ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Weng Jingnong, Dean of International School, Beihang University.

Prof. He Linshu, senior experts of the Centre and Mr. Li Xinjun, Secretary General of APSCO, issued the certificates to the graduates. Ms. Jianghui, Division Director of Department of International Cooperation, CNSA and Mr. Li Gaofeng,Vice Consultant of Department of Military-Civil Technology Integration, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, issued the certificates to “Excellent Graduate”. Mr. Egemen Ozalp, Deputy Secretary General of APSCO, Mr. Mohammad Ebrahimi, Director General of Department of Education and Training and Database Management of APSCO issued the certificates to Course Completion participants.

At the Graduation Ceremony, Mr. Li Junxin, on behalf of APSCO, extended his congratulations to all graduates and his thankfulness to Beihang University. He mentioned that APSCO focused on improving multilateral exchange and cooperation in aerospace and promoting peaceful use of space technology in these years. They hoped to have more cooperation with Beihang University and home countries of the participants and promote the development of space science, space technology and space applications together.

Prof. Tan Yumin, GNSS expert of RCSSTEAP expressed her best wished to all the participants. She hoped that the participants would insist on studying, keep working hard and learn to think, and become professionals in the field of space technology applications and make contributions to the peaceful use and development of the space technology. Mr. DE OLIWIVA NOGUEIRA PEDRO HEWWQUE, the Excellent Graduate from Brazil delivered a speech on behalf of all the graduates. He thanked Beihang University for it provided all the students with high-quality studying resources and gave them virtue of helping others, the spirit of innovation and truth-seeking. Ms. JAGIRANI AISHA, a participant of MASTA 2016 from Pakistan,  made a speech on behalf all the current participants. She reviewed the growth they had with upper-graders, and wished a bright future for them. At meantime, she also thanked APSCO, Beihang University and RCSSTEAP for their guidance and help with their study, and showed her resolution of working harder and becoming a great Beihang student.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Weng Jingnong thanked the support of Minister of Industry and Information Technology, China National Space Administration, APSCO and other partners. He also extended his sincere hope that the graduates could put what they learnt in Beihang University into practice, and become the ambassadors of between China and their home countries to promote international cooperation and the development of aerospace technology and applications. At last he wished them could dare to dream, pursue the dream and realize the dream.  

MASTA/DOCSTA Program was established in 2006 at Beihang University. This program get substantial support from China Scholarship Committee, and most students of the program get full scholarship of “Chinese Government Scholarship”. Based on this program, APSCO Education and Training Centre in China and Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (China) (affiliated to the United Nations) were set up respectively at Beihang University in 2013 and 2014. This program is a well-designed one with the support of Chinese Government, focusing on promoting peaceful use of space technology. Along with the establishment of RCSSTEAP (China), this program has become one of the famous brands of Beihang University. The graduates in 2017 is the first batch of graduates since the establishment of RCSSTEAP, and they are mostly from Member States of APSCO and RCSSTEAP. In 2017, this program will enroll international students in three professional fields, including GNSS, RS&GIS and Micro-satellite Technology. Currently, the enrollment has entered the final stage, and the new participants will register in early September this year.