This was post written my friend Feng Wang from China
From May 18th 2010 to May 18th 2011, 365 days and nights at Columbia University of New York City---the greatest university of the greatest city in our time—approached the end. As time flies by, Lehman library gradually emerged to be the focal point of our life, no matter you like or not. Countless papers, homework, quizzes, presentations, and exams, all of these sources of concern once dominated our mind but now suddenly stopped. Although most of these memories will fade away, I decided to not let some of them go.
Cannot let it go is Prof. Jehle’s “fat urban cats” versus “poor village woman”; cannot let it go is some remarkable professors’ expertise on how to bewildering a greenhorn as desperate as possible; cannot let it go is Prof. Calvo’s sobering mind on those plausible benefits of QEII; and cannot let it go is Prof. Mundell and Prof. Calvo’s fleeting but identical chuckle when they were introducing Mundell-Fleming model and Calvo Pricing respectively. There are lots of episodes I would like to revoke but doing so only stirs up more and more.
Needless to say, PEPM 2011 is a unique group. Not only is it formed by a bunch of well-established mid-career professionals from 34 countries around the world, but also the mingling of extremely diversified group of peoples, cultures, beliefs, and sectors provides an ideal platform for observing and solving problems from every possible angle. Had I not attended the PEPM, I guess I would never met a dude from San Tome and Principe or Nicaragua. Now, they are my friends with whom I shared many jokes not only in IAB 410 but also in Havana Central. Ironically, we built our friendship before our country recognized each other! Looking forward and upward, I believe this “mismatch” will be addressed in the not-too-distant-future.
On May 18th, after the official claim of class 2011 graduation, we closed an old chapter and opened a new one, the one which most of us will swear to commit wholeheartedly. So, from now on, we are ready to disperse ourselves to the every corner of the world; from now on, we are ready to try what we learned at home; from now on, we are ready to defend those universal values till our last breath. For better or worse, for rich or poor, for up and down, we will stick together to honor our Alma Mater, we will always remember that we have an intellectual common here.
As that claim is still hovering in my mind, I expect that one day when we are about to summarize our bumpy journey of endeavor, we can proudly murmuring to ourselves that I am a Columbia graduate.
Farewell, Columbia!
