By ZHU LIXIN in Hefei, Anhui province

zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn

When Samijadi Muhammad Firdaus and Wang Youcheng received their rings, each of which was engraved with the letters USTC and an exclusive serial number, they shared some common emotions.

Firdaus, a 25-year-old student from Suriname, was overjoyed when he was granted the ring. He considered it to be a fitting conclusion to his five years of study at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Wang, echoing Firdaus' sentiment, said, "Finally, we are now USTC alumni."

The university prepared a total of 5,980 rings for its graduates, who were awarded bachelor's, master's or PhD degrees.

"The rings will be a tradition of USTC in the future, as we want to give every graduate a special souvenir," said Cao Yong, an administrative staff member responsible for the distribution of the rings.

The rings are made of steel titanium alloy and cost dozens of yuan. The university admitted that the idea was inspired by the ring-giving tradition of the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point.

The rings are distributed randomly to graduates, and each has an exclusive number. After graduates receive the rings, they are required to register their names with the numbers, so that each number belongs to a specific graduate.

Firdaus and Wang said they will cherish the rings for a lifetime.

Because they consider the rings to be so special, most of the students are not willing to wear them, for fear that the letters and numbers might wear down.

Meanwhile, the university has also distributed boxes to each dormitory to collect letters from graduates that are written for future reading.

An Linna, a literature fan majoring in chemistry, said she loves the idea. She wrote a letter for herself and included some of her aspirations in it.

"Ten years later, I will check the dreams one by one. It will be a great experience," said An.

The letters, part of the Time Capsule project, will be sealed and kept in the university's archives. No one will be allowed to open the letters until the 10th anniversary of their graduation, at which time they will be read by the writers themselves.

An and Wang will head to the United States for further study in less than two months, while Firdaus will return to his country to work.

The University of Science and Technology of China gives each of its graduating students a memorial ring engraved with a unique serial number and the abbreviation of the university.

China Daily, 2014-06-23