Chinese student's speech makes history at Harvard

He Jiang, a PhD graduate in biochemistry at Harvard

He Jiang, the first Chinese graduate to ever speak at Harvard's commencement ceremony, has become a star on Chinese social media.

"Awesome! ... As a graduate from Harvard, he wins honors for our country!" wrote weibo user Danuannanpanpaner.

He, a PhD graduate in biochemistry, spoke at the centuries-old event on Thursday morning, representing graduate students.

He began his speech with a childhood memory from his small village in Hunan province. He was bitten by a poisonous spider, and his mother treated his hand with an old folk cure — setting his hand on fire because there were no doctors.

"My experience reminds me how important it is for researchers to communicate our knowledge to those who need it. Because using the science we already have, we could probably bring my village and thousands like it into the world you and I take for granted every day. And that's an impact every one of us can make," he said.

He Jiang was among three graduate representatives to speak at the commencement. Guest speakers included Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg.

To win the opportunity to speak, He went through three rounds of fierce competition, including drafts and auditions. The final three orators were chosen by a panel of judges.

Asked why he entered the competition, He said, "I wanted more voices from China to be heard."

But ability and hard work are what really led He to the podium.

His father, who didn't finish high school, was always strict with him and his younger brother about education.

"Thanks go to my dad for pushing me to study ... and to my mom, whose encouragement helped keep me focused on my studies."

He graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China — one of China's top universities — with a bachelor's degree in 2009 and was accepted into Harvard's PhD program on full scholarship the same year.

He has already begun work as a postdoctoral fellow at MIT's David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, where he will study malaria and hepatitis virus infection.