GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY

Students have come up with innovative ways to mark the end of their studies

At an unconventional graduation ceremony in Jiangsu province last month, the whir of motors could be heard as the "students" moved across the stage to receive their diplomas.

Ye Meilan, the president of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, smiled as she greeted the graduates, dressed in academic gowns, and turned the tassels on their mortar boards.

However, the students were humanoid robots with tablets placed where their heads should be to allow the real students to interact with the president via video-conferencing.