Bidspirit auction | China Graduation Certificate of a

China Graduation Certificate of a Soviet Jew Minya Zem, Holocaust Survivor, Shanghai, 1947, in Chinese, Very rare! - China Graduation Certificate of a Soviet Jew Minya Zem, Holocaust Survivor, Shanghai, 1947, in Chinese, Very rare! Graduation Certificate issued in 1947 by St. John’s University in Shanghai to a Soviet Jewish student, Minya Zem, who was officially registered under the Chinese name Liu Mingyao, confirming completion of the Chemistry program in the Faculty of Science. Certificate on rice paper with photograph and seals, with original cover Size of certificate: 18.5 x 27.5 cm. (7.2 x 10.8 inches) Condition: foxing stains Certificate of Study (學業證明書) Institution: St. John’s University (Private, Shanghai) Student: Liu Mingyao (劉明耀)** – this is a Sinicized name; the original name, handwritten in English, is Minya Zem. Nationality: Soviet citizen (explicitly stated: 蘇聯國籍人). Faculty: Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry (理學院 化學系). Study Period: Autumn 1942 (Republic of China year 31) – Summer 1947 (year 36). Date of Certificate: June 7, 1947. Dean: Zhao Yumo (趙裕謀). Includes a student photograph with official seals. Historical Context The student was a Jewish refugee from the USSR/Europe who studied in Shanghai during WWII. Shanghai (especially 1938–45) was a major haven for Jewish refugees escaping Nazi persecution, since it did not require entry visas. St. John’s University admitted a number of foreign Jewish students during this period; “Minya Zem” is one of them. His Chinese name “Liu Mingyao” was a standard adaptation practice: Jewish and European students were assigned Chinese-style names for official documents.