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The student, who graduated with a degree in engineering from one of China's top universities, ranked Asia's most prestigious institution by Times Higher Education in March, shared that she bought a set of graduation robes for her Labubu doll and took it on stage during the ceremony in late June.
She then asked the vice president to flip the tassel on the doll's cap, after he performed the ritual on her.
A student carries Labubu to receive her bachelor's degree during a graduation ceremony at Tsinghua University, China, June 21, 2025. Video by Douyin/xiaojinguailiyang
Traditionally, the tassel on the graduation cap is flipped from right to left to symbolize the transition from student to graduate.
The graduate uploaded the video to her accounts on Weibo and Douyin, two of China's most popular social media platforms.
"The vice-president seemed at a loss of what to do for a second. But he still pinched the tassel for my Labubu," said the graduate, identified by the alias @xiaojinguailiyang, according to the South China Morning Post.
"When we took the picture together, he asked me if it was the recently-popular Labubu?" she said.
The video quickly spread across Chinese social media. Netizens affectionately dubbed the doll "Labubu with the highest academic degree."
Many jokingly questioned whether the Labubu had attended classes before receiving its degree.
"I studied hard on her behalf. I believe it is not too much for her to receive a degree after accompanying me to study for such a long time," the student replied.
Another viral video showed a different graduate student, also from Tsinghua University, bringing a larger Labubu doll on stage for the tassel-flipping ceremony.
A graduate student brings Labubu to the stage to receive her Master's degree at Tsinghua University on June 21, 2025. Video by Weibo/Ningbo Evening News
Social media users were divided over the Labubu dolls' appearance at Tsinghua University's graduation ceremony, according to United Daily News.
While some enjoyed the moment, others disapproved of bringing a toy into a formal event at a prestigious university, expressing concerns about the university's reputation and the credibility of the academic world.
Labubu, a doll with pointy ears, a mischievous smile, and nine sharp teeth, is produced by the Chinese company Pop Mart. It gained global fame after Blackpink's Lisa and Rose shared their Labubu collections online. Besides Lisa, several celebrities including Liu Yifei, Lu Han, Rihanna, and David Beckham have shown off their Labubu dolls.
