Remarks to Graduates of Yuan Ze University

As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it.

－Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer, Author of “Le Petit Prince”

　　After so many years of schooling, you are heading to graduate.  This is a moment worth celebrating!  Yet, besides feeling accomplished, you must also understand the current environment which is filled with dynamics and challenges.

　　Marching into 2021, the conflicts between China and U. S. A., the two greatest powers, continue with the upheaving trade, technology, and military muscle wars.  During the past decade, highly globalized developments of supply chains, information communications, populism now have gradually brought unstable situation.  Moreover, the threats of climate change, wealth gap, and fiscal deficit have begun to lose control.  In particular, it is worth noting the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, greatly changed the way the world is running.  You are all facing a “New Normal.”  In order to succeed, one must be equipped with the three important capabilities to “Reimagine, Rethink, and Reinvent.”

　　After the pandemic, we must first “Reimagine” the new landscape of the world.  For example, 5G communications will expand across industries and services, social distancing measures opened the contactless business opportunities, changing consumption model that brought tremendous growth of online shopping, cross-national enterprises readjusted their supply chains to lower global dependency, the pandemic enhanced the world’s focus on environmental-friendliness and humanistic concern.  Soon, you will work in diverse industries.  Each industry has different operating environments.  You need to define clearly what aspects of the New Normal will impact most on you individually, and on your industry.  Also, you must think how to respond so as to breakthrough and win over in the New Norm.

　　Furthermore, we are entering a dynamic landscape in the New Economy, New World.  The methodologies used yesterday may no longer apply for tomorrow.  You all must develop the habit to “Rethink.”  With rapidly changing technological developments, traditional industries are changing constantly, emerging businesses continue to appear, the methods and mindset should also be realigned.  After studying at Yuan Ze, you have accumulated solid knowledge, cultivated profound skillsets, and are ready to start working.  In the beginning of your career, you need to focus on the external changes all the time, keep an open mind, don’t be too conservative, don’t be afraid of changing the status quo, adjust thoughts timely, transform core competence, remember that no advancement can be achieved without change.  Dare to change so as to seize new opportunities.

　　With the right mindset, you must also advance with times, continue to “Reinvent,” increase competitiveness via investing in yourself, by doing so you should master three directions.  Firstly, embrace digitization, learn and be familiar with new technologies including AI, IoT, Big Data, and stand on the frontline of digital transformation.  Secondly, be more international, cultivate English or other foreign language capabilities, and become bi-lingual talent, exchange with global talents around the world.  Thirdly, cross-disciplinary learning, not only aim to be expert of certain domain, but also strive to make breakthroughs, dare to expand horizon, absorb new knowledge, so as to see the possibility of more developments.

　　In 2021 the world is still under the impact of the pandemic.  Nobody can predict what the future holds.  You have to keep a positive attitude, turn crisis into opportunities, deem changes as chances, adapt to the New Normal, and strengthen digital capabilities.  You are all outstanding students cultivated by Yuan Ze University, have been implanted with the motto of the Far Easterners “Sincerity, Diligence, Thrift, Prudence, and Innovation”.  You have been embedded with confidence and capabilities, if you can define clearly the objective and direction, be humble and motivated, and well prepared to strive for growths, I believe every one of you will create your remarkably bright future!

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