Chairman’s Remarks to Graduates of Yuan Ze University

　　Opportunities never come a second time, nor do they wait for our leisure.

--Booker T. Washington, American Educator & Author

　　After the breakout of Covid-19 pandemic, not only everyone’s daily life has been severely affected, but also resulted in fluctuation across global economies, disrupted supply chains, and elevated inflation, coupled with various U.S.-China conflicts, Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, causing more restless world in uncertainties, these are all the foreseeable short-term problems.

　　Furthermore, the pandemic has accelerated developments of long-term trends, such as digital technologies continue to drive new business models and consumer behaviors, spur digital transformation of global industries and enterprises; and to cope with climate change issues, each nation has proactively engaged in carbon reduction campaigns, promote the restructure of energy composition, and build a green low-carbon future.

　　Now the pace of change in the world comes swiftly and unprecedentedly.  Just as Cisco CEO John Chambers said: “In the new world it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it is the fast fish which eats the slow fish.”  In other words, in this new economy and new normal, without the act of speed, it would be difficult to survive.  Therefore, you must cultivate agility, observe changes to external macro-environment, when situation has changed, make sure to seize market context, dare to shift directions, and make timely adjustment accordingly.  You should establish the right mindset, look at the changes, take actions quickly, do not wait or hesitate passively, that could result in losing the chance to get a head start.

　　The world’s change is unpredictable, but also filled with various opportunities, such as digitization and green developments, which may disrupt original landscape of each industry, and create new patterns.  Opportunities are set for people who are ready because good opportunities will not appear twice.  If you do not seize it, it will slip away.  Facing with changes, hope you will all make proper preparations, and proactively seize the new opportunities.

　　Firstly, plan your vision, set up precise target, evaluate your current position?  Where I will be one year later?  Where will the development evolve into three years later?  Periodically evaluate the difference between your current position and future target, and think about what should be done?  How you could achieve it?  Always push yourself to march forward and try your best to achieve your target.

　　Secondly, you should also learn to look back, compare the present self and the past self, examine how much you have changed?  How much has improved?  On the one hand to give recognition of your effort, and the other to think about if there is any place you can do better?  Only with continuous self-evaluation and improvement, avoid repeating the same mistake, will you be able to embrace successfully.

　　Then, maintain your passion of learning to grow.  When you enter workforce, aside from cultivating professional skills, you must also strengthen knowledge of science and technologies.  AI, robotics, IoT, AR/VR, and cloud computing are the five major emerging technologies.  You must spend time to understand so that you may advance with time and enhance your competitiveness.

　　Lastly, must keep good habit of doing exercises, cultivate more hobbies, learn new things, and maintain a positive and optimistic mindset.  Life is like a marathon, only with healthy body and mind, can one successfully finish the final run.

　　During your academic pursuit, you must have encountered with various difficulties.  Earning a degree from Yuan Ze is the accomplishment of your long enduring efforts, it is worthy of congratulations.  After graduation, everyone will have different journey of life, it may not be easy.  But I believe, if committed to the innovative spirit of the Far Easterners, starting from the solid foundation laid during your time spent at Yuan Ze, pursue your dream with perseverance, then you will surely create your own better tomorrow.

　　Wishing you all the best!

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