To the Distance: Inheritance ·Endeavour ·Transcendence - Speech at the Graduation Ceremony for the Graduates of the Class of 2018
2018-11-09
President and Academician Chen Xiaohong
(Jun. 22, 2018)
Dear students, teachers, parents and alumni:
Good Morning!
We are here today to ceremoniously hold the graduation ceremony for the graduates of the class of 2018 to jointly witness the glory and joy of 3637 graduates and postgraduates. This is a grand festival dedicated to students! On behalf of the Secretary Yayang and university leaders, and teachers, management staffs and service staffs who accompany and concern about you, I'm here to extending my sincere congratulations to you!
The time is passed in a hurry, "you always say that graduation is far away, but then go to the different places in an instant", the good time at university is coming to an end. Here, you have received the joy of independent thinking and transcendental ego, and have experienced struggle and sweat; here, you have obtained valuable teacher-student friendship, friendship and even sweet love; here, you have learned the value of voluntary service and giving back to society, etc. It may take a few seconds to preserve the memory but a lifetime to recall this period. This is exactly the alma mater, which you are eager to leave when arrive, but difficult to leave when the time for goodbye is coming. On the occasion of parting, I hope you can smile and treasure each other.
In 2014, I came to Hunan University of Commerce with my dream as many of you here. This is a special predestination. I remember clearly that you contended at Lushan Lecture Hall, dared to try at the stage of China College Students' Entrepreneurship Competition, enriched yourself in colorful club activities, spread hopes in the practice of "Volunteer Activities for the Country People", etc. From the expression in your eyes and actions, I have found that you have become more intelligent, brave, confident, civilized, hard-working and enterprising, with a broader global view and stronger sense of social responsibility. I'm very proud for your growth and progress!
At this very moment, I want to say to the students, thank you. Thank you for leaving the most beautiful youth in your life in Hunan University of Commerce, we love you!
It is originated from the love for the students that Hunan University of Commerce has been making unremitting efforts.
In the past four years, the university was approved as the Application-oriented Undergraduate University in "the 13th Five-year Plan" National Industry & Education Cooperation Project and National Level Public Innovative Space, and became the First Batch of Top 10 "Demonstration of Colleges and Universities for Deepening Reform of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education", selected as the second batch of "Innovative and Entrepreneurial Base of National Universities Practice Education", and awarded with "Top 50 Universities with Typical Innovative and Entrepreneurial Experience", etc. Hunan University of Commerce was working hard to make a voice for students on the national stage!
In the past four years, the construction of comprehensive building of Operation and Management began, the construction of Cuiya student dormitory was completed, the Xiande Dormitory was renovated, the canteen was renovated, the teaching software and hardware facilities were significantly improved, the bituminization of roads was realized, Smart Campus, Maker Center, Maker Academy, Maker Workshop, Synthetic Court, etc. were built in succession; Tiger Hill Park, Central Garden, Campus Sculpture, Chuang Garden, Kang Garden, etc. were presented beautifully; The students are entering the "era of air conditioning", the dormitories have been supplied with hot water and so on. Hunan University of Commerce is making efforts to make the life of students so exquisite, comfortable and elegant!
In the past four years, teachers, counselors, management and service staffs, uncle dormitory administrator, cleaning lady, security guard, all of them were more earnest, more committed and warmer than ever before to make contributions to the big family of Hunan University of Commerce, and the repeated ranking ascension of the university's comprehensive strength fully proves that happiness relies on the struggle!
It is because of this struggle that the university has become a project construction unit for awarding doctoral degrees and become a key university!
It is with this struggle that we believe that the objective of renaming the university must be achieved! It must be achieved as soon as possible!
Hunan University of Commerce may not necessarily the best in your mind, for she is not yet the first-class or great, but she has never stopped the steps towards the first-class and great! The university is working hard and will work harder to be the most ideal university in your mind!
My students, in addition to your alma mater, your growth are also accompanied by the country. In today's China, the achievements such as quantum communication, high-speed railway, manned space flight, moon exploration project, radio telescope, giant aircraft, manned deep diving and super computer are constantly emerging, self-confidence in road, theory, system and culture is constantly increasing, great struggle, great project, great career and great dream are advancing in depth, all which shows China is profoundly influencing and changing the world!
It is such a new era full of hope that you students will meet, in which your youth can best be carried and bloomed, you will bear important tasks and have bright prospects! Today, you left your papers at the university, and you will write better "papers" on the earth of the motherland in the future!
In this year's China's Youth Day, General Secretary Xi proposed four hopes for the youth: first is to be patriotic, loyal to the motherland and to the people; second is to be motivational, set up lofty ambition and be struggler; third is the pursuit of truth, pursue true knowledge and practice real skills; forth is to practice diligently, make unity of knowing and doing and be a doer. Everyone shall keep it in mind and practice it solidly. At the last graduation ceremony, the message I sent to your seniors is: "Nobleness Determines the Mind, Diligence Determines the Action and Pattern Determines Achievements", be a person who is noble in spirit, brave in pursuing dreams, and is brave in setting up tide of the era; be a person who takes excellence, diligence and civilization a habit; be a person with patterns, warmness and understandings of life. Today, all of you will set sail, and I would like to put forward several hopes for you.
First, I hope you can inherit the university spirit and becoming permanent "university person"
After graduation, you may gradually forget much of what you have learned at the university, but please remember the university spirit. Remembering "Self-improvement, Self-discipline and Social Commitment"; remembering "The Wise Man Listens to All Sides"; remembering "Erudition, Interrogation, Careful Reflection and Discernment"; remembering "Be Practical and Realistic, the Unity of Knowing and Doing". It is precisely because of the inheritance of university sprit that we can go through years of elutriation and constantly become shining "university person"!
Throughout the world development, the development of internet, big data, cloud computing, IOT, artificial intelligence, block chain, virtual reality, intelligent manufacturing, green science and technology, etc. have been accelerated, the innovation wave has swept through, the changes of the era have been increased unprecedentedly, and the trade war raised by America has also sounded an alarm for us.
It is more necessary to inherit the quality of diligent in studying and good at thinking in such an era. You must keep diligent in studying and lifelong learning, adapt to changes, grasp trends, make innovation constantly and be a thoughtful doer to shine the light of thought in the life journey!
You must inherit virtue and benevolence and must not lose pure and noble soul in such an era! You must not lose your ardent yearning and compliance to the true, the good and the beautiful, nor forget your faith during the rapid progress, but let the soul peers with steps!
It is more necessary inherit and carry forward the spirit of "creation, innovation and entrepreneurship" in such an era, create social ideal and make efforts to realize it!
I hope our students could firstly enrich your head and then your pockets, wash away impurities of thoughts, sharpen spearhead of thoughts, adhere to historical thinking, strategic thinking, dialectical thinking and bottom-line thinking, get the right direction, distinguish between right and wrong, make correct decisions and perfect yourself, and make learning a living habit to be a runner of thoughts and a leader of the era!
I hope our students can firstly learn to become a person and then do the things, never be a fine and indifferent egoist, nor be an onlooker who is unaware of the facts, but be a person full of feelings, a responsible person with "a brave heart serving justice" and a staunch practitioner of socialist core values!
I hope our students can carry the banner of innovation on the shoulder, carve the university motto of "Sincerity & Credibility, Pragmatism & Innovation" in your own actions, always adhere to the "Jing-Qi-Shen" of Hunan University of Commerce, and walk in the direction of the theme of the era! I wish all of you can become the seeds of "virtue, erudition, practice and self-enhancement" to spread lovely flowers and send out the fragrance of excellence around the world!
Second, I hope you can constantly strive for your life and be a permanent "Endeavour"
Boys and girls, after you step into the society, the situations you are going to face may not be glamorous, but may be bitterness and helplessness of buying and renting houses, the sweat of crowded buses and subways, triviality and complexity of daily necessities, exhaustion and disappointment of errand and chores, and the courage to pursue dreams and the enthusiasm of struggle may be quickly faded away without any remaining. So what makes you a wonderful life?
It is often said that where there is life, there is struggle. If you do not want to regret and blame yourself after missing opportunities; if you do not want to make a lament of "don't waste time, otherwise there would be repentance on waste of youth, but that would be too late", there would be no choice but struggle! In the life journey, "struggle" should be the eternal foundation!
Please remember, the life can be ordinary, but not mediocre. On the path to success, we have never been greeted with flowers and applause, but frustrations and thorns. Please remember, there is no such thing as reaping without sowing, and making great fortunes overnight. The life is not gaining sympathy by tears, but applause by sweat!
So, please believe that no matter the rich or the poor, relaying on parents or ancestor, it is better to relay on your own struggle, which is more realistic and persistent! Only by struggle can you win a regretless life!
Please believe that the harder the one works, the more fortunate he will be! The harder the one struggles, the better he will be!
"Nothing will be difficult with hard work", the life will not live up to your efforts!
Boys and girls, you may be chasing after entertainment stars, be envious of their lives surrounded by flashlight and their high social status, but do not forget such a group of people, they are the national heroes who "engage in world-shaking work but live incognito" and make great achievements in the struggle for the country and the society.
Among them was Academician Guo Yonghuai, a scientist who was awarded as the title of martyr. He went abroad for studying during the War of Resistance, and resolutely returned to the motherland to devote to the development of nuclear weapon in face of preferential treatment provided and obstacles set up by the American government. However, on the way of return of gaining important data, the plane crashed, and Academician Guo Yonghuan and his safeguards embraced tightly together to protect the briefcase containing top secret data. The briefcase is intact, but he passed away at his post.
And among them was Academician Huang Xuhua, who bids farewell to his wife and came to the experimental base swept by storm soon after his marriage, and has been working incognito for more than 30 years since then. No one of his parents, brothers and sisters knows where he went and what he was doing. Even if his father passed away and he did not return home, and his mother was 93 years old when they met each other again. After unremitting efforts and breaking through many technical difficulties, China has finally developed its own nuclear submarine, which is the story of a hero in silence!
Among them was Academician Lin Junde who is deeply rooted in the northwest China, has spent 52 years in the harsh gobi desert and participated in 45 nuclear tests. In the terminal stages of cancer, he was extremely weak, wearing oxygen mask, and processed the documents with the assistance with others. At the end of his life, he was eager to arrange and record the academic results and hand over his work to successors. He said he was a soldier and was worth in his life for make contribution to the country!
Boys and girls, do not blindly pursue the appearance, which only lasts for a while after all. What's the greatness of people? It is unremitting struggle! Only by integrating personal dream into one's country and working for it, can he transcend superficialness and transience and become the backbone of the country and the nation!
"A person must be with lofty ambition and strong will since he sustains great responsibilities and has a long way to go". Boys and girls, strive for the integrity of life, for the sake of family, the society and the country! To be the master and the winner of your own life!
Third, I hope you can pursue transcendence and be a "Transcender" of life
Boys and girls, in the face of future and life, will you live only for the interests of yourself or the minority? Will you lie in the comfort zone seeking ease and comfort? Can you hold up the ups and downs of the society, withstand the ups and downs of life, and truly remain indifferent whether be granted favors or be subjected to humiliation and be calm? Can you forget the mentality of desiring for winning and afraid of losing, and not be held back by low desires? Can you keep your mind empty and find an interest in peace during a busy schedule?
Boys and girls, a man may not succeed, but must make progress. This progress is the transcendence of the self, the environment and the life. You must transcend parochialism and prejudice, maintain curiosity, imagination and critical thinking, move from "individual" to "collective", and make your pattern and breadth of mind as broad as the sea! You must transcend fear and cultivate the greatest and most unbending noble spirit! You must transcend secular to make the life clear and beautiful!
I hope our students can treat the affairs of human life and others in good faith, exercise and keep fit, play the stringed instrument and sing, be proud of the work, be friend with flowers and trees live a healthy life and grow old gracefully.
I wish all of you believe in the strength of the dream, even if you live in the mud, do not give up looking up at the stars. One day, that little dream will give out a bright light to illuminate the whole life!
"the youth will still sprout in the place that sunshine do not reach, the flower of moss is as small as rice, but learn to bloom like the peony." In the boundless universe, we may be as small as dust, but we shall also live with dignity of people and pride of life! Please believe that as long as you have been stepping on the road, there will be no distance you can't reach!
Boys and girls, I remember a passage in Mr. Bakin's Being a Fighter, "what gives fighters directions is 'the future', for it gives people hope and encouragement. The fighter will never lose their youthful vigor." Today, I send this passage to all of you, hoping you can head for a future of infinite possibilities starting from Hunan University of Commerce like a fighter full of deep patriotic feelings, justice, fearlessness and compassion!
Boys and girls, after today, the baton of the spirit of Hunan University of Commerce will be handed over to you. Where you are, Hunan University of Commerce will be there, and the best of you is the best of Hunan University of Commerce!
Listening to your inner guidance and pursuing what you want, going forward bravely without fears. I hope you can treat yourself with a usual mind, serve the society with gumption and serve the country with a sincere heart. Please remember: Students of Hunan University of Commerce make the alma mater better, China better and the world better!
When you miss Hunan University of Commerce, you shall come back, and Hunan University of Commerce will always love you and welcome you!
I will all of you eternal youth! All the way is brilliant and the life is happy and peaceful! (Arranged according to the recording)
