President Tang, distinguished guests, graduates,
I would like to warmly welcome everyone attending the graduation ceremony today. The pandemic has once again prevented us from gathering in person, but I am delighted to be able to celebrate this day of joy with you virtually.
To all of our UIC graduates, I would like to offer my most sincere congratulations to you on successfully completing your degree. I salute every one of you because it has not been an easy few years. The pandemic has disrupted campus life, class activities, face-to-face gatherings and international exchange.
Despite the troubles and constraints, you have managed to overcome them and adapt to the changes. You have demonstrated diligence, dedication and resilience. It is truly an extraordinary achievement for you to attain your degree under such difficult circumstances. When you look back, you will find that you have come a long way at UIC.
Graduation means you are entering another stage in life, where you can show the world who you are and make your own mark. The possibilities out there are infinite and exciting. However, the world we live in today is by no means a utopia, where everyone lives in perfect bliss and everything is handed over on a silver platter.
Our world is really not in good shape: The COVID-19 pandemic continues and its impact lingers on; the geopolitics and conflicts among nations have led to an economic downturn, humanitarian crises, an energy shortage, and food supply issues, compounding the situation is the acceleration of climate change. The list of problems goes on and on.
We may ask ourselves: “What can we do to save this planet? How can we give hope to the world?” We urgently need to implement changes, we need intelligent and innovative solutions and we need them as soon as possible.
As UIC graduates and global citizens, you have the power and the ability to be the “silver lining” in these dark and gloomy times. A silver lining often appears in the sky behind dark clouds and it represents a ray of hope in a difficult situation.
You may be fresh graduates, but with the liberal arts education you have received at UIC, I believe you are well prepared and equipped to embrace the challenges out there and find ways to resolve the problems in this world.
Liberal arts education is about nurturing all-round individuals who can think critically and use their creativity to make a difference. At UIC, apart from the knowledge and skills relevant to specific subjects, we emphasise the importance of building your soft skills and personal qualities.
We don’t just want you to become a learned person, but also someone who is curious, diligent, creative, compassionate and adaptable, so that you may apply your knowledge and skills in purposeful and meaningful ways.
To illustrate the importance of being an all-round person, let me share the story of Sir Isaac Newton. He is remembered as one of the greatest physicists of all time, and yet he was also a mathematician, an astronomer, a theologian and an author.
Not long after he obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in 1665, the University had to close in response to the Great Plague that was spreading in England at that time, and Newton had to work from his home in the countryside. To us who have lived through COVID since 2020, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Despite the plague, Newton adapted to the new environment and kept himself intellectually busy. He continued to work on mathematical problems, carrying out experiments with the prisms that he had acquired, and he also spent time checking out the apple tree outside his window. Yes, that’s the apple tree that you have probably all heard of.
All of these moments paved the way for the subsequent invention of calculus, the creation of his theories on optics, and the discoveries that led to his famous Laws of Motion.
To me, as a physicist, gravity is the most important of all the laws of nature and one of the most amazing discoveries in science. On the one hand, it holds our universe and planets together, but gravity is also a powerful force that directs change and it has forever re-shaped how humankind understands the world and the universe.
For sure, Newton was smart and knowledgeable, but it took more than just intellect for him to be successful and achieve what he did.
Newton himself highlighted the role of diligence and the ability to think critically as he once said: “If others would think as hard as I did, then they would get similar results.” He also expressed how he was driven by his sense of curiosity, pointing out that “no great discovery was ever made without a bold guess”.
Newton’s story illustrates how soft skills and qualities are just as crucial for they provide the conditions and grounding necessary for intellectual inquiry and problem-solving. Eventually, Newton’s contributions enlightened the world.
If Newton sounds a bit remote to you both in terms of time and achievements, let’s see how my colleagues at Hong Kong Baptist University showcase their expertise and caring DNA. At the beginning of the fifth wave of the outbreak in Hong Kong, they fought against COVID-19 day and night:
Our team of Chinese medicine practitioners worked tirelessly to offer clinical treatments on the frontline whether at the telemedicine centre or the holding centre set up by the Government; our experts in counselling provided emotional support to COVID patients and their carers who were facing huge psychological pressure; our supporting staff pulled together swiftly and coordinated the supplies and manpower in support of the Chinese medicine online consultation service.
By putting our heads and hearts together, we turned herbs into hope, pain into power and sickness into strength; we drew on our sense of innovation when we conceived our treatment methods and strategies; and our adaptability helped us find ways to operate when we had limited resources. It was our diligence and compassion that enabled us to sustain our services to protect lives amid the pandemic.
As you enter a post-university chapter, no matter what your specialisation is, and no matter which domain you will be working in, don’t forget that you can be the silver lining that people can look up to.
Be the ray of hope that you would like others and you to see.
Be ready to take part in changing this problem-stricken world for the better.
In the years ahead of you, take advantage of the liberal arts education you received at UIC and contribute towards a brighter future shared by all humanity. I would certainly expect nothing less from a UIC graduate.
Once again, congratulations to all of you and I wish you the best of luck and every success in your future.
汤校长、各位来宾、各位毕业生：
很高兴在今天的毕业典礼见到各位，因为疫情，我再次未能和你们亲身见面，但我庆幸能以虚拟方式和各位庆祝这个大日子。
对完成学位的各位UIC毕业生，我向你们送上最诚挚的祝贺，还要赞赏你们。因为疫情，这几年你们过得不容易，校园生活、课堂活动都给扰乱了，面对面的聚会和国际交流也受到影响。尽管疫情带来各种不便和限制，你们还是克服并适应了变化，展现了勤奋、专注、灵活的特质，在如此困难环境下取得学位，确实是了不起的成就，当你回望在UIC的日子会发现自己进步良多。
毕业意味着你将会进入人生另一阶段，是时候向世界展示自己的实力，做出成就、打响名堂，发掘让人兴奋的无限可能。然而，我们今天的世界，绝不是一个完美幸福、一切都唾手可得的乌托邦。当今世界很纷乱，新冠疫情未止，影响依未退散，地缘政治和国际冲突导致经济衰退、人道危机，能源短缺和粮食紧张，气候变化令形势雪上加霜，问题可谓数之不尽。我们也许要自问，我们能怎样拯救世界？怎样才能给世界带来希望？ 我们迫切地需要做出改变，需要明智和创新的解决方案，而且越快越好。
作为UIC毕业生和世界公民，你有能力为世界带来希望，如同黑暗中的一线光，天上的乌云背后往往藏有一线光 ，代表困难中蕴藏的一丝希望。就算你只是当届毕业生，但你在UIC接受过博雅教育，我相信你已经做好充分准备迎接挑战，为这世界的问题找出解决方法。博雅教育旨在培养全面的人才，够慎思明辨，用创意带来改变。除了教授特定学科的知识和技能外，还强调培养软技能和个人素质，希望你不仅成为一个博学通才，要成为一个好奇、勤奋，有创造力、同情心和适应力的人，有目标和有意义地应用知识技能，有所作为。
为什么成为全面的通才很重要？让我分享牛顿的故事吧。众所周知他是最伟大的物理学家之一，他同时是一位数学家、天文学家、神学家和作家。1665年他从剑桥大学本科毕业后不久，由于英格兰爆发瘟疫，大学必须关闭，牛顿也不得不留在郊外的家工作。对于2020年以来经历疫情的我们，听起来很熟悉，对吧？尽管受到瘟疫影响，牛顿没有停下来，他努力适应新环境，继续研究数学问题，又用棱镜进行实验，还花时间去观察窗外的苹果树，没错，就是那棵著名的苹果树。他所做的这些事，为他后来发明微积分、构建光学理论和发现人所共知的“运动定律”建立基础，依我这个物理学者之见，“万有引力”是最重要的自然定律，也是最惊人的科学发现之一，它将宇宙和地球紧扣在一起，也是能引起改变的强大力量，重塑了人类如何理解世界和宇宙。牛顿肯定是很聪明，也有学识，但他所以能够成功，并不是仅靠才智，牛顿一直强调要努力，慎思明辨同样重要，正如他说过：“如果像我一样努力思考，任何人都可以取得相似的成果”。他还指出好奇心给他推动力，说：“没有大胆的猜测，就没有伟大的发现。”牛顿的故事说明软技能和软素质的重要，因为它们为探索知识和解决问题提供了必要的条件和基础，牛顿的贡献最终启发了全世界。
但如果这位历史伟人，对你来说有点遥不可及，那让我介绍香港浸会大学的同事如何展示专业知识和关怀之心。早前香港爆发第五波疫情，他们日以继夜地与新冠病毒搏斗。浸大中医团队在远程医疗中心以及政府设立的暂托中心孜孜不倦地提供前线临床治疗，我们的辅导专家为承受巨大心理压力的患者与照顾者提供情绪支援，我们的后勤团队也迅速协调物资和人力支援中医的在线问诊服务。通过众人齐心协力，我们用医药燃起希望，将痛苦化为力量，将疾病化为健康，我们运用创新思维构思治疗方法和策略，我们的适应能力则让我们在有限资源下探索出运作办法，是我们的努力和爱心促使我们维持服务，在疫情中守护生命。当你大学毕业后进入新阶段，无论你的专业是什么，无论你在哪个领域工作，别忘记你也可以是人们仰望的一线光。来当一道给他人和自己希望的光，为改变这个世界出一份力，在未来的岁月里，好好利用你在UIC接受过的博雅教育，为人类创造更美好的未来，这是我对各位UIC毕业生的期望。再次衷心祝贺各位，祝你们前程锦绣，鹏程万里！
