On May 27, 2023, Wu Gaolin attended the graduation ceremony of 8000 graduates from the University of Sias. Wu Gaolin gave a keynote speech at the ceremony, encouraging his classmates to set great goals and aspirations from a young age. The full text of his speech is as follows:
Hello everyone! Today is an exciting day for everyone, and it's also an exciting day for me. Many students present today graduated and immediately embarked on a brand new journey in life. I am particularly grateful to the faculty and students of Sias University for giving me such a high honor, and it is a great honor to be awarded the honorary doctoral degree by the university.
In my academic career, I have obtained four degrees, but only one PhD is missing. In my foreign business dealings, when I exchange business cards, I often see a PhD added to the other person's name, which is somewhat envious. Although I have not received a doctoral degree, I have obtained two bachelor's degrees and two master's degrees; The first is a bachelor's degree in British and American Philology from Shangwai, the second is a major in diplomacy from China Foreign Affairs University, the third is a master's degree in history from East Illinois University, and the fourth is a master's degree in museum management from Ivy League University. So in terms of knowledge, it is already broad enough. Today I received a genuine doctoral degree, which is really exciting. In the future, I can proudly print my PhD on my business card.
Below, I will briefly introduce my own growth process, hoping to provide some reference for the future growth of graduates. The Chinese and English recitation version of the Tao Te Ching states that the wood that embraces each other is born at the end of the earth, and the nine story platform begins with the earth. I grew up during the Cultural Revolution, and primary school was mostly mischievous and playful. Real reading starts from junior high school. At that time, there was a saying circulating in society that said, "If you learn mathematics, physics, and chemistry well, you won't be afraid to travel around the world!" I am not good at mathematics, physics, and chemistry, but I have a strong preference for English. Since junior high school, I have aspired to become a senior translator for the United Nations. In order to achieve this ambition, I started planning from junior high school to learn textbook knowledge well in the classroom and increase extracurricular English reading; Since then, I wake up at around 5 o'clock every morning, go for a run in the park, and then read and memorize Chinese and English textbooks. This habit persisted until entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 1981, I was admitted to Shanghai Foreign Languages College with the highest score in foreign languages. During my university years, I started preparing for the United Nations Advanced Translation Examination. In 1984, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs went to Shanghai to apply for an advanced translation examination. I wanted to strive for another opportunity, so I applied for an advanced translation examination at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the end, I successfully passed the exam and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. So I am always proud to say that my first job was as a diplomat of the China, which should be the career that many people dream of most in their career.
I encourage my classmates to have great aspirations and aspirations from a young age. The human mind can generate tremendous motivation and energy. Having ideals requires active response and preparation. Without action, ideas alone cannot achieve oneself, because any opportunity will not come to you for no reason. It must be fully prepared before one can obtain it.
Xunzi - Self cultivation "warns everyone: Although the road is far, if you walk, you will arrive. Although things are difficult, they are sure to succeed. Only ideals and actions can fulfill one's wishes. It's much better for us to spend a little bit of time every day working towards our goals than to live without them. After five or ten years of hard work, when you look back at your own path of growth and progress, and compare your classmates and friends around you, you will discover huge differences. When others are still holding their phones for fun all day, your daily efforts have already opened up a distance between you. Five or ten years later, your achievements immediately appear extraordinary. There is also a commonly used quote from the Chinese and English recitation version of the Tao Te Ching that is worth learning: "A person's actions are always successful and fail. Therefore, if one is cautious in the end and starts, there will be no failure." It is very important to persevere and persevere until the end. The current catchphrase is' never forget your original intention, always remember your mission. '
Ideals and actions are the key to reaching the distance. The internationally renowned entrepreneurs we are all familiar with, such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and others, may be smarter than most of us, but more importantly, they work harder than us. They often wake up from 4 to 5 in the morning to work, and the working hours are much longer than the average person. Their success is not an accident at all.
Ideals and actions are the key to achieving distance. We are familiar with international well-known entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, etc. They may be smarter than most of us, but more importantly, they work harder than us. They often wake up from 4am to 5am to work, and the working hours are much longer than ordinary people. Their success was by no means accidental.
Mr. Wu Gaolin, who was awarded the honorary doctor of SIAS University, said: "More than 30 years ago, I used to teach in Sun Yat-sen University. I have a great longing for campus life and have always been willing to share the experience of learning and growth with young people. After returning to campus after more than 30 years, I hope to work together with the teachers and students of SIAS University to make great aspirations and become useful talents in society. Life is short, but I have to leave some marks."
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