SEPANG: The first batch of university students have graduated from Xiamen University Malaysia.
It is the first university from China based in Malaysia. At the convocation ceremony here yesterday, 371 students – 242 Malaysians and 129 from China – received their bachelor’s degree.
Among the degrees awarded were Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Chinese Studies (Hons), BA in Journalism (Hons), Bachelor of Economics in Finance (Hons), Bachelor of Management in Accounting (Hons) and Bachelor of Management in International Business.
He told graduates that Malaysia was a confluence of four great civilisations in the world and provided them with exposure to diverse cultures.
“Either in the Greater China region, China-Asean Free Trade Area, or in the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, there are tremendous rooms for you to shine brilliantly, ” he said in his speech during the convocation ceremony.
Tan urged the graduates to be concern with public affairs, to influence society and be responsible to the future of the country.
He said with the development of economy and the prevalence of democracy, education had been widely accessible and it was not uncommon anymore for one to possess a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree.
“Hence, from being the pillars of a country, graduates today have taken the role as the cog in the machine yet significant in different industries.
“I encourage the youngsters of the 21st century not only to be ambitious, but to look into the matter of how a tiny yet significant cog should be cultivated, and how one should be trained, ” he said.
Tan added that in facing the unpredictable and challenging future, university students should prepare their mind, develop and expand their knowledge and proactively connect themselves to the global network of knowledge to practise lifelong learning.In order to be well prepared for the 21st century, one should continuously improve themselves, he added.
He also reminded them that they must have a global vision, humanistic qualities and humane care, qualities that future global citizens need to possess.
“This is the strength that can never be replaced by artificial intelligence.
“The cultivation of future talents should conform to this global trend, ” he said.
In his speech, China Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian urged the graduates to keep their mission firmly in mind, pursue a meaningful life and contribute to the development of their countries, alma mater and friendship between Malaysia and China.
He said the Pakatan Harapan government led by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had been keen on developing China-Malaysia relations and bring more tangible benefits to the two countries.
“In recent years, we have witnessed closer people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia, ” said Bai Tian.
Last year alone, three million China tourists visited Malaysia and 1.29 million Malaysians visited China, he said.“Today, there are more than 50,000 students (from China) studying in Malaysia and nearly 10,000 Malaysian students studying in China, ” he said.
（Source: The Star, 29.9.2019)
