NTU President Encourages Graduates: Resilience and Interdisciplinary Learning Can Change Society

National Taiwan University held its graduation ceremony today. In his speech, President Chen Wen-chang pointed out that in an era of rapid AI development and constant change, "resilience" is particularly important. He encouraged graduates to maintain curiosity, engage in interdisciplinary learning, and help others through concrete actions to ultimately change society. A total of 11,543 students from bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs graduated from NTU this year, with 8 students graduating with a single "university bachelor's degree." In his speech, President Chen said, "The world you face is different from any previous generation." Today, as AI develops rapidly, knowledge acquisition has become very easy, and the definition of ability is being rewritten. As technological tools become more powerful, what is left for humans? He believes it is value judgment, empathy, creativity, and a sense of responsibility to society. President Chen stated that, as Cambridge University President Chris Smith explained, university education is not just about the acquisition of knowledge, but about the cultivation of whole-person development. This includes broadening horizons, transcending boundaries, exploring unimagined interests and passions, and growing into the best version of oneself. Such people are more capable of responding to the times, influencing society, and even bringing about real change. Such abilities cannot come from a single discipline, and problems in the real world never belong to any single field. True innovation that changes the world is often born at the intersection of different fields, which is why NTU continues to promote interdisciplinary learning, cultivating students' ability to understand and respond to the world. President Chen pointed out that in this era of high uncertainty, "resilience" is particularly important. There will definitely be moments of failure in the future, and efforts may not be rewarded immediately, but please believe that these experiences will not be in vain; they are accumulating the strength to move forward. When facing failure, confusion, or even needing to stop to repair yourself, remember to have the courage to face your vulnerability. "Only those who have walked through difficulties can go further," he said. He also cited Lin Hung-ming, Chairman of ASPEED, a company leading in remote server management chips, as an example, noting that Lin faced unemployment in middle age but continued to improve in adversity, lying low for 20 years, and eventually led the company to its peak. Lin's experience shows that true success is not never falling, but never stopping moving forward. President Chen said that when facing reality, one still needs to look up to ideals, justice, and responsibility. The value of education is not just to achieve an individual, but to give people the ability to persist in reality, move forward in ideals, and ultimately bring change to the world. Finally, President Chen encouraged the graduates: "Stay curious and keep learning," "Be brave to cross boundaries and try actively," and "Stick to values, be honest and altruistic." Wherever you are in the future, please explore the unknown with curiosity, walk with others with empathy, and choose the person you want to be with a sense of responsibility.