Cherish your youth, advises Professor Kuo
In his speech, titled “Embracing boundless hope”, Professor Way Kuo reminded students to heed the “inner treasure” of their youth and be ready for all the opportunities life had to offer.
He quoted Greek philosophy that said knowledge was like a circle. Inside lies the knowledge one has acquired, and outside lies the unknown world, which is beyond one’s scope of understanding. But as your knowledge accumulates, this circle expands. Once the circle is bigger, you become humble because you are more aware of the vastness of the unknown world, Professor Kuo explained.
“This anecdote tells us there is no time for self-congratulation. We need to be forever searching for new solutions, new challenges, new ideas and new knowledge,” Professor Kuo said.
He then quoted the American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau, who said in his essay Life Without Principle that the aim of the labourer should not be just to get “a good job” but to perform well at a certain kind of work; not to work for low ends but for a scientific or moral purpose. “According to my experience, people who are successful love what they do, can’t wait to get their job done, and look forward to the challenges ahead,” Professor Kuo said.
Professor Roderick Wong Sue-cheun, Vice-President (Development and External Relations) of CityU, also attended the ceremony and presented awards to the students.