Dear Professors & Classmates,
Good morning!
The decision to come to China to do a Master’s degree, for me at least, was not an easy one. This was not from a fear of distance from family or friends; but from the fear of the unknown. I am sure many of you had similar feelings when deciding to pursue higher education abroad. Aristotle said “the roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Who am I to disagree with the founder of Western philosophy, but I have dispute with Aristotle on this on. The roots planted in me here were far from bitter, but as we graduate today I know the fruits our time here will be sweet.
Each of us will have benefited enormously from our experiences at Tsinghua in numerous different ways, but I believe that this Master’s will have a particularly profound effect on the direction of all our lives for three major reasons:
Firstly, because of the world-class quality of the program. The breadth of classes offered by this course, in a foreign language, and most importantly at such a high quality of instruction, is a remarkable achievement of the SPPM and Tsinghua University. We have shared the privilege of studying at China’s top university with its most distinguished professors. On what other course are you able to study topics as varied as Global Public Health and Technology and Entrepreneurship in the same semester? We have been able to consolidate previous interests but also develop new lines of enquiry.
The second reason why this master’s will be of lasting advantage to us is no less important. We are all aware of the crucial and ever growing role that China already plays in global economics, politics and civil society. But how many people have had the opportunity to gain a first hand understanding of the nuances of this country? No matter what we go on to do, China will touch our professional lives. Moreover, this program has encouraged an international dialogue, and I for one have enjoyed having previous assumptions challenged by both fellow students and professors. At Oxford, many of my classmates and professors shared broadly similar notions about the topics we were studying. Here, I remember one class in particular, when I raised a point about the effect of Chinese SOEs bringing their own Chinese labour to operations in Africa as well as more relaxed attitude to local human rights conditions. My African classmates challenged me immediately for what they saw as my neo-colonial attitude. From the very start this master’s has taught to challenge our preconceptions.
The final reason this program will have lasting value for us all is the diversity and strength of the relationships we have made. Our classmates come from all corners of the globe and who knows the many ways in which they will benefit us all in the future. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the SPPM for bringing us together. Beyond the personal relationships we have developed in this room, this degree has put us at the forefront of a greater process of global integration.
Three years after deciding to come to Tsinghua, it has undoubtedly proven to be one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. The credit for this must go to the care and dedication invested in this program by the SPPM, both from the professors who have taught us as well as the administrative staff who have looked after us and put up with the endless problems only students seem able to come up with.
I mentioned at the beginning of this speech my fear of the unknown. Such fear is the source of much misunderstanding and is an obstacle to progress. The acclaimed English novelist Charlotte Bronte said “Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilised by education.” By challenging us to engage in meaningful debate about a huge range of issues within International Development, this Master’s has cultivated in us the ability to open our minds to new perspectives.
On behalf of all of the students here I would like to thank every faculty member of the SPPM who have made this experience so fruitful.
Thank you!
(Made by MID representative Christian Nordby)
