Speech by Dean Men Honghua

At the 2020 Commencement of the School of Political Science & International Relations

Dear Students and Teachers:

Today, the 2020 Commencement of the School of Political Science & International Relations of Tongji University is grandly held. It is a special occasion to review the gain and loss in your study life, the hardship and happiness in your growth, bidding a formal farewell before you move on to the next stop in life. Held under the special circumstance of fighting COVID-19, it is the only graduation ceremony that is not attended by parents in the 11 years' history of the School. But I believe, the hearty congratulations, blessings and wishes from parents will never change! First of all, let's express gratitude to parents. It's their cultivation, care and tolerance that have offered you the warmest harbor during the COVID-19 outbreak and a rare memory of companion right before you fly the nest. Of course, my best wishes are for all the students who are about to graduate.May you go ahead against all odds, navigate the pandemic calmly, and bring out the best in you at the new stage!

To read ten thousands books and travel ten thousand miles is the ideal for intellectuals. The latter half reflects a yearning for practice. Traveling in famous mountains and rivers to cultivate the awe-inspiring noble spirit will lay a solid foundation for you to leave college and bring your talents into full play in society. The change of times brings both challenge and opportunity. And the once-in-a-century change is significant not only to a country, but also to each individual. How lucky you are to live in a changing world full of possibilities!

Now, the world is undergoing the greatest changes in a century; and China is embracing a critical moment for national rejuvenation. The timeframes of the three centenaries converge. As we are still thinking about how to achieve the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, big changes are already happening in the domestic and international conditions for the realization of the second centenary goal of fully building a modern socialist country. To deal with such changes is not only the mission of our country, but also the responsibility of us and you younger generation. Unprecedented in both width and depth, the changes represent an evolutionary process of the competition between the established powers and emerging countries. They are fundamentally driven by the technological and industrial revolution and the acceleration of power shift. They are profoundly manifested in the uncertainty of the world. Now the world is standing at a crossroad, facing major choices between unilateralism and multilateralism, confrontation and dialogue, and self-seclusion and opening up. And the drastic change in ideology serves the biggest dynamic catalyst for the once-in-a-century change. In this situation, no country or individual can survive alone or become a savior. Cooperation is the only way out. How precious it is to act in the spirit of solidarity in face of difficulties! This is the enlightenment of the times, and it is also your responsibility.

In this context, the most eye-catching change is that China has moved from the edge to the center of the world stage and become an influential player. The country is at the juncture of moving from a big country to a powerful one. The far-reaching impact of its rapid development has never seen before in a hundred years.And its strategic vision and moves have attracted worldwide attention. At a time when countries in the world are generally lost in confusion, China has firmly grasped the pulse of the times, vigorously promoted the construction of a new type of international relations and a global community of shared future, and become a mainstay in a chaotic world. To look at China against a global backdrop, we see the progress of the country and the needs of the world and get a better understanding of the sentence from the Tao Te Ching: 'the effect will be seen in the person, by the observation of different cases; in the family; in the neighborhood; in the state; and in the kingdom.' The boundless love contained in it endows us with the treasure of profound philosophy, and boosts our confidence in China's rising to be a leader in promoting strategic cooperation and healthy competition! Over 99 years,the CPC has gone through the storm and brought to China and the world a rainbow in the new era! It is the Party's birthday today. Let's extend our best wishes to the party and country together! Let us stay true to our original intention. Let us embrace the rain and the rainbow!

You have experienced the unprecedented changes and the COVID-19 outbreak in the world. Congratulations! Because life experience is very important, and positive thinkingis even more so. This idea is reflected in many poetic lines from famous poets in ancient China. For example, Su Shi of the Song Dynasty wrote, 'What is known and compared to human conditions everywhere? Answer: Chinese geese who fly and leave footprints in the snow and mud.' Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty wrote, 'If you are not frustrated in life, how can you know your shortcomings?' Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty wrote, 'The moon sinks in the mirror sky, to join the clouds and towers in the ocean dye.' Life has its ups and downs; it is full of uncertainty. Don't call a predicament a failure, but see it as a chance. Just as written by Wang Wei of the TangDynasty, 'Walking until the water's edge, I sit and watch as clouds rise up and appear.' From experiences, you learn to think and react calmly and live a successful life. As a rainbow appears after a storm, all you need is to remember the original aspiration and keep moving!

As a teacher, I sincerely wish you all the best in the future! However, life does not follow a linear path. It often has twists and turns. So I hope you will be fearless of trials and gossips and move forward calmly to become winners in life. At the time of parting, what you are yearning for is perhaps to embark on a new journey to realize your ambition. As teachers, we send our best wishes and meanwhile, hope you can stay true to your original aspiration, keep improving yourselves, and work for a better world. I'd like to share with you a sentence from the Tao Te Ching as a parting advice:

'Tao when nursed within one's self,

His vigor will make true;

And where the family it rules

What riches will accrue!

The neighborhood where it prevails

In thriving will abound;

And when 'tis seen throughout the state, Good fortune will be found.

Employ it the kingdom o'er,

And men thrive all around.'

Best wishes! Thank you!