17/09/2020
[Keynote Speech For The 44th Graduation Ceremony]
by Mr. Yip Wai Cheong, M.H.
(Community Engagement Director of MWYO;
BSTC Alumni in class of 2000)
//Dearest F.6 graduates of “Sin Tak”,
Congratulations!
This is your ‘big day’! You’ve made it! You’ve completed the journey and today we celebrate your success! In these difficult times, you’ve put in much effort to learn and grow as worthy people although you were surrounded by chaos, confusion and heartbreak for our beloved Hong Kong. Yet on this great day, we must not forget the friendship and support that you have for each other throughout these 6 years and especially 2019. It gives me great honour to be here to share this moment with you as well as a few words from an “old boy of Sin Tak”.
Exactly 20 years ago, I was like you finishing a chapter of my life at Sin Tak and looking forward to the start of another new chapter. It was exciting, but in my heart I knew that some of my classmates, including myself, were worried about the change and unknown. It is normal to feel anxiety at this moment because in life there is no right or wrong. In fact, we all go through different paths and no one is supposed to have the same life. Perhaps, over the last 6 years, your life was in a similar pattern as all your friends, every day you have similar schedule, teachers, enjoying similar activities and probably gossiping about the same people and issues. But, from today onwards, don’t be surprised how every one will choose completely different paths of life, no matter whether it is by choice or not, eventually, all will be different. Right now you may not like this change but to survive in this global world you need to embrace change and diversity. We live in a diverse world and this is what makes this world beautiful and colourful, making life interesting and exciting.
During my years studying at the university, I had the chance to work in Kenya where I witnessed the devastating effects of extreme poverty, the prevalence of HIV and all kinds of inequity between people. These were all shocking to me because I came from a stable Hong Kong. The Hong Kong of those days was quite different from today’s Hong Kong. During the end of my stay in Kenya, I asked myself what education meant to me. In my parents’ days, education was a mean to support the family and improve one’s life. What about me? After searching for some years, I finally came to the answer. I thought with my education and life experiences, I would like to devote myself to help and alleviate some of these global problems that still continues to plague the world especially the victims. With that determination, I worked in war-torn countries like Palestine, Afghanistan and Myanmar and tried my best to bring relief to the people there.
Now, in your generation, the world is completely different. You have high speed technology. The world is literary at your fingertips, with just a click away. What does education mean to you? Of course, you can follow the footsteps of your parents, the advice of your teachers and senior friends. I am sure they will give you sound advice but I would like to share with you my humble perspectives.
You are living in the time where the world is more polarized than ever. This polarization is not created purely from political ideology like the 1970s and 1980s, but it is related to the prevalence of social media and the explosion of information. Sometimes, in the excessive waves of information flow, it is very hard for every individual, including me, to understand and digest every information.. As a result, while it seems we know a lot, it can also mean that we know very little. The situation is worsened when we take into account the inaccurate information flowing in our social media world.
Today, we are somehow paralyzed or polarized by the massive tsunami of information.
So, what does education mean to you? From today onward, you are entering into a bigger world, a more diverse society, be it university, college or at a work place, life may seem to be too big and complex. It is my dearest wish that with all the knowledge that you had gained in the last 6 years at Sin Tak and in the school of hard knocks that is called Life will help you to overcome your fears and uncertainty. I truly hope that you will stay humble, be curious and kind, as well as courageous in facing all the challenges that life throws at us.
Be humble and you will have the courage to accept new knowledge and study diligently the different schools of thought, instead of being dogmatic and believing that you already have the truth.
Be curious because there is still a universe of knowledge waiting for you. Enjoy the learning process, ask questions, explore the beauties of this world and human civilizations.
Lastly, be kind to everyone, including yourself. Our world is full of diversity and differences. You will encounter these differences in personality, personal tastes, politics, beliefs, values and many more. In order to live with happiness and harmony in this era of social polarization, we should be courageous in embracing diversity. it is not important that you have to agree with every one, but be able to agree to disagree and respect every others’ opinions.
Over the last twelve months, many of you have lived with frustrations and bitter arguments with friends, teachers and family members. Whatever the reasons, be humble to listen and search for truths that you may not have known, be curious to explore the differences and more importantly, be kind to them, especially, your teachers and family members. No matter how bad the argument was, without a doubt they will always love you and care for you as from the first day you stepped into the gates of Sin Tak
I wish you all the best and a pleasant journey ahead!//
(*The ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic unfortunately.)
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