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【Graduation Speech】Building a Bridge to the Future

Jul 09-2025   



*This article is based on the speech delivered by Huang Yiping, Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University and Director of the National School of Development, at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony.

 

Congratulations to the Classes of 2025 on their successful graduation! The graduation ceremony is a time for celebration and farewell. As students leave school, they will experience both brilliance and setbacks. I hope that the sense of family and the cultural tradition of harmony in diversity at NSD will provide you with the spiritual strength to move forward bravely.

 

As you know, there is an ancient bridge in the center of Chengze Garden called the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge. To the north of the bridge is the Qing Dynasty Royal Garden, now home to the School of South-South Cooperation and Development. To the south is the modern teaching building, home to the National Institute for Development Studies. Thus, Shi Ping Ancient Bridge connects the ancient and the modern, as well as the Chinese and the foreign. Graduates walk out from here to start a new life.

 

Ms. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, recently visited Beijing. She said that the Chinese people are building a bridge to the future through their diligence and hard work. Building a bridge to the future is precisely the historical responsibility you will assume after crossing the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge.

 

The current artificial intelligence technology revolution sweeping the globe is beginning to penetrate all aspects of the economy and society. It is not limited to DeepSeek or Yushu Technology, and it provides us with new means to build a bridge to the future. Experience has shown that during a general technological revolution, the countries that benefit the most are not necessarily those that invented the technology, but rather those that can apply the new technology more quickly and effectively. So, does China have a chance to be the biggest beneficiary of the AI technology revolution? This will require scientists, entrepreneurs, and laborers — including today's graduates — to collaborate to drive economic innovation.

 

Open-mindedness and the courage to experiment with new theories, technologies and models are important conditions for economic innovation, as is the courage to break down preconceptions. This is particularly pertinent in the internet era, when the problem of the “Information Cocoon” is becoming increasingly serious. Before stereotypes are broken, we tend to believe in them. I have many preconceptions myself. For example, I used to be very resistant to running, but recently my classmates encouraged me to start running. I used to think running was an extreme sport unsuitable for the general public, but I now feel better after every run. I use my own experience to show you that stereotypes are meant to be broken.

 

Economic innovation should prioritize humanistic care and strike a reasonable balance between efficiency and fairness. Only in this way can the bridge we endeavor to build lead to a good future. Recently, Mr. Cai Fang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) suggested that AI innovation should prioritize employment. Professor Spencer, the Nobel Prize winner, also said in his speech at PKU NSD that AI should be a tool to assist people, not the other way around. Ultimately, the purpose of economic development is to improve people's quality of life.

 

The students are about to enter a world full of uncertainty, but also an era of vitality. We suggest that students take a photo on the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge in Chengze Garden, as it is from here that they will be heading towards a new world and a new era.

 

Once again, congratulations to the students on their graduation!

【Graduation Speech】Building a Bridge to the Future

Jul 09-2025   



*This article is based on the speech delivered by Huang Yiping, Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University and Director of the National School of Development, at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony.

 

Congratulations to the Classes of 2025 on their successful graduation! The graduation ceremony is a time for celebration and farewell. As students leave school, they will experience both brilliance and setbacks. I hope that the sense of family and the cultural tradition of harmony in diversity at NSD will provide you with the spiritual strength to move forward bravely.

 

As you know, there is an ancient bridge in the center of Chengze Garden called the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge. To the north of the bridge is the Qing Dynasty Royal Garden, now home to the School of South-South Cooperation and Development. To the south is the modern teaching building, home to the National Institute for Development Studies. Thus, Shi Ping Ancient Bridge connects the ancient and the modern, as well as the Chinese and the foreign. Graduates walk out from here to start a new life.

 

Ms. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, recently visited Beijing. She said that the Chinese people are building a bridge to the future through their diligence and hard work. Building a bridge to the future is precisely the historical responsibility you will assume after crossing the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge.

 

The current artificial intelligence technology revolution sweeping the globe is beginning to penetrate all aspects of the economy and society. It is not limited to DeepSeek or Yushu Technology, and it provides us with new means to build a bridge to the future. Experience has shown that during a general technological revolution, the countries that benefit the most are not necessarily those that invented the technology, but rather those that can apply the new technology more quickly and effectively. So, does China have a chance to be the biggest beneficiary of the AI technology revolution? This will require scientists, entrepreneurs, and laborers — including today's graduates — to collaborate to drive economic innovation.

 

Open-mindedness and the courage to experiment with new theories, technologies and models are important conditions for economic innovation, as is the courage to break down preconceptions. This is particularly pertinent in the internet era, when the problem of the “Information Cocoon” is becoming increasingly serious. Before stereotypes are broken, we tend to believe in them. I have many preconceptions myself. For example, I used to be very resistant to running, but recently my classmates encouraged me to start running. I used to think running was an extreme sport unsuitable for the general public, but I now feel better after every run. I use my own experience to show you that stereotypes are meant to be broken.

 

Economic innovation should prioritize humanistic care and strike a reasonable balance between efficiency and fairness. Only in this way can the bridge we endeavor to build lead to a good future. Recently, Mr. Cai Fang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) suggested that AI innovation should prioritize employment. Professor Spencer, the Nobel Prize winner, also said in his speech at PKU NSD that AI should be a tool to assist people, not the other way around. Ultimately, the purpose of economic development is to improve people's quality of life.

 

The students are about to enter a world full of uncertainty, but also an era of vitality. We suggest that students take a photo on the Shi Ping Ancient Bridge in Chengze Garden, as it is from here that they will be heading towards a new world and a new era.

 

Once again, congratulations to the students on their graduation!