毕业声| Desta Tesfaw:从南南学院毕业是幸福,也是责任

发布日期:2019-07-01 08:15    来源:

本文为2019年6月29日北大国发院暨南南学院2019届毕业典礼上,南南学院毕业生代表,埃塞俄比亚籍博士毕业生Desta Tesfaw的发言。

南南学院博士毕业生Desta Tesfaw作为学生代表发言

Speech by Desta Tesfaw, Representative of the 2019 graduates of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD)

Dear guest of honor, professors, fellow graduates, families and friends, invited guests,

It is my great honor and pleasure to deliver a speech representing the graduates of ISSCAD in this grand graduation ceremony. First of all, I would like to congratulate all the graduates of today. Indeed we have to be proud of graduating in the prestigious Peking University by fulfilling all the expected academic standards through hard work and tireless efforts.

We acknowledge that our success is also the result of the unreserved and tireless efforts of our professors, administrative staff, and others who are involved in the program. It could not even be achieved without the support of our families and friends. Our success is also the result of the hospitality and helpfulness of Chinese citizens in our day to day activities regardless of the language and culture differences. They have made their extra efforts to support us to feel always at home. Please join me to thank all of them on behalf of the graduates of ISSCAD.

Above all, our success is the result of the visionary leadership of the great nation, the People's Republic of China. President Xi Jinping announced that China would set up the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) during the 70th Anniversary Celebration of the United Nations in 2015. By now, ISSCAD has admitted and graduated students from 50 developing countries. We witnessed in our study here how China's initiative is useful and relevant to strengthen the South-South cooperation and development. The program gave us an opportunity to share experiences and to create linkages and friendship for our future endeavors. Please join me again to express our sincere appreciation and to thank President Xi and the people of China for providing us this valuable opportunity.

Why you chose China for your study was the common question different people have asked me during the last three years. I think my fellow graduates may also experience the same. In some cases, the issue is linked to the perceptions about the relationship between China and Africa. My common answer is, "It is because the miracle economic development of China has attracted me." As nectars and pollen of flowers of the plant attract honey bees, China’s miracle economic development also currently attracts many people from all over the world. As we understand from the basics of economics, human beings are rational in their choices. Therefore, our decision to study in China was a rational and valuable choice.

The study program of ISSCAD is designed to teach theories and tools of national development, supported by empirical evidence from China and other successful countries through scientific teaching-learning methods. It is practical oriented and tailored to develop problem solving capacity of students. We understand from our study that there are relevant lessons from the China's 40 years reform and opening up journey which is relevant for developing countries, as long as they are correctly identified and contextualized with the situation of each country. Furthermore, the current stage of development of China creates opportunities and the latecomer's advantage for other developing countries. If we can utilize the opportunities and latecomer's advantages, as Shakira and others sang during thw 2010 FIFA, “this time is for Africa” and other developing countries as well.

In the current highly globalized world, the development of other developing countries has also direct and indirect effects on China's current and future development. As we are here in China, there are also many Chinese in our countries engaging in different activities. Whether we understand it or not, whether we like it or not, we are linked to each other. There is an Ethiopian proverb “ድር ቢያብር አንበሳ ያስር” which means “when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion." Yes, indeed if we unite and join hand in hand, we can solve the challenges and difficulties our countries are facing. We appreciate China's exemplary and elder brother's role in the South-South cooperation and development which is guided with principles of mutual benefit, solidarity, and equality. I have confidence that graduates of ISSCAD will serve as ambassadors of South-South cooperation and development for a better world in which poverty is remarkably declined, and prosperity is shared.

All of us the graduates of today have upgraded one level of the academic ladder. The doctoral degree graduates, in particular, we have got a new title “doctor”. How do we feel about it? For me, I have mixed feelings. I feel the happiness of achievements of my hard work in one hand, and I feel the responsibility, which is heavier than other responsibilities felt in the past. Most of us came from countries in which our people have been suffering from different challenges and problems. With such a title, our people expect better services and amicable solutions from us. Thus, today is the beginning of the new chapter of life for us which requires translating our knowledge and skills to practice through greater efforts and continuous learning.

Finally, I wish all the best and successes in our future journey.

Thank you very much!