Page 250 - VC Message

Leading with Purpose
Messages of the Vice Chancellor SELECTED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

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strength to the entire Universiti Malaya community. His Royal Highness’s presence not
only honours the event but reinforces the truth that the tradition of scholarship and
leadership always stands under the canopy of Royal wisdom. Thank you, Tuanku.

This year’s convocation feels exceptional. It arrives at a time when the world is filled
with uncertainty - a post-pandemic era, escalating geopolitical tensions, urgent
climate pressures, technology advancing faster than human values can keep up, and
widening social inequalities. Thus, our graduates are not merely stepping into the
world of work; they are stepping into a world that demands greater wisdom, moral
courage and self-awareness than ever before.

We are living in a global ecosystem full of contradictions. While global military
expenditure has surged beyond USD2.4 trillion annually, global education aid struggles
to reach USD20 billion. The cost of a single modern cruise missile could fund the
schooling of more than 4,000 children for an entire year. One fighter jet could build
hundreds of rural schools or finance thousands of university scholarships. Yet, more
than 700 million people continue to live in extreme poverty.
These are not mere statistics - they are a reflection of a world out of balance, a world
that prioritises conflict over compassion, power over people, and speed over wisdom.
And this is the world that our graduates will inherit, and must help to restore.

The first session also witnessed an important achievement: out of 686 PhD graduates,
156 successfully completed their studies on time (Graduate On Time). Yet behind
these numbers lie long stories of struggle - sleepless nights, prolonged pressure,
resilience in the face of failure, and determination that never faltered. All of this proves
that academic success does not appear overnight, but is the result of enduring mental
and emotional strength.