The commencement season has officially arrived. This year's graduating class actually includes two prominent government officials, Council of Labor Affairs Chairperson Chen Chu (
Chen Chu and Su serve as exemplary role models for life-long learning. Despite their busy work schedule, they attended most of their classes and were absent only when absolutely necessary. Unlike other politicians who often commission others to write their dissertations, Chen and Su penned their own.
Such enthusiasm and commitment to self-enrichment and learning must be encouraged given the backdrop of a faltering economy in Taiwan. In fact, this year's graduating class is entering the job market at its lowest point in the past twenty years. In addition to the dwindling number of jobs, the threat of foreign labor competition in the local job market looms large with Taiwan's expected entry into the WTO. The only way to fight this uphill battle is to remain competitive in the job market by constantly updating one's skills. Therefore, learning should be viewed as a life-long journey that doesn't end with graduation from high school or university.
During his speech at Sun Yat-Sen University, the president advised students to face challenges and tribulations with "three nos" -- "no pessimism, no self-limitations and no forgetting of [one's] goals." Of these three nos, the first is an immediate challenge to this year's graduates to overcome the abundant pessimism permeating society today.
Therefore, it is truly encouraging to see the optimism of those graduating, as demonstrated by the creatively energetic graduation parties and commencement ceremonies they devised.
There were also those schools that sought to add a deeper level of meaning to their graduation ceremonies and celebrations. Case in point: the National Normal University (
Sometimes it is, however, very hard to remain optimistic when people can't stop talking about the bleaker side of things. In this regard, the media share a certain amount of responsibility for their sometimes exaggerated reporting on the depressed state of the country's affairs.
A recent survey indicates that more than 50 percent of the interviewees felt that twenty years hence life in Taiwan will be worse off than it is today. This is quite a departure from the "Taiwanese pride" exhibited by nearly all of the people of Taiwan not very long ago. Prospects for the economy may not be rosy right now, but Taiwan cannot afford to cling to pessimism.
Stop all the moaning and groaning about how bad things are and start fixing problems, so Taiwan's coming generations will have no reason to be anything but optimistic.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.