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Premier gives graduating students words of advice

“There are too many people — government officials included — who have knowledge but no common sense.” — Liu Chao-shiuan, premier

A solid knowledge base must be complemented by good old common sense, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) advised students yesterday at a graduation ceremony.

“Knowledge is important, but you have to have common sense, too, to be able to make good use of that knowledge and understand by analogy. Yet there are too many people — government officials included — who have knowledge but no common sense,” Liu said.

He encouraged National Sun Yat-sen University’s graduating class to face challenges in difficult times with “knowledge, common sense, vision, insight, bravery and appreciation.”

Liu told the graduates that the world they would encounter upon leaving school was one struggling with a financial crisis.

“Only change can transform challenges into opportunities,” Liu said.

Liu, a former professor of molecular chemistry who has served as president of National Tsing Hua and Soochow universities, said he always got sentimental at graduation time.

Liu said he felt immense hope at seeing each year’s graduates eagerly embark upon the next chapter in their lives.

On unemployment, Liu said the government would spend NT$30 billion (US$915 million) over the next two years on 16 proposals expected to create 70,000 jobs and 42,000 training opportunities for applicants with university degrees.

Citing renewable energies as an example, Liu said Taiwan was not a follower but an innovator and “does things other [countries] do not dare to do,” which would allow it to play an increasingly important role in the international energy market.

He further cited as examples two projects under the national energy development plan: one to convert tidal energy into electricity and one to eliminate nuclear waste.

Later yesterday, Executive Yuan Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said Liu was not singling out any government officials with his comment on common sense, but wanted to emphasize the importance of common sense.

Liu was not implying that any members of the Cabinet lack common sense, Su said.
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