GRADUATİON SPEECH 2015

Dear Graduates, Families, Esteemed Guests,

Welcome to the Girne American University’s 29th Graduation Ceremony! In a matter of minutes, more than 800 of you will walk across this stage.

Today, you are graduating from a world-class higher education institution, which transcends the frontiers of nations, and politics. You are already ahead of other graduates, for you have lived and experienced an international atmosphere, which will help you in transitioning and adapting to change in this new Information Age. Just like you, GAU is transitioning into a new era as well. We had the privilege of celebrating our 30th year of our founding through various celebrations this academic year. We are now leading the path towards our 50th year in education, and we could not have been prouder of the achievements of this institution. Today, we are seeing GAU move up in various international university rankings, and we are adding new affiliations and accreditations. However, we know too well that the real success story lies beyond the statistics, in the stories of success we hear of our graduates. We are seeing a greater number of our students excelling in their careers and in their graduate school careers in some of the top European and American Law, Engineering and Business Schools. We are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of staying plugged in to the changing trends in higher education, technology, job markets and the political terrain to nurture new leaders who have a more holistic view of the grandest challenges facing humanity – and to understand how interconnected these challenges are.

When founding GAU, we imagined building a different university: one that was more concerned about bringing world standards home, and one that was mindful the role universities play in the development of societies, and contributes to building alliances between civilizations. This dream has since stayed with us. As we head towards our 50th milestone, we are taking on a variety of new initiatives. In thirty years we had the opportunity to lay the groundwork for our Multiversity system with our campuses on three continents. As we approach our 50th year, we intend to increase this number to five continents. In this new era, GAU will implement new changes to better adapt to changes in order to compete better, and to thrive. We will be continuing to look outward to bring innovation and knowledge home. Yes, it is a lot of work sometimes, but it is certainly worth it. After all, as Sir Ken Robinson says: “We cannot succeed in navigating the future by peering relentlessly into a rear view mirror.”

Graduates,

Today you become a member of the great GAU Global Alumni Community. You join a network of approximately 10,000 graduates, among which are government ministers, parliamentarians, CEOs, and non-profit sector leaders. I hope you continue being our Ambassadors and our Diplomats to all new and prospective students from around the world. Wherever you go, I hope you continue to stay in touch with your faculty and your friends. Remember GAU as your teacher and your mentor; as the place where your intellect grew and you grew as a person. We will continue to work hard to ensure that your GAU Degree is a source of distinction and pride. As we part our ways, I would like to share a last few words about what lies ahead, and share my parting wish.

You are now entering a phase in your life that is unprecedented, and unscripted. This will be a time of repetitive occasions of losing and regaining balance. You will notice that the only norm in your life has become the change itself. My wish for you is that you see each moment of change in your life as an opportunity to grow, learn and enrich your life. From today onwards, you embark on a new way of learning. You will learn by growing older, loving, suffering, bearing with things that you can and cannot change. You will learn from your mentors, work, family and friends. Most importantly, you will learn from yourself. I urge you to willingly, enthusiastically, and actively to continue learning all your life: Learn from your successes, and more importantly from your failures.

Graduates, your achievements are impressive but you have not realized success on your own. You have been supported by parents and other family members, by friends and by GAU Faculty, staff and other students. And many you have been supported by generous donors who provided scholarship gifts.Graduates would you join me in thanking those who have been supported you in realizing your success here. Let’s give a round of applause to all those who made today possible!

I wish you the best for your lives, embrace the challenges and get ahead of the change. Find your purpose and take your share in shaping the new world. The new world doesn’t appear by any natural law but it is created but by connected thoughts and actions of myriads of individuals who are beset by the passion of making the world a better place for all.

In this era, we are living by the phrase “Be One-As One” Our mission is to prepare the next generation of the leaders, advance human life, inspire innovation and entrepreneurs ship and enhance  the quality of life. Graduates of 2015, you are leaders, you are advancing human life, you are innovators and entrepreneurs and you are enhacing the quality of life.

I declare: Mission Accomplished

Become creators of the Future. You can do it and my best wishes are with you.

I congratulate you wholeheartedly on your graduation, and wish you all the best on your new journey!

Thank you,

Serhat Akpinar,

Chancellor, GAU