By Azman Zakaria
SERDANG, Jan 13: Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Mohd Roslan Sulaiman, urges every graduate to use the knowledge they obtained during their studies to develop the country and help the citizens to excel.
He said graduates should use all the knowledge obtained in their studies to become good citizens of the country.
“Ikutlah resam resmi padi, semakin berisi semakin tunduk ke bumi,” (the more knowledge and power you have; the more humble and down to earth you should be) he said in his speech at Session 6 of the 44th Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Convocation Ceremony here today.
At the session, UPM Pro-Chancellor, His Royal Highness Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, conferred the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees, and Diplomas to 945 graduates.
Professor Dr. Mohd Roslan said that as educated individuals, graduates must always be responsible for their actions since they will inherit the country and protect civilisation.
In this regard, he said, the idea of ihsan (compassion) ingrained as the main component of humanity’s noble values was very important to be appreciated.
“A graduate must be professional, ethical, and trustworthy in job demands. The greater the value of compassion is in a person, they will have a higher value of integrity that will manifest through the person’s attitude and actions," he added.
He said UPM was committed and will always ensure the personality and development of students remain the main agenda in the pursuit of success because individuals who achieve academic success will be far superior with admirable personalities and characters.
He said to realise this noble aspiration, UPM had put in efforts to produce graduates who are resilient in facing future challenges as one of the main goals in the UPM Strategic Plan 2021-2025, which was launched last year.
"I believe with the outlined characteristics desired by UPM, the graduates can be agents of change and heroes of humanity to the community and the society towards the well-being of life for success in this world and thereafter," he said.
He also reminded the graduates not to forget the support from their parents because the success of attaining a degree did not come by itself but through the support and immense sacrifices of their parents.
“Parents are the backbone of a graduates' success and always willing to give their support in good or bad times while studying.
"Show your devotion and be of use to them, and make them happy, as they have done for all of us," he said. - UPM
