【國立臺灣大學 109學年度畢業典禮 貴賓致詞】
Commencement Address, National Taiwan University Commencement 2021

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巨大集團 羅祥安前執行長
Giant Group Former CEO Anthony Lo

管校長，羅副校長，各位貴賓，畢業生的家長跟朋友們，還有今天最重要的2021年臺大的畢業生，大家早安、大家好！

首先恭喜你們，今天從全世界最優秀大學之一的臺灣大學畢業了！
在過去幾年，在管校長，以「大學教改」和「國際化」的理念，率領全體師生的努力之下，臺大在全世界的能見度，和各項排名，都有顯著的進步，也讓身為校友的我們倍感光榮。

是不是我們大家一起鼓掌，給自己鼓勵一下好不好！

你們今天剛剛畢業，但是你們已經創造了臺大一項新的紀錄：第一次，沒有傳統畢業典禮的畢業生。這將是你們人生一個非常特別的回憶，也預表了你們未來將會有與眾不同的表現，和非凡的成就。

現在的世界，局勢是在東方跟西方的勢力，彼此對抗而動盪不安。而全世界的經濟活動，也因為科技的突破性創新，而受到很大的影響。不盡理想的、不盡公平的全球化，也將逐漸地變成 全球在地化。而COVID-19肆虐全球的結果，使得臺灣跟全世界，大家的生活型態、社會的結構、經濟活動的節奏都被打亂了，而必須要加以全面的整理跟重新的架構。這當然是一個危機，但是更是一個絕好的機會。所以，將你們迎面而來的，是無數的創新的機會，以及冒險卻令人興奮的全新挑戰。

因為臺灣，這是第一次跟全世界各個國家，同步的站在一個嶄新的共同起跑點上面。所以我要恭喜你們，你們躬逢其會，將要進入一個充滿希望、嶄新的時代。

我是1969年從臺大畢業的，所以我想今天就以我畢業之後的50多年，人生的一些學習和體會，來跟諸位分享，給諸位作個參考。

當我大學畢業的時候，我滿懷抱負，迫不及待地想要大展身手，我當時進入臺灣最大的貿易公司工作，但是我發現我所學的很多東西，只有一些國際貿易的實務跟英文有用，至於其他我所學習到的經營管理的很多知識，恐怕都要等到10年、20年之後，如果我有幸當上高級主管才能派上用場。

更諷刺的是，我是商學系畢業的，但是工作兩年後，我發現我真的不喜歡做商人，我也不喜歡做生意，我有興趣的是做事業。

後來，幸好我有聆聽我心裡面的微弱的聲音，決定踏進自行車業，放棄掉台北最好的貿易公司的金飯碗，而去參加在大甲一個只有38個人的小公司，來追求我的夢想。

那時候許多人認為我腦筋有問題，頭殼壞去，但現在回顧回來，我當時是做了人生一個非常好的決定。

創業的過程飽受艱辛，但是我也學到了很多寶貴的經驗：我首先學到的，是在做事之前，必須要先學做人。

人必須要誠信踏實，不能自私自利，而要利他共好。

要隨時心存感恩，尊重、關切別人。要熱愛這個世界，並且要了解到一個人的能力是有限的，而必須要去建立互信、互助的人際關係；要融入群體、要發揮團隊的精神。

在做事方面，一定要以正面積極的態度，認真努力去工作。 而且不要怕失敗，要勇於接受新的挑戰。因為如果有失敗了，那只是代表說你又更靠近成功一步了。要作中學，學中作，要虛心好奇的終身學習，開拓挑戰、追求卓越。

在這裡，我想要送給大家一個很特別的畢業禮物，就是兩個「成功的錦囊」。
第一個錦囊：不管你做什麼工作，不論你職務的高低，永遠都要站在顧客的立場，來為他們設想，還能做什麼，讓他們能夠得到更多的創新價值。

第二個錦囊：無論作什麼工作，不管你職務的高低，永遠都要站在經營者的角度來為公司設想，要做什麼，才能讓公司更健康，永續經營跟發展。

既使你們把我後面講的很多東西都忘記了，沒關係，但是這個畢業禮物你們一定要記得帶回去，因為這些「同理心」的兩個錦囊，在未來會給你們帶來意想不到的祝福！

其次我體會到，名跟利都是副產品。正產品是你成為什麼樣的人，成就什麼樣的事。當正產品是對的時候，名跟利都自然會來。

所以我鼓勵大家在找工作的時候，不要太計較開始的薪水和待遇。因為事實上，一個新人，在前面三年是很難有大的貢獻的，反過來只是公司發薪水來給你培訓而已。所以選擇一個有意義的行業，找一家你可以學習進步的好公司，這才是重要的。

第三，我學習到 知識不等於智慧。諸位都學有專精，有很多寶貴的知識，但這些知識必須要實際去做才能夠產生經驗，而累積的時候會有不同經驗的反省、學習、跟體會，尤其是從那些失敗的經 驗，才能夠漸漸地凝結成有用的智慧。
我的成長過程分成三段，開始我是一個「I」型的人，我擁有一些經營管理的基本的能力。後來因為工作的需要和我的好奇心，我漸漸地學習到技術開發、製造生產、品牌推廣、全球經營、以及行銷、服務等等寶貴的經驗，這樣漸漸地，我就形成一個「T」型的一個跨界的人才。但是到了我真正找到公司未來的使命跟方向，並且把它跟我的人生目標結合在一起，熱情的、積極去推動的時候，那時候我終於成為一個「十字架」型的一個領導者。

當公司發展得比較穩定之後，我就面臨要如何來替公司規劃願景、使命、定位，跟長期策略。在這個階段，我有一些新的體會：首先，你必須要能夠畫出一個「黃金正三角形」，正三角形是最穩定的，上面是戰略，中間是戰術，下面是戰鬥。先要有正確的戰略，才能衍伸出有效的戰術，再根據這個戰術去貫徹戰鬥的執行。換言之，戰略就是做對的事情，戰術就是對的方法，戰鬥就是用對的方法去把事情做對做好，並且不斷地去持續改善。

想要能夠思考出長期的戰略，就必須要有洞察力。

我很喜歡看地球儀，就是那種在一個架子上面，有一個可以轉動的地球模型。當你把地球轉動的時候，你看到上面每一個地方、每一個國家，它的地理位置、它的自然生態，以及你思考它的歷史的演變跟它的發展，這樣子你就能夠得出一個整體的，跟全方位的一個概念。

在思考長期戰略的時候，很不容易得出一個有突破性的一個創見，它的原因往往是因為「當局者迷」的關係。

所以當我考慮長期戰略的時候，我會把自己設想，好像從一個人造衛星上面，來觀看一個轉動的地球。以宇宙格局的高度，以全球視野的廣度，以歷史演進的長度，這樣子你就能夠以一個「旁觀者清」的姿態和角度，來正面、反面深入思考，這樣子你就可能得到一個突破性的一個解答。「世界的捷安特」跟「全球在地化」的品牌經營—這樣子的策略、願景就是這樣產生的。

另外一種洞察力，是如何推出給人們有創新價值的產品跟服務。這就要時時地站在人文跟科技的十字路口，仔細觀察它們的變化，然後活用科技的進步，為人文潛在的需求，適時地提供最佳的解決方案。捷安特的Cycling世界，就是用這種方法，不斷的推出創新價值的產品。

我們在經營上也有發展出一個特別的理念，那就是「不求第一，要作惟一」。全世界的人這麼多，但沒有兩個人的指紋是一樣的， 所以每一個人都是獨一無二、都是惟一的。可見當上帝造每一個人的時候，祂都有衪特別的計劃，而且也把成功所需要的能力跟要素，已經放在你的心中，等待你取用。所以每一個人不應該只是模仿別人，或者是按照別人的期望來生活，而應該要找出並且發揮自己的天賦，真正做自己，成為惟一，才能夠活出精采的生命。

企業也是一樣，不能隨波逐流，必須要找出什麼才是對的，什麼是合適你的，什麼才是有意義、對這個世界有貢獻的，這個才是惟一。當你精益求精，努力的想要成為惟一的時侯，你才能夠找到真正正確的目標，以及永續生存的價值。如果事事都想為第一，那麼你可能去追求很多不切實際的目標，而被你無法承受的巨大壓力所摧毀。或者，因為不擇手段，最後走上一些錯誤的道路。
在長期追求惟一的過程當中，我也得到兩個重要的體會：當你決心做一件對的事情，而且不屈不撓，勇敢堅持奮鬥的時候，全宇宙的力量都會起來幫助你。另外，把一件有意義的事情，用生命的力量把它作好，你就有可能改變這個世界！

我鼓勵你們，聆聽你們內心深處的微小的聲音，讓它引導你們，去尋找到你們的天賦，了解你們的命定。

不求第一，要作惟一。做你真正的自己，成為惟一。活出你精彩的生命，享受你幸福的人生！

很多人說，生長在臺灣的人，一輩子裡面一定要完成三項挑戰：登玉山、泳渡日月潭、還有騎自行車環島。我覺得這非常有道理。所以我建議大家在畢業以後，在去當兵、就業之前，不妨參加一個自行車環島的旅行團，用九天的時間，仔細的去體會、欣賞寶島臺灣的美好，用自行車的輪胎去親吻，這塊生你長你的美麗大地，就當作是送給你自己的一個畢業禮物吧！

那教授們跟家長們，可能會想說，啊！太可惜了，我畢業的時候沒有騎自行車環島，我現在已經五六十歲了。沒關係，你這個年紀正好來從事人生的壯遊。
我們臺大的校長－管校長，在今年的一月份，就勇敢的完成他夢寐以求的自行車環島的壯遊。我們給管爺一個掌聲好不好？

有人認為臺灣很小、沒有前途，真的是這樣嗎？世界經濟論壇每年都要把全世界的國家的實力做一個調查跟排名。讓我們來看一下臺灣的排名。全世界有235個國家，就面積來講，我們排名第137；就人口來講，第57；就經濟體來講，第21；就整體競爭力來講，排名第11；而創新力，臺灣排名第4。沒錯，臺灣的確不大，但是我們很強，我們可以很有前途！

可預見的，未來的世界將會成為美、歐、亞三區鼎力的這個新局面。就像三個圓圈，各自都以自己的利益為優先，並且彼此長期的競爭、對抗和抵制，但是同時又不得不相互的維持一些必要的連結。而在每一個圈裡面，它將持續的有很多劇烈的改變，就像一個暴風圈一樣。而這三個暴風圈連結在一起，就形成一個所謂完全風暴PERFECT STORM。

最近經濟學人雜誌，把臺灣當作封面，稱臺灣為地球上最危險的地方，但同時又是科技業最關鍵的地方。我個人倒認為，未來臺灣可能是處在一個最有利的地位，就在那三個暴風圈中間的那個颱風眼，也就是這三個圈圈彼此連結交會的中心點。這個地方看起來好像危險，其實是最安全、最有利、又是最關鍵的地方。

當三個暴風圈無可避免的，參與在一個長期的競爭、對抗、跟抵制－這樣一個零和的賽局裡面。那臺灣並不屬於任何一個圈圈，也不需要去參與這些競爭、對抗跟抵制。而可以去想說，我可以在這個關鍵的中心點，替這個世界來提供什麼樣子的創新價值的貢獻。

臺灣過去50年的努力累積了很多技術開發、製造管理、金融資本，社會資源，以及民主法治體制，這些稀有而寶貴的實力。而且如果以全世界作為舞台，那麼，能夠精通中文跟英文、能夠深切的了解東方西方的文化；有專業，又能跨界，謙卑而不自卑，自信而不自大的臺灣人，可能是全世界最優秀的人才。

未來無法被預測，但是可以被創造！30年前，有誰能夠預測到說臺灣會產生世界級的台積電跟捷安特？

台積電秉持著作惟一的理念，以全球晶圓代工的戰略，厚植實力，打造了優質高效的供應鏈，把臺灣變成一個科技島。以臺灣為核心，轉動引領全世界的半導體市場。

捷安特也秉持著作惟一的理念，以世界的捷安特，全球在地化的品牌戰略，帶領A-Team把臺灣變成全世界高級車的中心，又積極的推動Cycling的新文化，把臺灣發展成一個自行車島，以臺灣為核心，轉動引領全世界自行車的市場。
在這裡我也期許我們臺大，也能夠以作惟一這樣子的理念，轉動引領世界，變成全世界最優秀人才培養的最佳搖籃。

未來的50年，臺灣將迎來前所未有最大的機運！所以臺灣是不是應該要脫離過去單純競爭的心態，而來積極的謀求長期的未來生存之道，或者更進一步要問自己：臺灣可以為世界貢獻些什麼？臺灣不應該只是消極的「根留臺灣」，而應該更主動積極的「放眼全球、立足亞太、深根臺灣」。

臺灣過去的50年，那是一個非常艱辛跟特別的階段。很慶幸的，臺灣在那個階段裡面，是屬於勝利的這一組。

現在是應該到了必須要了解過去、深入現在、策劃未來，這個重要關鍵的時刻。要如何的以宇宙格局的高度、以全球視野的廣度、以及歷史演進的長度，衡外情，量己力，來為臺灣重新的定位，重新畫一個正確的戰略、戰術、戰鬥的黃金三角形。讓臺灣能夠真正發揮自己的長處，能夠打造創新價值的優勢，成為惟一、做Only One！要能夠創造一個更安全、更廣闊、更興盛－全新的藍海。臺灣必須要成為世界的好公民，繼續的為全世界做更多、更好的貢獻！
2021的畢業生們，在你們當中有未來國家的領導人、有全球企業的創造者、有在社會各行各業、方方面面的核心人才，所以臺灣未來50年的未來，就掌握在你們手中了。

最後，我想用一位著名科學家的名言來作結尾： Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. 人生就像騎自行車，要保持你平衡最好的方法，就是繼續不斷地向前進。

你知道這是誰的名言嗎？ 沒錯，就是愛因斯坦！

2021的畢業生們，請你騎上你人生的自行車，勇敢的向前邁進，去開創你獨一無二、精彩無比的新生命跟未來。再一次，恭喜你們，並且祝福你們每一位，將來都能夠有健康、幸福、精彩跟有意義的人生！
謝謝！

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President Kuan, Executive Vice President Luo, Distinguished guests, family, friends, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2021, good morning!

First of all, congratulations! Today, you are graduating from one of the best universities in the world – National Taiwan University!

Over the last few years, President Kuan led the university forward with his vision of “educational reform” and internationalization”. Together with all the faculty and students, NTU has made significant progress in both ranking and global visibility, making us, alumni, extremely proud.

I think we deserve to give ourselves a round of applause!

You are the graduating class of 2021 and already, you have set a new record for NTU: For the first time, there will not be a traditional graduation ceremony. Let this be a very special memory of your life and a sign of the difference you will make in your future with extraordinary achievements.

The world is now in a volatile state where the East and the West are confronting each other. The world’s economic activities are also greatly affected by the breakthrough and innovations in technology. The less-than-ideal and less-than fair globalization will gradually become global localization. And as a result of COVID-19, Taiwan and the rest of the world’s lifestyle, social structure, and economy have been disrupted, and must be comprehensively reorganized and restructured. This is certainly a crisis, but in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity. So, what lies before you are countless opportunities for innovation, and exciting new challenges.

Because, for the first time, Taiwan is standing with the rest of the world on a new race-track. Therefore, I would like to congratulate you, you are entering a new era full of hope.

I graduated from NTU in 1969. It has been more than 50 years and today, I would like to share some of my life experiences and insights.

When I graduated from college, I was filled with ambition. I couldn’t wait to make my mark. I joined one of the largest trading companies in Taiwan, where I quickly realized the only materials I learned in school that came in handy are a little bit of international trade practices and English. Much of what I had learned about business management would only be relevant 10 or 20 years down the road, if I was lucky enough to become a senior executive.

What’s even more ironic is that I graduated with a degree in business, but after working for 2 years, I realize I really don’t like being a businessman, and I don’t like doing business. What I am actually interested in is building an enterprise.

Fortunately, I chose to listen to the faint voice in my heart and decided to enter the bicycle industry. I left my position at the best trading company in Taipei to join a small company with only 38 employees in Dajia to pursue my dream.

At the time, many people thought I must’ve broken my skull and gone crazy, but looking back, I have made a great decision in my life.

The process of starting my own enterprise has been very difficult, but I have learned many valuable lessons. The first thing I learned is that before you can do anything else, you have to learn to be a person of good character.

We must be honest, down to earth, selfless, self-serving, and altruistic for the common good.

Be grateful, respectful and caring at all times. To love the world and to understand that one person’s ability is limited and that is necessary to build interpersonal relationships of mutual trust and support; to be part of a group and to play as a team.

When it comes to work, you must work hard with a positive attitude. And don’t be afraid to fail, be brave enough to accept new challenges. Because every time you fail, it just means you are one step closer to success. Learning is an active process. We learn by doing. We must stay open-minded and curious, aspiring to lifelong learning; to explore challenges and pursue excellence.

Here I would like to give everyone a special graduation gift, which are my two tips for success:
First, always put yourself in the customer’s shoes, regardless of what you’re doing or what kind of job title you hold. Think for them, think about what else you can do to create more value for the customers.

Second, regardless of what you’re doing or what kind of job title you hold, always think about the company from the proprietor’s point of view; what can we do to build a healthier company that’s sustainable.

Even if you are going to forget everything I say later, that’ ok. Just remember to take your graduation gift at heart, because these two tips on “empathy “are sure to bring you unexpected blessings in the future!

Later on, I realized that fame and money are merely byproducts. The real product is you, what kind of person you have become and what have you achieved. When the real product is identified, fame and money will come naturally.

So I encourage you, when you look for a job, don’t be too concerned about the starting salary and benefits. Because as a matter of fact, as a newcomer, it is very difficult to make a big contribution in the first three years, so really the company is paying to give you training instead. So choose a meaningful industry and find a good company where you can improve and grow, that’s what’s important.

Thirdly, I learned that knowledge is not the same as wisdom. All of you have learned a lot and have a lot of valuable knowledge, but this knowledge must be practiced in order to produce experience, and in the process of accumulation, there will be different experiences of reflection, learning and empathy, especially from failure, slowly and surely all these experiences will be condensed into useful wisdom.

My personal development can be divided into three stages. I began as a I-shaped person with some basic skills in business management. Later on, due to my job and curiosity, I gained respected experience in technology development, manufacturing, branding, global marketing, and service and thus gradually becoming a T-shape multidisciplinary professional.

However, when I combined the future mission and direction of the company with my life goals, promoting it enthusiastically and actively, that is when I finally became a X-shape transdisciplinary leader.

Once the company became more stable, I was faced with the challenge of planning the vision, mission, positioning, and long-term strategy for the company. At this stage, I had some new insights.

First, you must be able to draw a “golden triangle”, an equilateral triangle is the most stable shape with strategy on top, tactics in the middle, and operations at the bottom. In other words, the strategy is to do the right thing, the tactics is the using the right methods, and operations is using the right methods to excel on doing the right things while constantly improving them.

To develop long-term strategies, it is necessary to have insight.

I enjoy looking at the globe, yes, the spherical model of Earth that sits on a stand and can be rotated. When you rotate the globe, you can see every place and country on it, its geographical location, its natural ecology, and you can think about its historical evolution and development, so that you can come up with an overall comprehensive concept.

When thinking about long-term strategy, it is not easy to come up with a groundbreaking idea, because “men are often blind in their own cause”

Therefore, when I think about long-term strategy, I imagine myself as if I were looking at a rotating Earth from a man-made satellite. With the height of the universe, the breadth of global vision and the length of historical evolution, you will be able think about it from the perspective of an observer, and then you may have a breakthrough. This is how the strategy and vision of “GIANT for the World” and “glocalization” brand management came about.

Another kind of insight is how to introduce the products and services to create additional value to people. This requires standing at the crossroads of humanity and technology, observing their changes carefully, and then using technological advances to provide the best solutions for the potential needs of humanity in a timely manner. This is how GIANT’s Cycling World continues to introduce innovative values to its products.

We have also developed a special philosophy in our business, which is “don’t be the first one, be the only one”. There are so many people in the world, but no two people share the same fingerprints, making each person unique and one of a kind. God created each person with purpose and has gifted us with the abilities and elements needed for success. All of which is in your heart, waiting for you to take them. Therefore, we should not just follow each other’s footstep or live under the expectations of someone else. Instead, we should find and give reigns to our talents, to truly be ourselves, to become the only one and live a brilliant life.

The same applies to businesses, you can’t just go with the flow, we must find what is right and suitable and what is meaningful and contributive to the world, this is what it means to be the only one. When you strive for excellence and strive to be the only one, you will find the right goals and the value of sustainability. If you try to be first in everything, you may pursue many unrealistic goals and either be destroyed by unbearable pressure or resort to doing whatever it takes, and end up on the wrong path.

I have learned two important lessons in my long quest to be the “only one”. When you are determined to do the right thing and you are unyielding and persistent in your struggle, the power of the universe will rise up and help you. In addition, if you do something meaningful and do it well with the power of life, you may change the world.

I urge you to listen to the small voice deep within you and let it guide you to find your talents and understand your destiny.

Do not seek to be the first but to be the only. Be true to yourself and be the only one. Live your life to the fullest and enjoy your life to the fullest!

Many people say that growing up in Taiwan, you must complete three challenges in your lifetime: climb to the top of Jade Mountain, swim across Sun Moon Lake, and ride a bike around the island. I think this is very true. Therefore, I suggest that after graduation, before you go to the military or get a job, you might as well join a bicycle tour around the island and spend nine days to carefully experience and appreciate the beauty of Taiwan. As a graduation gift to yourself, let the tires kiss the beautiful land where you were born and raised.

All the professors and parents must be thinking in regret, “Ah! Too bad! I didn’t ride my bike around the island when I graduated and now I’m already in my 50s and 60s…” But that’s okay! You are actually at the perfect age to start your adventurous life.

Our President of NTU, President Kuan bravely completed his dream bike tour around the island in January this year. Let’s give President Kuan a round of applause!

Some people think that Taiwan is small and has no future. Every year, the World Economic Forum conducts a survey and ranking of the strength of countries around the world. Let’s take a look at Taiwan’s ranking. There are 235 countries in the world and we rank 137th in terms of landmass, 57th in terms of population, 21st in terms of economy, 11th in terms of overall competitiveness, and 4th in terms of innovation. It’s true that Taiwan is not big, but we are strong and we have a promising future.

In the foreseeable future there will become a new situation in which the United States, Europe and Asia will be the three focal regions. Just like three circles, each of which prioritizes its own interests and is in long-term competition, confrontation and resistance, but at the same time has to maintain some necessary links with each other. And in each circle, drastic changes will be endless, just like a storm circle. These three storm circles are linked together to form a so-called PERFECT STORM.

The Economist magazine recently featured Taiwan on its cover, calling it the most dangerous place on earth, but at the same time the most critical place for the technology industry. Personally, I think that Taiwan may be in the most favorable position in the future, right in the middle of the three storm circles, the eye of the typhoon, which is the center point where these three circles are connected. This place seems dangerous, but in fact it is the safest, most favorable, and most critical place.

When the three storm circles are inevitably involved in a long-term competition, confrontation, and boycott - a zero-sum game. Taiwan does not belong to any of these circles, nor does it need to participate in these competitions, confrontations, and boycotts. Instead, situated in this critical position, I should begin to think about what kind of innovative value I can provide to the world.

Taiwan's efforts over the past 50 years have accumulated many rare and valuable strengths in technology development, manufacturing management, financial capital, social resources, and the democratic rule of law system. If the world is our stage, Taiwanese people who are proficient in Chinese and English, who have a deep understanding of Eastern and Western cultures, who are professional, who can cross borders, who are humble but not inferior, and who are confident but not arrogant, may be the best talents in the world.

The future cannot be predicted, but it can be created! 30 years ago, who could have predicted that Taiwan would produce globally renowned TSMC and GIANT?
TSMC is committed to the concept of being the only one, and has built up its strengths with its global foundry strategy, creating a high-quality and efficient supply chain and turning Taiwan into a technology island. With Taiwan as the core, TSMC is leading the worldwide semiconductor market.

GIANT also upholds the concept of "Be the only one" and leads the A-Team to turn Taiwan into the center of the world's premium bikes with the brand strategy of globalization and localization, and actively promotes the new culture of cycling, developing Taiwan into a cycling island and leading the world's cycling market with Taiwan as the core.

Here I also hope that we, NTU, can also lead the world with the concept of being the only one, and become the best cradle for the cultivation of the best talents in the world.

In the next 50 years, Taiwan will have the greatest opportunity ever! Therefore, Taiwan should get rid of the simple competitive mentality of the past and actively seek the long-term survival of the future, or go even further and ask itself: What can Taiwan contribute to the world? Taiwan should not just "secure Taiwan" in a conservative way, but should be more proactive with global outlook and establish a foothold in the Asia Pacific.

The last 50 years, for Taiwan, has been very difficult and significant. Fortunately, Taiwan pulled through and came out as one of the winners.

Now is the crucial moment to understand the past, delve into the present, and plan for the future. We must take the height of the universe, the breadth of our global vision, and the length of historical evolution, weigh the external situation, and measure our own strengths to reposition Taiwan and draw the golden triangle of strategy, tactics, and operations. Taiwan should be able to give full play to its strengths, create innovative value, and become the only one! Taiwan must become a good citizen of the world and continue to make more and better contributions to the world!

Graduates of 2021, among you are the future leaders of the country, the creators of global enterprises, and the core talents in all walks of life, the future is in your hands.
Finally, I would like to conclude with a quote from a famous scientist: Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

Do you know who this quote belongs to? That's right, Einstein!

Graduates of 2021, please get ready for your life adventure, get on your bikes and peddle courageously forward to create your own unique and exciting future. Again, congratulations and best wishes to each and every one of you for a healthy, happy, and meaningful life!

Thank you!

詳見：
https://www.facebook.com/NTUCommencement/posts/2718162161807541

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#臺灣大學 #畢業典禮 #NTUCommencement2021 #貴賓致詞 #羅祥安

今早為Asian Medical Students Association Hong Kong (AMSAHK)的新一屆執行委員會就職典禮作致詞分享嘉賓，題目為「疫情中的健康不公平」。
感謝他們的熱情款待以及為整段致詞拍了影片。以下我附上致詞的英文原稿：

It's been my honor to be invited to give the closing remarks for the Inauguration Ceremony for the incoming executive committee of the Asian Medical Students' Association Hong Kong (AMSAHK) this morning. A video has been taken for the remarks I made regarding health inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic (big thanks to the student who withstood the soreness of her arm for holding the camera up for 15 minutes straight), and here's the transcript of the main body of the speech that goes with this video:

//The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, continues to be rampant around the world since early 2020, resulting in more than 55 million cases and 1.3 million deaths worldwide as of today. (So no! It’s not a hoax for those conspiracy theorists out there!) A higher rate of incidence and deaths, as well as worse health-related quality of life have been widely observed in the socially disadvantaged groups, including people of lower socioeconomic position, older persons, migrants, ethnic minority and communities of color, etc. While epidemiologists and scientists around the world are dedicated in gathering scientific evidence on the specific causes and determinants of the health inequalities observed in different countries and regions, we can apply the Social Determinants of Health Conceptual Framework developed by the World Health Organization team led by the eminent Prof Sir Michael Marmot, world’s leading social epidemiologist, to understand and delineate these social determinants of health inequalities related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to this framework, social determinants of health can be largely categorized into two types – 1) the lower stream, intermediary determinants, and 2) the upper stream, structural and macro-environmental determinants. For the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized that the lower stream factors may include material circumstances, such as people’s living and working conditions. For instance, the nature of the occupations of these people of lower socioeconomic position tends to require them to travel outside to work, i.e., they cannot work from home, which is a luxury for people who can afford to do it. This lack of choice in the location of occupation may expose them to greater risk of infection through more transportation and interactions with strangers. We have also seen infection clusters among crowded places like elderly homes, public housing estates, and boarding houses for foreign domestic helpers. Moreover, these socially disadvantaged people tend to have lower financial and social capital – it can be observed that they were more likely to be deprived of personal protective equipment like face masks and hand sanitizers, especially during the earlier days of the pandemic. On the other hand, the upper stream, structural determinants of health may include policies related to public health, education, macroeconomics, social protection and welfare, as well as our governance… and last, but not least, our culture and values. If the socioeconomic and political contexts are not favorable to the socially disadvantaged, their health and well-being will be disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Therefore, if we, as a society, espouse to address and reduce the problem of health inequalities, social determinants of health cannot be overlooked in devising and designing any public health-related strategies, measures and policies.

Although a higher rate of incidence and deaths have been widely observed in the socially disadvantaged groups, especially in countries with severe COVID-19 outbreaks, this phenomenon seems to be less discussed and less covered by media in Hong Kong, where the disease incidence is relatively low when compared with other countries around the world. Before the resurgence of local cases in early July, local spread of COVID-19 was sporadic and most cases were imported. In the earlier days of the pandemic, most cases were primarily imported by travelers and return-students studying overseas, leading to a minor surge between mid-March and mid-April of 874 new cases. Most of these cases during Spring were people who could afford to travel and study abroad, and thus tended to be more well-off. Therefore, some would say the expected social gradient in health impact did not seem to exist in Hong Kong, but may I remind you that, it is only the case when we focus on COVID-19-specific incidence and mortality alone. But can we really deduce from this that COVID-19-related health inequality does not exist in Hong Kong? According to the Social Determinants of Health Framework mentioned earlier, the obvious answer is “No, of course not.” And here’s why…

In addition to the direct disease burden, the COVID-19 outbreak and its associated containment measures (such as economic lockdown, mandatory social distancing, and change of work arrangements) could have unequal wider socioeconomic impacts on the general population, especially in regions with pervasive existing social inequalities. Given the limited resources and capacity of the socioeconomically disadvantaged to respond to emergency and adverse events, their general health and well-being are likely to be unduly and inordinately affected by the abrupt changes in their daily economic and social conditions, like job loss and insecurity, brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak and the corresponding containment and mitigation measures of which the main purpose was supposedly disease prevention and health protection at the first place. As such, focusing only on COVID-19 incidence or mortality as the outcomes of concern to address health inequalities may leave out important aspects of life that contributes significantly to people’s health. Recently, my research team and I collaborated with Sir Michael Marmot in a Hong Kong study, and found that the poor people in Hong Kong fared worse in every aspects of life than their richer counterparts in terms of economic activity, personal protective equipment, personal hygiene practice, as well as well-being and health after the COVID-19 outbreak. We also found that part of the observed health inequality can be attributed to the pandemic and its related containment measures via people’s concerns over their own and their families’ livelihood and economic activity. In other words, health inequalities were contributed by the pandemic even in a city where incidence is relatively low through other social determinants of health that directly concerned the livelihood and economic activity of the people. So in this study, we confirmed that focusing only on the incident and death cases as the outcomes of concern to address health inequalities is like a story half-told, and would severely truncate and distort the reality.

Truth be told, health inequality does not only appear after the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, it is a pre-existing condition in countries and regions around the world, including Hong Kong. My research over the years have consistently shown that people in lower socioeconomic position tend to have worse physical and mental health status. Nevertheless, precisely because health inequality is nothing new, there are always voices in our society trying to dismiss the problem, arguing that it is only natural to have wealth inequality in any capitalistic society. However, in reckoning with health inequalities, we need to go beyond just figuring out the disparities or differences in health status between the poor and the rich, and we need to raise an ethically relevant question: are these inequalities, disparities and differences remediable? Can they be fixed? Can we do something about them? If they are remediable, and we can do something about them but we haven’t, then we’d say these inequalities are ultimately unjust and unfair. In other words, a society that prides itself in pursuing justice must, and I say must, strive to address and reduce these unfair health inequalities. Borrowing the words from famed sociologist Judith Butler, “the virus alone does not discriminate,” but “social and economic inequality will make sure that it does.” With COVID-19, we learn that it is not only the individuals who are sick, but our society. And it’s time we do something about it.

Thank you very much!//

Please join me in congratulating the incoming executive committee of AMSAHK and giving them the best wishes for their future endeavor!

Roger Chung, PhD
Assistant Professor, CUHK JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, @CUHK Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大學 - CUHK
Associate Director, CUHK Institute of Health Equity

I have recently perused Nicholas Kristof’s NYT piece “China’s Man in Washington, Named Trump”(https://nyti.ms/3h2JXh8). One paragraph in particular caught my attention: “A joke in China suggests that Trump’s Chinese name is Chuan Jianguo, or “Build-the-Country Trump.” That’s because Build-the-Country is a common revolutionary name among Communist patriots, and it’s mockingly suggested that Trump’s misrule of the United States is actually bolstering Xi’s regime.”

Kristoff also avows that since Trump’s ascension to presidency, the American nation became highly polarized. This is reflected in the current administration’s policies on climate change, foreign relations with established U.S. allies, and COVID-19 prevention, all of which are rather ineffective. It also seems like Mr. Trump and his team diverged from the traditional priorities, including promoting free trade, human rights, and other quintessentially American values. As described thoroughly by John Bolton, all these factors contributed to the declining standing of the U.S. in global politics.

What is more, many people fall prey to CCP’s propaganda and its interpretations of Trump’s actions, which only enhances China’s reputation.

But that might not exactly be the case.

The CCP apparently failed to utilize the window of opportunity created by the ineptness of the Trump administration, as China could have grown to the position of a leader by filling in the void left by the U.S.

During the 2016 APEC Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, Xi Jinping and his team actively supported the plans to establish the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, or FTAAP. In contrast, the United States withdrew its signature from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in early 2017. Coupled with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), this move bolstered China’s capacity to influence global investments and trade, high-tech mergers and acquisitions, and, overall, expand its geostrategic influence on the entire globe.

At the same time, various propaganda films about great power competition, military industry, and science and technology surged all at once, and gained remarkable following around the world.

All this provided a window of opportunity for the CCP to slowly change its course. Around the same time, the distrust for POTUS among U.S. allies’ reached its apex. According to polls conducted by the Pew Research Center, the distrust for the U.S. president in the U.K. reached 75%, 72% in Japan, 70% in Australia, and stunning 86% in France.

Had the C.C.P,. begun to open up at that time, or at least resumed the governance style of the Hu-Wen administration, it could have reaped the benefits of promoting liberalism where the U.S. failed to deliver. It was the time for Beijing to gradually enhance freedom of speech domestically, pursue sustainable infrastructural projects, gradually reform unfair barriers to trade, transform its S.O.E.s, strengthen protections for private ownership, and vitalize its start-ups and enterprises.

Moreover, were China to cease the genocide in East Turkestan and refrain from cracking down on Hong Kong's semi-autonomy, it would have greatly enhanced its global international image. Additionally, if paired with slow but steady reforms, Beijing’s respect for sovereignty of its peoples would have attracted a large amount of foreign investment, which in turn would have continued to buttress the country’s growth.

It is China prerogative to remain idle.
It might still be possible for Chinese “Dream” to come true.
Yet, a historic window of opportunity is now closed.

Xi assumed the tools of proscribing and stalling, which are completely antithetical to the aforementioned window of opportunity.

Today, China is more authoritarian, less flexible, and fully deprived of horizontal accountability. Its reliance on wolf warrior diplomacy backfired: for example, the Swedish parliament sought to expel the Chinese ambassador to Stockholm. Also, Prague, the capital of Czechia, terminated its sister-city agreement with Shanghai and instead signed a new one with Taipei. Last but not least, we ought not to forget about the recent fiasco in the relations with the United States who ordered the shutdown of China’s consulate in Houston. All of this took its toll on China’s reputation.

Its international standing and inability to replace the U.S. as the major global power are not the only issues China is currently facing.
As it experiences multiple domestic and international shocks, China struggles to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and tame the disastrous floods of Yangtze River. The swarm of locusts of biblical proportions is also crippling Beijing’s institutional capacity and may soon lead to food shortages. In fact, the precarity of food supply further diminishes the level of trust for Chinese authorities.

In 2019, the Pew Research Center conducted a public opinion survey to examine the international views of China. In the U.S., Argentina, the U.K., Canada, Germany, and Ukraine, only about 30% of respondents claim a favorable view of China.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages in the U.S., as many as 73% of U.S. respondents view China unfavorably.

Recently, the C.C.P. is losing its focus by continuously shifting targets. In fact, I believe there is no need for the C.C.P.to rely on nationalistic appeals, since in this new century values, business relations, and fair competition are all far more important than greater than delusive blood ties.
China lies only 130 kilometers away from us. Of course, we welcome dialogue and seek to avoid misjudgments. But we also distinguish between the C.C.P. and China. While we do welcome dialogue, but we will not be coerced to talk under unjust preconditions or in fear.

The only fair prerequisites are those of reciprocity, mutual respect as well as fairness and openness with respect for the rule of law.
Source: Pew Research Center

最近看到紐約時報中文版的一篇文章
<美國的川普，中國的「川建國」>，其中一小段是這樣的

「在中國，人們戲稱川普的中文名字是川建國。那是因為建國是共產黨愛國者中一個普遍的革命人名。它在諷刺地暗示川普對美國的治理不當實際上是在鞏固習近平的政權。」

裡面也提到，川普在任的幾年，國家更分裂，對於氣候變遷，傳統美國盟友，乃至於疫情處理等都相當拙劣，對於美國傳統的自由貿易、人權等價值也基本上都沒有太大興趣。這些方針，導致美國在世界的評價降低，波頓的新書也多有描述。

除此之外，許多不幸相信中共宣傳，又或者是中共圈養的小粉紅，特別故意愛宣傳川普增強中國的威望。

但這不是真的。

中共完全沒有掌握美國做得不夠好的地方，去增強其在世界的領導力。

在2016年時，秘魯的亞太峰會舉行期間，習近平政權爭取（RCEP）及亞太自由貿易區（FTAAP）談判；對比2017年初，美國剛宣布退出ＴＰＰ，加上中國到「一帶一路」和亞洲基礎設施投資銀行，中國當時在世界全面發揮投資貿易、高科技併購還有其地緣戰略的影響力。

也是那個時候，各種的大國崛起、大國軍工、大國科技的宣傳影片此起彼落，似乎正準備要在世界舞台發光發熱。

這曾經是中共慢慢轉向的一個機會之窗。彼時（2017)美國盟友對美國總統的不信任度達到歷史新高，根據皮尤研究中心的資訊，英國對於美國總統的不信任度達到75%、日本72% 澳洲70% 法國更高達86%

如果那時中共開始有限度的改革，對內放寬言論自由，或者至少維持在胡溫當時的水中，對外追求有責任的基礎建設，逐步緩慢減低不公平的貿易壁壘，對於國有企業改革，增強私營企業、新創企業的活力。

停止對新疆迫害，不干預香港自治，不僅國際形象會大幅改善，哪怕是緩慢但是穩健的改革，也會讓大量吸引外資，讓中國的活力持續前進。

哪怕是什麼都不做也好

那或許有這麽一點可能性，中國「夢」是可以前行的

但是歷史機緣的大門已經關上。

習、禁、停、放棄了這個機會之窗，徹底的走向相反的方向。

更專制、更沒有彈性，更沒有任何制衡的力量。各種戰狼外交，讓瑞典議員提案驅逐中國大使，捷克布拉格市長與台北簽訂姊妹是，就解散上海與該市關係、被美國關閉領事館、各種讓中國形象低下的事情，中共都沒有少做。

中共不但完全沒有辦法取代美國，在多重國內外的衝擊之下，又是瘟疫，又是超大水患，緊接著蝗害，還有進來的糧食不足問題，正在面臨巨大的瓶頸。

而糧食的命脈，卻恰恰又在對他最不信任，對中共價值最反對的國家聯盟

根據皮尤研究中心:Pew Research Center2019調查各國對中國的喜好度，美國、阿根廷、英國、加拿大、德國、烏克蘭等，對於中國的喜好度都在30%上下

而2020疫情後美國對於中國的不信任度，更高達73%。

最近中共在演習，又要玩轉移目標的手段，對於中共，其實不必再有民族主義的同情，因為新的世紀，價值、商業模式、公平競爭的制度大於血緣幻想。

中國離我們只有130公里的距離，我們當然歡迎對話，避免誤判。但我們同時也區分中共與中國，歡迎對話，但不在前提、條件、恐懼之下對話。

如果真的要有前提，那就是對等、尊重，還有公平公開法治的方式會晤。

資料來源：皮尤研究中心:Pew Research Center
（美國著名的民調機構和智庫機構，https://www.pewresearch.org/）