▎PEOPLE

National Taiwan University celebrated its 2026 Commencement Ceremony on May 30, sending off a new generation of graduates with an inspiring call for resilience, lifelong learning, and service in a changing and increasingly uncertain world.

Addressing the graduating class, NTU President Wen-Chang Chen stressed the importance of, “Finding Resilience Across Boundaries in a Changing Era.” Considering the rapid transformations driven by artificial intelligence and multifaced global changes, he urged graduates to embrace three guiding principles: continuous learning, bold experimentation, and integrity rooted in altruism.

President Chen underscored that while technology advances relentlessly at an unprecedented pace, those uniquely human qualities—including ethical judgment, empathy, creativity, and social responsibility—will remain irreplaceable. He further encouraged graduates to cultivate resilience through interdisciplinary learning and to view setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities for growth.

“Face vulnerability with honesty,” he told students. “Transform your dreams and passions into action.”

A Life of Service Beyond Borders

This year’s commencement speaker was Tzu-Chun Lin, co-founder and executive director of Calls Over Ridges, a Taiwan-based education NGO and social enterprise dedicated to community development in Nepal.

Drawing on years of experience in social entrepreneurship and international development, Lin described his mission of building local capacity and creating organizations capable of thriving independently.

“Life is not a multiple-choice question,” he told graduates. “It is an essay question that only you can read, understand, and write for yourself.”

He challenged the graduates to use their professional expertise not merely to advance their own careers, but to expand opportunities for others and to share Taiwan’s warmth, compassion, and creativity with the world.

Finding the Dreams That Light the Way

Student speaker Chia-Wei Lin of the Department of Law reflected on how NTU’s diverse learning environment had broadened her perspective far beyond the boundaries of pure legal studies.

She encouraged her fellow graduates to continue to pursue the dreams that spark their curiosity and enthusiasm.

“Life is too short to abandon the dreams that make your eyes light up,” she said.

She urged the graduates to embrace responsibility during pivotal moments, remain kind in their interactions, and strive to leave every place, project, and relationship better than they found it.

From Tanzania to Taiwan—and Back Again

Representing international degree students, Nathan Thadeo Yoashi, a doctoral student in Environmental Engineering from Tanzania, shared his remarkable journey marked by perseverance and service.

Growing up in challenging circumstances, Nathan never gave up on his education. Supported and recommended by renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, he came to Taiwan, where he immersed himself in local life—learning farming techniques from Taiwanese farmers, selling vegetables at traditional markets, and mastering both Mandarin and Taiwanese.

During his time at NTU, Nathan helped establish academic collaborations between NTU and universities in Tanzania. He has since applied his knowledge to address mining-related environmental pollution in his home country while actively supporting educational opportunities for children in his community.

His message to the graduates was simple yet powerful:
“Don’t focus on becoming a leader first. Learn how to serve. That is how true influence begins.”

A New Commencement Tradition

For the first time, NTU extended its commencement celebration beyond the formal ceremony by hosting a special post-graduation talk featuring the renowned television host, author, and NTU Sociology alumna, Bowie Tsang.

In her presentation, “Life Treasures for Graduates: A Live Conversation,” Tsang discussed three lessons she considers essential for navigating life as an adult: redefining self-identity, developing an independent worldview and personal convictions, and transforming life experiences into meaningful contributions.

She urged that in an age increasingly shaped by technology, humanity’s greatest strengths remain warmth, direct sensory experience, and the complex relationships that shape personal growth.

Tsang encouraged graduates not only to pursue professional success, but to pursue the deeper achievement of becoming their authentic selves. She also offered a message to parents, urging them to rediscover their own identities and interests after years devoted to raising children.

Her final piece of advice was simple but profound:
“Be gentle—with yourself and with the world.”

As the graduates crossed the stage and prepared to begin their next life chapters, the ceremony celebrated not only their academic achievements, but also the core values NTU hopes they will embrace and carry forward: curiosity, courage, responsibility, and compassion.

In a rapidly changing world, the university reminded its newest alumni that resilience involves not just adapting to change—more deeply it involves shaping change.