Class of 2025 Urged to Step Into the Arena at Commencement
“Don’t just watch—play the game.” That was the message from Academia Sinica President James C. Liao at NTNU’s 2024 commencement ceremony, held May 24. Addressing over 4,000 graduates, Liao encouraged students not to remain spectators but to step into the arena and shape the future. He emphasized that while artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, it lacks the uniquely human courage to attempt the impossible a . “What AI can’t do, you can,” he said.
Drawing on his career in metabolic and systems biology, Liao reminded graduates that success stems not from winning but from doing one’s best. Quoting UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, he said, “Focus on effort, not winning. Winning is a byproduct of effort.” He stressed lifelong learning, resilience, and what he called “antifragility,” which he defined as the capacity to grow stronger through adversity.
This year, NTNU conferred 4,049 degrees, including 2,589 bachelor’s, 1,355 master’s, and 105 doctoral degrees. The day began with a campus procession led by President Cheng-Chih Wu, deans, and administrative staff. As graduates entered the gymnasium, they were greeted with cheers from student clubs and underclassmen in a symbolic farewell.
The ceremony followed university tradition, with the presentation of the NTNU flag and college banners. President Wu offered congratulations on behalf of the faculty and reflected on the students’ experience, noting they began their studies during the pandemic, with orientation held online and campus life limited. “Yet you adapted,” he said, highlighting their contributions to post-pandemic recovery and the revitalization of the Shida Night Market.
Wu also acknowledged the global shifts of the past four years, with war, technological disruption, and the rise of generative AI. In response, he said, NTNU students pursued interdisciplinary learning that bridged the humanities and technology. Through the NTU system’s academic network and international exchange programs, they also gained global perspectives. NTNU’s bilingual and national language environments, he added, helped students frame local issues within a global context.
This year’s commencement was notable for the first graduating class from the College of Industry-Academia Innovation. Twenty-seven students completed master’s degrees through interdisciplinary programs aligned with industry needs. President Wu affirmed NTNU’s commitment to producing graduates who are professionally skilled, globally competitive, and capable of integrating across fields. “Your accomplishments will always be our pride,” he said.
Graduation Committee representatives Yu-Chih Ke (Department of Taiwanese Languages and Literature), Yi-Fan Chen (Department of East Asian Studies), and Mei-Hsuan Chen (Department of Chemistry) delivered a joint speech, sharing reflections with humor and sincerity. International students Ka-Young Kim (Korea) and Sapphire Lain Ball (USA), both from the Mandarin Training Center, expressed gratitude for the academic and personal support they received at NTNU.