Good morning! My name is Mads Rasmussen, and I am here as a student of Innovation Management programme at Sino-Danish College. I was presented with the opportunity to study my master’s degree at UCAS due to the strong and fruitful collaboration between Denmark and China in education and research.
I want to preface this speech by expressing my gratitude towards the university for allowing me the honour of representing all the international students with whom I share this new and exciting chapter of our academic journey.
When I arrived at UCAS, I was met with a Chinese saying: “qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià”. It means “a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step”. As students, we should be able to reflect ourselves in this saying. We are now embarking on a thousand-mile journey towards knowledge and prosperity, and we can take pride in the fact that we have taken our first step here at UCAS. We should also be able to seek comfort in this saying. Whenever we feel inadequate, unmotivated, or feel that we don’t live up to the expectations of our peers, remember that you are still on your thousand-mile journey towards becoming a more knowledgeable person.
Personal development through education is not to be underestimated, and as such, you may find peace and serenity in the fact that you are improving by each day spent here at UCAS.
As a business major, China’s rise as an economic powerhouse as well as its rich cultural history are among the reasons I chose to study here at UCAS. Regardless of your personal motivation to study here, you must be proud that you are a student at one of the leading institutions worldwide. This speaks volumes about your academic level, and also bodes well for your future success in achieving your goals.
I shall conclude my words by calling on all new students to always strive for greatness and to help cement the reputation of UCAS as an institution of excellence in education.
You are the scientists, businessmen, diplomats, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. You are here because you have already shown academic excellence. Now it’s time to turn that excellence into helping create a better tomorrow. For you and the rest of the world.
Thank you very much.
