President’s Speech for Commencement 2025: University is a journey toward Holistic Growth and Finding One’s Own Answers in Life

From August 14 to 17, 2025, Van Lang University proudly held our 27th Commencement Ceremony. The University is honored to contribute to society an additional 9,114 new Bachelors, Engineers, Architects and Pharmacists, along with 141 new Masters across various disciplines. At each ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu - Member of the University Council and President of Van Lang University - delivered the Commencement Speech, in which she shared with the new graduates the core values of higher education and offered guidance for their journey ahead.

Today, Van Lang University holds the Commencement, Class of 2025, and confers degrees upon our Masters and Bachelors. On behalf of the University, I warmly welcome all distinguished guests, faculty members, parents, and especially our new graduates!

This year’s commencement takes place in a very special context. The year 2025 marks many historical milestones for our nation: the 80th anniversary of national independence, the 50th anniversary of national reunification, and significant shifts towards a new era of development. For Van Lang, this is the year we celebrate our 30th anniversary, a significant milestone in the journey of unlocking learners’ potential, disseminating knowledge, and serving society.

Dear graduates,

Cohort 27 began your higher education journey in unprecedented circumstances. You enrolled in September 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ho Chi Minh City was under strict social distancing measures. The opening ceremony was held in a hybrid format, connecting freshmen from all provinces and cities. Your entire enrollment process and first semester were conducted entirely online, testing your adaptability and self-reliance from the very first days at university.

Your cohort witnessed major advancements in the University’s academic programs. Not only did you strengthen your professional knowledge, but you also experienced a comprehensive educational environment that integrates experiential learning with skill development. Our international cooperation expanded significantly, offering numerous opportunities for exchange and access to advanced educational models worldwide. From 2021 to 2025, Van Lang University signed agreements with nearly 300 universities and research institutes globally, hosted more than 5,000 international students from 37 countries coming to Van Lang, and facilitated approximately 2,000 students going abroad for exchange. Students from Cohort 27 were also the first to participate in international bachelor programs at Van Lang and earn degrees awarded by Liverpool John Moores University (UK) and the University of Newcastle (Australia).

In 2021, the University also launched 8 new bachelor programs: Multimedia Communications, Korean Language, Digital Art and Design, Cosmetic Technology, Tourism, International Business, E-commerce, and Management Information Systems. In this year’s graduation, the first cohort of these programs receive their degrees, marking a milestone in diversifying academic disciplines and meeting social demands.

Meanwhile, Van Lang University has steadily achieved important national and international recognition. In December 2021, the Convocation Ceremony for the academic year 2021–2022 was held together with the QS 4-star Certificate Award Ceremony. Since then, the University has continuously improved its rankings: placed in the top 491–500 in Asia in 2025, among the top 1001–1200 universities worldwide in QS World University Rankings 2026, in the global top 51–100 for Performing Arts and top 101–150 for Art & Design according to QS World University Rankings by Subject (2024); in the top 601–800 in THE Impact Rankings (2025) for sustainable development goals; and achieving FIBAA institutional accreditation (2024). These milestones highlight the collective effort of our community, with Cohort 27 contributing to such achievement. Congratulations to us all!

Dear graduates,

Today, we are here to celebrate an important and meaningful milestone in your life - your graduation. For those graduating with a bachelor’s degree, this marks a turning point; your achievement today is not only the knowledge you have gained but also the foundation that will shape your mindset and your life in the years to come.

On this special occasion, I would like to take a moment to reflect with you on the society that we live in today, so that you may find your direction and prepare yourselves for the journey ahead.

In recent years, we have witnessed major upheavals in the world, in terms of environment, society, economics, and politics, particularly the rapid changes in science and technology. Among these, we cannot ignore the remarkable emergence and widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The past two years can be considered a historic turning point for this revolutionary technology. The explosion of AI promises to reshape all aspects of societies, changing how people work, learn, and communicate, influencing the way businesses, economies, and societies operate, and transforming every industry and employment landscape.

In February 2025, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, emphasized that Artificial Intelligence is the biggest shift of our lifetime, a fundamental rewiring of technology, and an accelerant of human ingenuity.

Unlike past inventions, AI does not simply replace physical labor or assist with information processing, it can perform intellectual functions once perceived to belong exclusively to humans, such as understanding language, analyzing, inventing, and making decisions. Unlike traditional technologies, AI can self-learn and improve, integrate into almost every field, and spread at unprecedented speed. More importantly, AI not only enhances productivity but also changes the very nature of work, prompting profound questions about the role, value, and meaning of human in a new world.

Naturally, this leads us to a fundamental question: With the emergence of AI, how will the role of human beings change? Logically, this is a pressing and relevant question for each of us to consider and answer.

However, when facing such major transformations, we must remain calm, go back to the roots of the matter, and ask ourselves the most fundamental questions. From there, we can decide how to adapt to new circumstances.

I believe that, on a personal level, for each of you, the most essential question you must never forget is: Who am I in this society? What is my purpose in life? What kind of life do I want to lead? How will I face the world? What value can I bring?

You must revisit these questions before you think about how human roles might change with AI. Once you have a clear, guiding answer to these, I believe you will be able to find the right answers to any other questions in life.

I believe that the answers to these questions can be found as we reflect on the purpose of higher education for humanity in general and for you in particular, the very reason you have been at Van Lang for the past four or five years.

Dear graduates,

Throughout the history of higher education, many great thinkers have asserted that the ultimate purpose of a university is not merely to transmit knowledge or train professional skills, but to nurture the development of the whole person – individuals with purpose, independent thinking, self-direction, and leading a meaningful and responsible life. The great reformers of higher education worldwide such as Wilhelm von Humboldt and Friedrich Schleiermacher in Germany, the birthplace of the modern university model in the early 19th century, which later had a profound influence worldwide, have emphasized that university is a place where people develop character and ethics, nurture a spirit of freedom, and develop the capacity for lifelong learning. Karl Jaspers viewed university as a place that paves the way for each individual to seek truth and define their own values. In more recent times, Paul Ricoeur and Martha Nussbaum have continued to affirm the value of liberal education: enabling people not only to understand the world, but also to understand themselves, and thus live with greater responsibility and humanity.

All these ideas converge on one point: higher education is a journey that helps each person grow into a well-rounded individual and answer the fundamental questions about the purpose and meaning of their own life.

I trust that through your four or five years at Van Lang, you have embraced the spirit and values that higher education has to offer, and in some way, have already begun to answer those questions, as well as continuing to refine your sense of purpose and meaning in life. And it is precisely this ability to answer the questions about your own life that will be the enduring achievement you carry beyond graduation.

Dear graduates,

Returning to the question of how human roles will change with the emergence of AI. Technically, I encourage you to thoroughly explore the applications of AI in your own field, to know what AI can replace and what it cannot or has yet to replace human. This is my sincere advice.

From another perspective, the question can be reframed: What are the distinct human strengths that AI cannot replace?

The answer, I believe, lies in the values that make us human - things that cannot be programmed or perfectly replicated by any machine. These include empathy – the ability to understand and sympathize with the feelings of others; breakthrough creativity – not merely combining existing information, but daring to imagine what has never existed; moral integrity and conscience – knowing right from wrong in complex situations; willpower and aspiration – the inner strength to overcome challenges and pursue what you believe is meaningful; and the ability to create meaning in life – weaving together experiences, dreams, and values into a life worth living.

Despite even the most powerful tools, society and businesses will always need people with such qualities. These are the qualities that define humans in the AI era. Machines may calculate faster and process data better, but only humans can love, share, appreciate beauty, and ask: “What am I living for?”. By holding on to and nurturing these values, you will not only distinguish yourselves from AI but also make AI a powerful tool to expand your capacity to create value.

In professional terms, showing “humanness” in your work, in any field, will always generate unique values that AI can hardly replace.

For example, in medicine, a good doctor does not only heal with knowledge and technique but also reassures patients and instills hope. In education, a teacher does not only convey knowledge but also inspires and awakens potential, and nurtures dreams. In business, a successful leader does not only make decisions based on data but also on understanding people, building trust, and fostering lasting relationships with employees, customers, and partners. Even in creative fields like art, design, media, or entrepreneurship, value comes from the ability to tell stories, build empathy, and create emotional connection, things that go beyond pure data processing.

In short, I firmly believe that the fundamental values that higher education imparts to you are not only scientific thinking, knowledge, and professional skills, but also the spirit and qualities deeply rooted in humanity. These will allow you to adapt in any circumstances, and when nurtured and developed, they will help you leave your unique mark and create values that society will always need, even in the AI era.

Dear graduates,

Today marks the beginning of an exciting and challenging journey for you. You will be more independent and self-reliant, but you will also have to take full responsibility for your decisions. From the foundational values of higher education, I would like to share with you three pieces of advice for your journey ahead:

First, always live and work with integrity and responsibility. Knowledge only has true value when combined with ethics and civic responsibility. This means not only knowing how to do something but knowing what should be done; not only being technically competent but also being aware of the consequences of your choices. 

In the AI era, algorithms can analyze data and suggest options, but the ultimate choice, the choice for what is right and good for people and society, always belongs to humans. Integrity shows in honesty (not distorting or manipulating the truth), fairness (avoiding bias), respect for human dignity (not treating people as means), and the courage to take responsibility.

Philosopher Hans Jonas has asserted: “Act so that the effects of your action are compatible with the permanence of genuine human life.”

Second, maintain lifelong learning and intellectual freedom. I hope you will always uphold the spirit of lifelong learning with independent thinking, free from prejudice, pressure, or short-term interests; daring to seek the truth, willing to change your views when faced with new knowledge, and daring to ask the questions no one has asked. 

When AI can answer most questions, what matters is not having the answer but knowing how to ask the right, profound, and essential questions, those that lead to new knowledge and creative, breakthrough solutions.

Author, playwright Eugène Ionesco has claimed: “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”

Third, live a meaningful life by creating value for yourself and for society, bringing lasting fulfillment.

Pursue what gives your life meaning and contributes to the common good of the community. True and lasting fulfillment comes not from owning more or achieving faster but from knowing you are doing something valuable for yourself and for society. 

Titles and salaries may bring temporary excitement, but your core values – kindness, freedom, enlightenment, learning, and contribution … – bring long-term satisfaction. 

Live by your values, not by metrics.

And remember: “Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself,” as Viktor E. Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, reminded us.

Finally, I hope the core values of a Van Lang person, Ethics - Will - Creativity, will continue to be preserved, honored, and spread by you in your future life. You will be the ambassadors of Van Lang, bringing positive impacts, inspiring society, and presenting the image of Vietnam to the world. 

Dear Parents,

The success of our graduates today would not have been possible without your unconditional love and support. On behalf of the University, I sincerely thank you for accompanying the University and helping your children complete their studies with confidence.

My sincere thanks also go to our lecturers and staff for your dedicated teaching, guidance, and support in helping the students fulfill their academic endeavor.

Thank to the organizing committee, our staff, and student volunteers – those behind the scenes who have worked quietly yet meticulously to make today’s graduation ceremony a success.

I wish all our distinguished guests, parents, lecturers, staff, and students good health, success in your endeavors, and happiness in life.

Once again, on behalf of all our faculty and staff, I congratulate our new masters and bachelors graduating this morning. Your journey is only beginning, and I believe you will continue to shine with your passion, adaptability, sense of responsibility, and purpose. Embrace the promising adventure ahead. You are the author of your own story, and the world is waiting for the chapters you will write. Remember that your family, teachers, friends, and the University will always stand by you and you will always be the pride of Van Lang University.

Thank you!

Assoc. Prof. Tran Thi My Dieu