Congratulatory message to the students from AIT President Said Irandoust on 119th Convocation Ceremony

Message from President Irandoust to Graduating Students (119th Convocation Ceremony, Thursday, May 23, 2013)

 

Dear Graduating Students,

 

My congratulations to all of you on the occasion of your convocation and AIT's 119th graduation ceremony. Although I am unable to be present with you on this most important day in your lives my thoughts and best wishes are with you. I have always eagerly looked forward to graduations. I fondly remember the AIT graduation ceremonies for their unique family like atmosphere and charm. In any academic institution graduations are among the most awaited of ceremonies and is a culmination of all your hard work and perseverance. It is also a recognition of the important role your faculty members, staff, family, friends as well as donors and partners have played in leading you to this auspicious day. 

 

I will sadly miss being present with all of you in what would have been my last graduation ceremony as President of AIT. I will be completing my second and last term as President on June 30, 2013 and as the end of my term draws near I look back at all the good times we as a community went through as well as challenging period all of us faced in the aftermath of the floods. 

 

I remain positive that with its proud heritage of more than 5 decades of service to the Asian region AIT will continue to prosper. I trust that all of you will play an active role in ensuring that this is indeed the case. I wish to thank all the students who have written to me and sent personal messages for their kind words of support and encouragement which means a lot to me.

 

As you venture out into the world always listen to the voice inside you and be true to yourself in whatever you choose to pursue you in life. You will definitely face obstacles on the way but that is life and one must learn from it. Try and remain strong and keep moving on. I would like to end my message to you with a quote by Herman Melville, who said the following: "We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results." 

 

Once again, my very best wishes to all of you on your graduation.

 

Professor Said Irandoust

President

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)