哈佛大学校长福斯特在最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共16页）10700字.docx

哈佛大学校长福斯特在最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共16页）10700字.docx

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哈佛大学校长福斯特在毕业典礼英语演讲稿

　　ItisalwaysapleasuretogreetaseaofalumnionCommencementafternoon—eventhoughmyroleisthatofthewarm-upactforthefeaturetocome.TodayIamespeciallyawareofthetreatwehaveinstoreasIlookoutonnotasea,butaveritableoceanofanticipation.

　　Butitismycustomaryassignmentandprivilegetooffereachspringareporttothealumniontheyearthatisending.Andthiswasayearthatforanumberofreasonsdemandsspecialnote.

　　“Theworldistoomuchwithus”—thelinesofWordsworth’swell-knownpoemechoedinmymindasIthoughtaboutmyremarkstoday,fortheworldhasintrudedonusthisyearinwaysweneverwouldhaveimagined.TheUniversityhadnotofficiallyclosedforadaysinceXXXX年.Thisyearitclosedthreetimes.Twiceitwasforcasesofextremeweather—firstforsuperstormSandyandthenforNemo,therecord-breakingFebruaryblizzard.ThethirdwasofcoursethedayofBoston’slockdownintheaftermathofthetragicMarathonbombings.Thiswasayearthatchallengedfundamentalassumptionsaboutlife’ssecurity,stabilityandpredictability.

　　YetasIreflectedontheseintrusionsfromaworldsoverymuchwithus,IwasstruckbyhowweatHarvardaresoactivelyengagedinshapingthatworldandindeedinaddressingsomanyofthemostimportantandtryingquestionsthattheserecenteventshaveposed.

　　Justtwoweeksago,climatescientistsanddisasterreliefworkersgatheredhereforatwo-dayconferenceco-sponsoredbytheHarvardHumanitarianInitiativeandtheHarvardUniversityCenterfortheEnvironment.TheycametoexploretheveryissuespresentedbySandyandNemoandtoconsiderhowacademicresearchersandworkersonthegroundcancollaboratemoreeffectively.

　　ThisgatheringrepresentsjustoneexampleofthewiderangeofactivitiesacrosstheUniversitydedicatedtoaddressingthechallengesofclimatechange.Howcanweadvancethesciencethathelpsusunderstandclimatechange—andperhapsavertit?

Howcanwedevisesolutions—fromnewtechnologiestoprinciplesofurbandesign—thatmightmitigateit?

Howcanweenvisionthepublicpoliciestomanageandrespondtoit?

Harvardisdeeplyengagedwiththebroadissuesofenergyandenvironment—offeringmorethan250coursesinthisarea,gathering225facultythroughourenvironmentcenteranditsprograms,enrolling100doctoralstudentsfrom7Schoolsandmanydifferentdisciplinesinagraduateconsortiumdesignedtobroadentheirunderstandingofenvironmentalissues.Ourfacultyarestudyingatmosphericcompositionandworkingtodeveloprenewableenergysources;theyareseekingtomanagerisingoceansandtoreimaginecitiesforaneraofincreasinglythreateningweather;theyarehelpingtofashionenvironmentalregulationsandinternationalclimateagreements.

　　Sotheweatherisn’tsomethingthatsimplyhappensatHarvard,eventhoughitmayhaveseemedthatwaywhenwehadtoclosetwicethisyear.Itisafocusofstudyandofresearch,asweworktoconfronttheimplicationsofclimatechangeandhelpshapenationalandinternationalresponsestoitsextremes.

　　WhenBostonexperiencedthetragedyoftheMarathonbombingslastmonth,thecityandsurroundingmunicipalitieswentintolockdownonApril19tohelpensurethecaptureoftheescapedsuspect,andHarvardrespondedinextraordinaryways.Withinourowncommunity,students,facultyandstaffwentwellbeyondtheirordinaryresponsibilitiestosupportoneanotherandkeeptheUniversityoperatingsmoothlyandsafelyunderunprecedentedcircumstances.Butwealsowitnessedourcolleagues’magnificenteffortstomeettheneedsofBostonandourotherneighborsinthecrisis.TheHarvardPoliceworkedwithotherlawenforcementagencies,andseveralofourofficersplayedacriticalroleinsavingthelifeofthetransitofficerwoundedinWatertown.Doctors,nursesandotherstaff,manyfromouraffiliatedhospitals,performedanear-miracleinensuringthateveryinjuredpersonwhoarrivedatahospitalsurvived.Yearsofdisasterplanningandemergencyreadinessenabledtheseinstitutionstoactinastunninglycoordinatedandeffectivemanner.IamdeeplyproudofthecontributionsmadebymembersoftheHarvardcommunityintheimmediateaftermathofthebombings.

　　Butourbroaderandongoingresponsibilityasauniversityistoaskandaddressthelargerquestionsanysuchtragedyposes:

toprepareforthenextcrisisandtheoneafterthat,evenasweworktopreventthem;tohelpusallunderstandtheoriginsandthemeaningofsuchterribleeventsinhumanlivesandsocieties.Wedothisworkintheteachingandresearchtowhichwedevoteourselveseveryday.

　　InvestigatorsattheHarvardhospitalsareexploringimprovedtechniquesformanaginginjury.ResearchersatBrighamandWomen’s,forinstance,arepursuingtheprospectoflegtransplantsforamputees.AfacultymemberinourSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedSciencesisstudyingtraumaticbraininjury.FacultyintheBusinessandKennedySchoolsareteachingandlearningaboutleadershipintimesofcrisis—analyzinghistoricandcontemporaryexamples,fromShackletoninAntarcticatoKatrinainNewOrleans—inordertosearchforlessonsforthefuture.Theverydayofthelockdown,theMahindraHumanitiesCenterandtheHarvardLawSchoolProgramonNegotiationhadscheduledaconferenceon“ConfrontingEvil,”examiningthecognitive,behavioralandsocialimplicationsofbothwhatitcalled“everydayevils”and“extraordinarycrimes.”Afewdayslater,theHarvardDivinitySchoolassembledapanelofexpertstodiscuss“ReligionandTerror,”exploringsourcesofviolenceinBosnia,intheMiddleEast,andduringtheTroublesinIreland,whichservedasaformativeexperienceforourDivinitySchooldeaninhisyouth.AttheInstituteofPoliticsattheKennedySchool,lawenforcement,emergencymanagementandotherexpertsgatheredtoconsiderlessonslearnedfromthebombings.Aswestruggledtounderstandtheeventsthatshookourcityandourregion,membersofourcommunitywerealreadyengagedininterpretingtheworldthathadproducedsuchtragedyandinseekingwaystopreventitsrecurrence.

　　Threeunusualdays,makingforanunusualyear.YetthesethreeunusualdaysunderscoreandilluminatetheusualworkofthisUniversity:

callingonknowledgeandresearchtoaddressfundamentalchallengesanddilemmaswithresourcesdrawnfromthewidestscopeofhumaninquiry—fromtheinsightsofthenaturalandsocialsciencestothereflectionsonmeaningandvaluesattheheartofthehumanities.Universitiesurgeustowardsabetterfutureandequipusasindividualsandsocietiestogetthere.

　　Yetothereventsthispastyearreminduswecannottakewhatuniversitiesdoforgranted.Thisyearhasbroughthomenotjustthethreatsofextremeweatherandofterrorandviolence.IthasalsobeenayearthathaschallengedfundamentalassumptionsundergirdingAmericanhighereducationandthefoundationsofournation’sresearchenterprise.Ihavejustofferedexamplesofhowourresearchandteachingcancontributetoaddressingurgentproblemsfacingourworld.Weliveinanerainwhichknowledgeismorevitalthanevertonations,economiesandsocieties.Knowledgeis,Ioftensay,themostimportantcurrencyofthetwenty-firstcentury.Anduniversitiesaretheplacesthat,morethananyother,generateanddisseminatethatknowledge.

　　IntheUnitedStates,thepartnershipbetweenuniversitiesandthefederalgovernmentestablishedafterWorldWarIIhasbeenapowerfulengineofscientificdiscoveryandprosperity.Yetthatpartnership,nowmorethanhalfacenturyold,isthreatenedbytheerosionoffederalsupportforresearch—asituationmadeacutebythesequester.Anestimatedalmost$10billionwillbecutfromthefederalgovernment’sresearchbudgetinXXXX年.TheNationalInstitutesofHealthcalculatesthatcutstoitsresourcescouldmeanthelossofmorethan20,000jobsinthelifesciencessector.HereatHarvard,wereceiveapproximately16%ofouroperatingbudgetfromfederalresearchfunding.Weanticipatewemayseedeclinesofasmuchas$40millionannuallyinfederalsupportforresearch.

　　Whatdoesallthismean?

Facultyarefindingthatevengrantapplicationswithperfectscoresinpeerevaluationsarenotgettingfunded.Theyseeexistingawardsbeingreduced.Aspiringyoungerscientistsarefearfultheywillnotreceivecareer-launchinggrantsonwhichtheirfuturedepends.SomeareentertainingoverturesfromcountriesoutsidetheUnitedStateswherescienceinvestmentisrobustandexpanding.Studentscontemplatinggraduatetrainingarewonderingiftheyshouldpursueotheroptions.Greatideasthatcouldleadtoimprovedhumanlivesandopportunities,andimprovedunderstanding,areleftwithoutsupportorthemeansforfurtherdevelopment.

　　TheworldandthenationneedthekindofresearchthatHarvardandotherAmericanresearchuniversitiesundertake.Weneedtheknowledgeandunderstandingthatresearchgenerates—knowledgeaboutclimatechange,orcrisismanagement,ormelanoma,oreffectivementalhealthinterventionsinschools,orhormonesthatmighttreatdiabetes,oranyofahostofotherworthyprojectsourfacultyarecurrentlypursuing.Weneedthesupportandencouragementforthestudentswhowillcreateourscientificfuture.Weneedtheeconomicvitality—thejobsandcompanies—thattheseideasanddiscoveriesproduce.Weneedthenationtoresistimposingaself-inflictedwoundonitsintellectualandhumancapital.Weneedanationthatbelievesin,andinvestsin,itsuniversitiesbecausewerepresentaninvestmentintheideasandthepeoplethatwillbuildandwillbethefuture.

　　SoasIreporttoyouontheyearwenowbringtoaclose,Iwanttounderscorethethreattouniversitiesandtoournationalinfrastructureofknowledgeanddiscoverythatthesequesterrepresents.Eveninayearwhensometimestheworldfelttoomuchwithus,wehaveneverlostsightofho