Fight the hardest battle - you are unique
by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
I found that the University has chosen the motto "Vidyaiwa
Sarwadhanam - meaning Wisdom is all Wealth". This has an important and
powerful message to all the students and faculty members. The study of
the website of the University indicates that the University has a vision
"To be the most globally recognized Knowledge Enterprise in Asia." I am
delighted to address and interact with the Students and Faculty Members
of the University of Moratuwa in this beautiful environment of Colombo.
My greetings to all of you. I found that the University has chosen
the motto "Vidyaiwa Sarwadhanam - meaning Wisdom is all Wealth". This
has an important and powerful message to all the students and faculty
members. The study of the website of the University indicates that the
University has a vision "To be the most globally recognized Knowledge
Enterprise in Asia".
With this vision, the University has a mission "produce world class
graduates in technological fields who will be relevant nationally and
internationally".
I am happy to know that the students of the university are self
confident, flexible, highly employable and are trained to become
"employment creators" instead of being "employment seekers".
I congratulate the pioneers both present and past who have created
and nurtured a robust educational system in the University of Moratuwa
during the last 33 years. Today, I would like to share few thoughts on
the topic "Unique You".
First let us see the ten unique personalities,.
Unique You
.Dear friends, Look up, what do you see, the light, the electric
bulbs. Immediately, our thoughts go to the inventor Thomas Alva Edison,
for his unique contribution towards the invention of electric bulb and
his electrical lighting system.
When you hear the sound of an aero-plane going over your house, whom
do you think of? Wright Brothers proved that man could fly, of-course at
heavy risk and cost.
Whom does the telephone remind you of? Of course, Alexander Graham
Bell.
When everybody considered a sea travel as an experience or a voyage,
a aunique person questioned during his sea travel from United Kingdom to
India. He was pondering on why the horizon where the sky and sea meet
looks blue? His research resulted in the phenomena of scattering of
light. Of course, Sir CV Raman was awarded Nobel Prize.
Do you know an Indian Mathematician who did not have formal higher
education but had inexhaustible spirit and love for mathematics which
took him to contribute to the treasure houses of mathematical research -
some of which are still under serious study and engaging all-available
world mathematicians' efforts to establish formal proofs? He was a
unique Indian genius who could melt the heart of the most hardened and
outstanding Cambridge mathematician Prof G H Hardy. In fact, it is not
an exaggeration to say that it was Prof. Hardy who discovered a great
mathematician for the world. This mathematician was of-course Srinivasa
Ramanujan for whom every number was a divine manifestation.
Do you know the scientist who is famous for Chandra Limit which
describes the maximum mass (~1.44 solar masses) of a white dwarf star,
or equivalently, the minimum mass for which a star will ultimately
collapse into a neutron star to black hole following a supernova. Two of
his students got the Nobel Prize before him. It is of-course the famous
Nobel Laureate Chandrasekhar Subrmaniam.
Friends, there was a great scientific lady who is known for
discovering Radium. She won not one, but two Nobel Prizes, one for
physics and another for chemistry.
Who is she? She is Madam Curie. Madam Curie discovered radium and she
was doing research on the effect of radiation on human system. The same
radiation which she discovered, affected her and she sacrificed her life
for removing the pain of human life.
Do you know about a great human being with a spirit of service, who
also won a Nobel Prize for her contributions? She said and practised,
"Give, give and give, until it hurts". She is Mother Teresa.
Do you know the Sri Lankan Physicist, academicians and economist who
had worked on energy, sustainable development and climate change and was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Mr Al Gore in 2007? Of course
he is the great Prof. Mohan Munasinghe.
Arthur Clarke, the visionary in space communication who made Sri
Lanka as his home revolutionized the world with his concept of
geostationary communication satellites.
Do you know the cosmic ray scientist who transformed into institution
builder of institutions like Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad -
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Indian Space Research
Organisation? Of course he is the visionary Prof Vikram Sarabhai.
When I described to you young friends, these historical ten events,
you all jumped. The scientist, technologist and great human being, who
created the event, are unique personalities.
Young friends, can you join such unique performers of scientific
history? Yes, you can. Definitely, you can. Let us study together, how
it can be made possible?
Friends, I have, so far, met 12 million youth in a decade's time. I
learnt, "every youth wants to be unique, that is, YOU! But the world all
around you, is doing its best, day and night, to make you just
"everybody else". At home, dear young friends, you are asked by your
parents to be like neighbors' children for scoring good marks. When you
go to school, your teacher says "why not you become like the first five
rankers in the class". Wherever you go, they are saying "you have to be
somebody else or everybody else".
The challenge, my young friends, is that you have to fight the
hardest battle, which any human being can ever imagine to fight; and
never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is, a
UNIQUE YOU! Friends what will be your tools to fight this battle, what
are they: have a great aim in life, continuously acquire the knowledge,
work hard and persevere to realise the great achievement.
Dear friends, when I see you all, I am thinking how you can achieve
what you envision in your life?
Criteria for achievement for youth
How does achievement come? There are four proven steps; having an aim
in life before 20 years of age, acquiring knowledge continuously, hard
work towards the aim and perseverance to defeat the problem and succeed.
In this connection let me recall famous verses of 13th century Persian
Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi:
Wings to fly
"You were born with potential.You were born with goodness and
trust.You were born with ideas and dreams.You were born with
greatness.You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling,so don't, you have wings.Learn to use
them to fly." -Jalaluddin Rumi - 13th Century Persian Sufi Poet
My message to you, young friends, is that education gives you wings
to fly. Achievement comes out of fire in our sub-conscious mind that "I
will win". So, each one of you assembled here and elsewhere, will have
"Wings of Fire".
The Wings of Fire will indeed lead to knowledge which will make you a
great technologist, or an Engineer, or a designer, or a teacher, or a
political leader, or a bureaucrat or a diplomat or you would like to
walk on the Moon and Mars or anything you want to be.
I would like to assert that "No youth today need to fear about the
future". How? The ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful
resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth.
System design, system integration and system management
Since I am in the midst of students being prepared for
techno-managerial expertise, I would like to give my experience with a
teacher who taught me system design, system integration and system
management in an integrated learning environment.
While I was studying Aeronautical Engineering in Madras Institute of
Technology (MIT), Chennai, (1954-57), during the third year of my
course, I was assigned a project with five other colleagues, to design a
low-level attack aircraft. I was given the responsibility of system
design and system integration by integrating the team members.
Also, I was responsible for aerodynamic and structural design of the
project. The other five members of my team took up the design of
propulsion, control, guidance, avionics and instrumentation of the
aircraft. My design teacher Prof. Srinivasan, the then Director of MIT,
was our guide. He reviewed the project and declared my work to be gloomy
and disappointing.
He didn't lend an ear to my difficulties in bringing together
data-base from multiple designers. I asked for a month's time to
complete the task, since I had to get the inputs from five of my other
colleagues without which I cannot complete the system design. Prof.
Srinivasan told me "Look, young man, today is Friday afternoon. I give
you three days time, by Monday morning if I don't get the configuration
design, your scholarship will be stopped." I had a jolt in my life, as
scholarship was my lifeline, without which I cannot continue with my
studies. There was no other way out, but to finish the task. My team
felt the need for working together round the clock. We didn't sleep that
night, working on the drawing board skipping our dinner.
On Saturday, I took just an hour's break. On Sunday morning, when I
was near completion, I felt someone's presence in my laboratory. It was
Prof. Srinivasan studying my progress. After looking at my work, he
patted and hugged me affectionately. He had words of appreciation: "I
knew I was putting you under stress and asking you to meet a difficult
deadline. You have done a great job in system design".
Through this review mechanism of Prof Srinivasan, I was injected the
necessity of understanding the value of time by each team member and
brought out the best from the system design team.
I realized that if something is at stake, the human minds get ignited
and the working capacity gets enhanced manifold. That's what exactly
happened. The message is: whatever be their specialization, the students
should be trained to systems approach and projects, which will prepare
them for new products, innovation and undertaking higher organizational
responsibilities. A great teacher inspires the young students like Prof.
Srinivasan.
I am confident that the University of Moratuwa will break all the
inter-disciplinary barriers and promote inter-disciplinary research
among the students and faculty members.
Friends, we live in an era of convergence; the future of innovation
would lie at the interface of science and engineering. It is estimated
that in the life of a scientist or an engineer, he or she will come
across and work in at least seven new areas which are born out of
convergence of multiple science and technologies. Such convergence has
made the border between areas completely porous.
Let me discuss some examples.
Convergence of Technologies: bio-info-nano-eco ecology
The information technology and communication technology have already
converged leading to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Information Technology combined with bio-technology has led to
bio-informatics.
Similarly, Photonics is grown out from the labs to converge with
classical Electronics and Microelectronics to bring in new high speed
options in consumer products.
Flexible and unbreakable displays using thin layer of film on
transparent polymers have emerged as new symbols of entertainment and
media tools.
Now, Nano-technology has come in. It is the field of the future that
will replace microelectronics and many fields with tremendous
application potential in the areas of medicine, electronics and material
science. When Nano technology and ICT meet, integrated silicon
electronics, photonics are born and it can be said that material
convergence will happen. With material convergence and biotechnology
linked, a new science called Intelligent Bioscience will be born which
would lead to a disease free, happy and more intelligent human habitat
with longevity and high human capabilities.
Convergence of bio-nano-info technologies can lead to the development
of nano robots. Nano robots when they are injected into a patient, my
expert friends say, it will diagnose and deliver the treatment
exclusively in the affected area and then the nano-robot gets digested
as it is a DNA based product.
I saw the product sample in one of the labs in South Korea where best
of minds with multiple technology work with a target of finding
out-of-the-box solution.
My experience in Harvard University: Convergence of science is
reciprocating. Let me give an example. Recently, I was in the Harvard
University where I visited laboratories of many eminent professors from
the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I recall, how
Professor Hongkun Park, showed me his invention of nano needles, which
can pierce and deliver content into individual targeted cells. That's
how nano particle sciences is shaping the bio sciences.
Then I met Professor Vinod Manoharan, who showed on the other hand
bio sciences is in turn shaping nano material science as well. He is
using DNA material to design self assembling particles. When particular
type of DNA is applied on a particle at the atomic level, he is able to
generate a prefixed behaviour and automatic assembly from them. This
could be our answer to self assembly of devices and colonies in deep
space without human intervention as envisioned by Dr K Erik Drexler.
Thus, within a single research building, I saw how two different
sciences are shaping each other without any iron curtain between the
technologists. This reciprocating contribution of sciences to one
another is going to shape our future and industry needs to be ready for
it. The curriculum designers of University of Moratuwa, may like to take
this aspect into account while formulating new courses.
Now, a new trend is emerging. The aspect being introduced is that of
Ecology. Globally, the demand is shifting towards development of
sustainable systems which are technologically superior. This is the new
dimension of the 21st century knowledge society, where science and
environment will go together. Thus the new age model would be a four
dimensional bio-nano-info-eco based.
21st century University Vision
Friends, I have in the last ten years met more than 10 Million youth
and faculty from more than 150 universities in India and 37 universities
in abroad. Based on these interactions, I wish to formulate a 21st
university vision for your consideration.
• The universities have to prepare citizens of the future with a
global outlook and be capable of serving his/her nation or nation of
his/her choice.
• Science and technology and public policy are interrelated for
mutual benefit and ushering in humankind's development. This link has to
be solidly built in the university education.
• Good teachers can be in any part of the world. The university has
to bring in this resource through innovative content generation in
virtual classrooms.
• Technological connectivities among universities have to be pursued
vigorously using cost effective virtual classrooms.
• Cost effective continuing education possibilities are essential for
citizens to be in tune with time.
• Can university education lead to sustainable development of the
nation?
• With the world population increasing and resources dwindling, a
mindset has to be developed for conserving and sharing the resources and
look for new research for abundant resources. This calls for a "noble
spirit" as well as a "research spirit"
In summary, the 21st century university education is about developing
enlightened citizenship for a knowledge society for peace and prosperity
of nations and the world. 21st century University has to be the
incubator of world knowledge powerhouse.
Conclusion
Finally, I would like to ask you, what would you like to be
remembered for? You have to evolve yourself and shape your life. You
should write it on a page. That page may be a very important page in the
book of human history.
And you will be remembered for creating that one page in the history
of the nation - whether that page is the page of invention, the page of
innovation or the page of discovery or the page of creating societal
change or a page of removing the poverty or the page of fighting
injustice or a page of finding innovative cost-effective healthcare
system both preventive and curative or a page of how you have
facilitating establishment coastal PURA or Hill PURA in any part of Sri
Lanka. I am sure, you would like to do something different - out of box
missions.
I will be very happy if you could write this page. And if you mail to
me your dreams, I can correspond on your out of box ideas and thoughts.
([email protected]).
My best wishes to all of you for success in your mission of igniting
the energy and ability of youth to achieve accelerated societal
transformation in Sri Lanka and become an enlightened citizen of the
world.May God Bless you.
Oath for students
1. Engineering, Technology, healthcare and Management is a lifetime
mission. I will work, work and work and succeed.
2. Wherever I am, a thought will always come to my mind. That is what
process or product I can innovate, invent or discover.
3. I will always remember that "Let not my winged days, be spent in
vain".
4. I realize I have to set a great technological goal that will lead
me to think high, work and persevere to realize the goal.
5. My greatest friends will be great scientific/technological minds,
good teachers and good books.
6. I firmly believe that no problem can defeat me; I will become the
captain of the problem, defeat the problem and succeed.
7. I will work and work for removing the problems faced by planet
earth in the areas of water, energy, habitat, waste management and
environment through the application of science and technology.
8. I will work and work for making Sri Lanka a granary of south-east
Asia.
9. I will be a good member of my family, a good member of the
society, a good member of the nation and a good member of the world.
Courtesy: Asian Tribune
The above address was made by former Indian President Dr. A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam at the University of Moratuwa recently. |