Address by Dr. Barry Craig Principal of Huron University

It is a great honour to be with you this afternoon. On behalf of Huron university and my colleagues representing other Canadian universities today I want to congratulate you on your graduation. It is a tremendous achievement.

Today we are joined by His Excellency, the Hon John McCallum, Canada’s ambassador to China and by many other dignitaries from the Canadian and Chinese governments and several Canadian universities.

The special relationship between Canada and China that has been forged for over twenty years by the Concord Colleges of Sino-Canada is unique in the world. Through this relationship many thousands of Chinese students have been able to experience Canadian education both through their high school years and then later as so many have continued on to study at Canadian universities, which are among the finest in the world. This has all come to be because of the vision of Dr. Francis Pang.

I know that many of you here today have received acceptance at Canadian universities. We would love to welcome you to Canada! As we will hear shortly the vast majority of students graduating today have received entrance scholarships and acceptances by top Canadian, US, and other prominent universities around the world. This is proof of the quality of the education that you have received at the Concord College schools.

My own university will award 5 scholarships today to deserving graduates worth $5000 each for a total of $25,000 or 125,000 RMB. Earlier this afternoon, we signed an agreement with Dr. Francis Pang that will see this scholarship program extended for five more years for a total value of $125,000 or 625,000 RMB.

Today I am pleased to announce that Huron University, starting next year, will offer to the top graduating student from Concord College a scholarship that will cover all tuition and lodging for the entire four years of the student’s degree. This single scholarship will be worth more than $160,000 or over 800,000 RMB.

CCSC students have received a special education. As a result, you exhibit global leadership skills. I believe that you will be part of a generation of young leaders that can build a better global society, one of peace and prosperity for everyone.

Your families are very proud of you today – and they should be. You have worked hard to achieve your success today. So, I want to share with you a very important message today, once that I know you parents would support.

You have been given the tools to be successful. Education has been, and will continue to be the key to that success. But, we do not want you only to be successful. Even more importantly we want you to be good people. Through the Round Square program and activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, you have been taught the importance of making a difference in the world. Today, with the world facing so many challenges, we need your leadership more than ever if we are going to create a better society.

Huron University has as its mission to create “Leaders with Heart.” We do not only want to develop our students’ minds; we also want to help them develop their hearts. We want education to be about character as well as intellect. That is the kind of education that you have received at CCSC.

As you leave CCSC and go on to higher education, make a vow to yourselves to always care for other people. Use your talents and the great gifts that have been given to you to become leaders with heart. As academic leaders, we promise to do everything in our power to support you, so that the path that you have begun at CCSC can be continued at University and you can emerge, ready to lead with your hearts, and committed to work to create better world for everyone.

Congratulations!