8th Convocation

In the name of the Almighty, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.

Honorable Minister, Ministry of Education, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dr. Dipu Moni MP; Distinguished Chairman, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, Professor Abdul Mannan; Esteemed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Daffodil International University (DIU) and Daffodil Family, Mr. Md. Sabur Khan; Respected Vice Chancellor of Daffodil International University, Professor Dr. Yusuf Mahbubul Islam; Respected Pro-Vice Chancellor, Daffodil International University, Professor Dr. S. M. Mahbubul Haque Mazumder; Distinguished academicians, learned faculty members of DIU, parents and guardians, ladies and gentlemen, and the chief attraction of today’s celebration, the graduating students.

My best compliments and very Good morning to all of you.

Dear graduating students,
My immense pleasure is to be here with you, the future of the nation. I am overwhelmed to be in the lush green campus in this beautiful spring morning. Daffodil International University has successfully prepared you to be here today. And it’s you who will direct the nation, rule the job market and also create job placement for many others by being entrepreneurs.

When I look at you, I see engineers engineering dreams for humanity to build sustainable tools which will lead smoothly to the next generation. All the innovative research centers, clubs, and institutes founded at your university have made you competent to take on the challenges of this highly competitive world. When I look at you, I see IT specialists, corporate leaders, pharmacists, journalists, various professionals, and teachers – all future leaders leading their countrymen to serve the whole world. The five faculties with twenty-three promising departments prove my vision.

Before moving forward, I would like to thank you for giving me the honor to deliver this speech. I thank Mr. Md. Sabur Khan, the legend of hard work, determination and success for being so dynamic as to create excellent opportunities for young minds to bloom and flourish. He is such a luminous guide and mentor who is surrounded by a galaxy of stars: resourceful faculty members, exceptional administration and whatnot. But the most significant part is you who are here before us and who are going to encounter the real world with acquired knowledge and learned skills from Daffodil International University.

Dear beloved graduating students,
This ceremony will mark the end of an arduous journey and the beginning of a new one. Various statistics suggest the alarming rate of unemployed graduates in your country and around the world. That means the more you are educated, the higher is the chance for you of remaining unemployed. So, to confront this challenging situation, your main weapon must be knowledge, sharpness in technological innovation, self-motivation and a smart work plan. You can relish as you are privileged with numerous blessings from your university. You are really blessed to be here in this visionary university where you get quality education, state-of-the-art classroom facilities, spot recruitment, different workshops, training, and exchange programs.

I love to quote Steve Jobs’ mantras, “Stay Hungry” and “Stay Foolish”. If you satiate with your achievements, your accomplishments, nothing new will be explored. Never limit yourself to success and without success. What I mean is that there is no limit to showing your potential. You have been born with unfathomable genius. Never entertain the spirit of failure as your failure will mold you into a strong individual who can beat the world. Please never be engrossed with the thought that you have learned enough; rather pursue what is embracing the twenty-first century where the world requires skilled people. This era celebrates and glorifies the victory of modern people, not a bookworm or non-skilled certificate holders. Have a look at the world around you, you will see thousands of people who are not academically sound but they are in leading positions. Think of Jack Ma who struggled in attending college and had been refused by 30 companies. But now he is a global ambassador of Chinese business and has been cited as the most powerful man by Forbes.

Lastly, once you are established, do not forget your responsibility towards your nation, your institutions, our planet, and the whole of humanity. Stand by them whenever necessary, working together to achieve agenda 2030 of the United Nations. I believe you will be the ambassadors of the new world which will be much better than the one we have lived in.

Dear Graduates, I congratulate you on successfully completing your studies. Wishing you all the best for your future and all it challenges and opportunities ahead. Thank you so much for your patience.

As-Salamu-Alaikum and very Good morning to everyone present here.

It is a memorable occasion and a landmark for all of us to celebrate. I am, indeed, overwhelmed to see this congregation of young people in the young institution of a young nation who will be going out to serve the world with the knowledge they have acquired here.

Dear Guests
I am delighted to be with you today and warmly welcome everyone present in this hall. This is an important occasion because it is a time when students who have worked hard are harvesting the fruits of their labor; a time when the professors and lecturers at our university are seeing the results of their good teaching and a time when those who provided financial support towards your education will also realize that their appreciable support was worthwhile. On behalf of the University community and on my own behalf, I congratulate our graduates on the realization of the objectives they set themselves individually and severally.

Respected Gathering
I do take pride in what the management team has done in transforming this institution. It is a positive matter of fact that our academic calendar is now fully systematic; we are organizing graduation ceremonies regularly and our students can expect to finish their studies within the stipulated time frame easily. This is as it should be if we are going to achieve our goal of becoming a center of excellence and indeed a world-class institution of higher learning.

Dear Parents
Today is a glorious day for all of you, as your children are finally getting the certificates as a token of achievement of their most arduous educational endeavor. Besides, it is also an honor for us that we are able to forge your children as graduates who are ready to fight for the future. In this long journey, you have always been with us by encouraging your children, which motivated us more to give our maximum effort to them. Without your support and encouragement, it would have not been possible for us to complete this journey and bring out that wonderful smile on your face today. That’s why we are very much grateful to you for putting your trust in us and, finally, giving us thousands of successful bright individuals which will be a great asset to all of us.

Dear Graduates
This is your time to think about how to start your journey. Please don’t waste any single moment because you have already matured enough and completed your graduation on the day which your parents and you have been waiting for your whole life. Today you all are here to enjoy this lovely ceremony. Some of your parents have also come to share this remarkable moment with you. Some of your parents are not present here now but always keep it in your mind that your parents are waiting for you eagerly. They have put lots of effort to make you successful and they would love to see you as a graduate. So, today is the day you all have made your parents’ dream come true. Now, this is your time to show your gratitude to your parents in a way they would love to see. It is true that in lots of cases your parents were not able to reach their own destination. That’s why they were very serious to make you graduates and I am quite sure that today that lovely day has finally come. So, please use your skills, exert your best efforts and use all your strength to bring more smiles to the face of your parents during the rest of their life.

Dear Achievers
You all know that Allah has created a unique identity for you and I always love to say that your fingerprint, your eyes, your everything is unique and different from others. Your name is also unique which you have already got. When you were born, your parents called you by a specific name, by which people always address you. Now as you all are officially graduates, you have to think about how to start your career. To build a successful career you have only two options. You may try to get a job of your choice in the government. or private sector or you can try to be an entrepreneur.

As I always love to say, if you want to be an entrepreneur, it will be a huge pleasure for our university because you know, entrepreneurs can contribute to the society most. They have lots of opportunities to diversify their ideas but keep it in your mind if you don’t like to become an entrepreneur or you are not becoming an entrepreneur, then think of yourself to be an intrapreneur.

I have rewarded some of you with a copy of my book উদ্যেক্তা উন্নয়ন ও ব্যবসায় নির্দেশিকা based on the 30 years of learning and experience of my life. Those among you who showed passion to be entrepreneurs have already received a complimentary copy after your convincing feedback to me. Any graduate present here with an entrepreneurial mindset can collect one after successfully submitting feedback via this link: http://gg.gg/entrepreneurshipdiu

I am lucky enough that I have completed my education. The night of my Viva, I left my hostel as I understood that it was my time to build my own future. I remember that when I was leaving my hostel, all of my friends from my university insisted on me staying with them because as per the public university rule, I could stay at the hostel and enjoy free facilities until my result was published. But I understood that time is most valuable to me. If I can’t utilize my time properly, I may not be able to reach my destination. Thank Almighty Allah, I took the right decision because I left that night and I started my journey before the completion of my graduation and getting my result.

Now, you see that today you also got your result and today you are declared as graduates. So, again congratulations for your wonderful success. But please keep one thing in your mind, start your career. Today after this convocation ceremony, please give your maximum effort, use your time and try to figure out what should be your career map. As you know, at university we are trying to give lots of ideas on Art of Living and Employability 360, besides we also insist that you develop your Google Site personal career map, where you can upload your own video resume which can enable you to reflect on what exactly you achieved while you were studying at this university.

Dear Pathfinders
Today I want to say that if you go across the whole world, you will find there are a few categories of people who started their careers while they were students. You know that ‘Warren Buffett’ started his career when he was 14 and he always loved to say, he was feeling unhappy to think about why he didn’t start his study when he was 8. At the same time, you can see lots of people who started their careers at 14/15/17/18 years of age. Keep it in your mind that there is another scenario too.

There are lots of successful people who already started their journey after 30, like if we just consider ‘Jack Ma’. He started when he was 35. Just like him, there is ‘Richard Branson; who started when he was 35/36 years old. So, if you just go through history, you can find out there are lots of people like them who started their journey when they were 35/36. That’s why considering their success, you should realize that you are still young.

Dear Precious
You know that each of you has a special body that defines how long you will survive in this world, but it is true that God doesn’t allow us to identify or to see how exactly that clock is ticking and how long you will live. So, that’s why every time is important and I have given two examples about two successful people, who started their careers after 35. So, that means at the age of around 24, you are at the right stage as I started my journey when I was 24 and I am still trying to reach my target. Now, I have created many leaders in my organization. They can run Daffodil independently with their expertise. Subsequently, I stepped down from my position, delegated jobs to my successors, and paid attention to upper-level strategic decision-making. It is a globally acclaimed change management process that I have followed to carry on my journey and have had things done by others.

So, please try to grab all the technological knowledge, which will give you speed. Successful people, those I have mentioned, the majority of them, didn’t have the technology. That means they made their life successful in the analog era. Now you are in the digital and technological era. So, at this time lots of facilities are available for you. Even the people I have mentioned, if you search their names, then you can find out how they started their journey. You can get inspired by their success stories which will guide you on the right path in life.

Dear Triumphant
Daffodil International University has initiated lots of facilities for you. You all know the toppers of the departments always get the gold medals as a reward at this big ceremony. That has been a long-running tradition for every university home and abroad. But today we are going to break this tradition and start something new. From now on, the toppers and meritorious students of this university will get the airline ticket to travel to a foreign country as an educational tour. It will be a great opportunity for those kinds of students who want to explore the world, learn something new and be ready to take on global challenges. I hope we will make this system a next-generation tradition as the first university not only in this country but also in the whole world.

Beloved DIU Ambassadors
The world is getting smaller day by day. By virtue of technology, the whole world is at its grips now. That’s why, it’s up to you, how you will use your time and the technology you have. You have to think about yourself. One day you will be no more in this world. So, people should be able to recognize your contribution. If you invest your time, you should invest it in a positive way to contribute to society. Only then when you will be no more in this world, people will remember you. You know that Einstein and lots of other successful people are long gone, but people still remember them and respect them.

I want to say, please start your journey today, pull out your strength, use your smartphone, utilize all the technology and try to grab the opportunity. Don’t think that you are the deprived one. Don’t think, you don’t have any money or any reference from your family to get a job or to become an entrepreneur. Just think that God has given you unbelievable power. Do you know, there are lots of handicapped people who are deprived, but they never think that they are the deprived people as they already have made themselves successful? This is the ultimate example for all of you. If they can make themselves self-reliant, then why not you? So, please focus on your aim. I am quite sure you can make your vision successful and make every dream of your parents come true.

Finally, I would like to congratulate our graduates once again on their distinguished achievements. Please be in touch with Daffodil as vibrant Alumni and keep inspiring junior students with your vigor, dedication, and vision. DIU will be always with you. May society open up endless opportunities for your success and professional growth.

In the name of the Almighty, the Most Merciful and Beneficent, I begin!

Dr. Dipu Moni, M.P, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Education, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Chairperson of the 8th Convocation Ceremony of DIU; Professor Abdul Mannan, Honorable Chairman, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC); Honorable Chairman, Board of Trustees, DIU, Mr. Md. Sabur Khan; Honorable Convocation Speaker, Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, Honorable President, SIAM University, Thailand; distinguished guests from Thailand and Taiwan; Honorable Members of Parliament; Honorable members of UGC; Heads and representatives of Diplomatic Missions; Emeritus Professor & immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. M. Lutfar Rahman; Members of the Board of Trustees; Members of the Syndicate; Members of the Academic Council; Deans of the Faculties; Heads of the Departments; Directors; Faculty members; administrative members; members of the press; Alumni; Guardians of the graduates; organizers; volunteers; graduating students: Assalamualaikum, may the Almighty grant you all peace and blessings always!

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, management, teachers, and students of Daffodil International University (DIU), I welcome you all to the 8th Convocation ceremony of DIU in our lush green and growing Permanent Campus. I would like to thank you for making the effort and taking the pains to grace the event to encourage the graduating students. I thank the Almighty for creating this opportunity for us to get together to honor them on this special occasion.

At the outset, I want to congratulate each of the 5626 students graduating in the 8th Convocation Ceremony of DIU. You are the stars today; we all are here to celebrate your academic achievements. I pray that the Almighty grants you courage, strength and wisdom to face the next challenging stages of your life. You will find many aspects of the real world that you are entering not only challenging but difficult and often disappointing phases. Remember that you haven’t made yourself, it is the Almighty who has created you. He has given you the potential to face the challenges and He is always with those who persevere and never lose hope. So trust your Maker and take on each challenge as it comes to fulfill your potential to be the best that He has made you.

Over the course of your study here at DIU, you have developed a variety of friendships. I would urge you to turn these friendships into lifelong networks and networking groups. If you support each other, it would help you face the unexpected and unseen challenges ahead. Today, you have also become a valued member of our vibrant DIU Alumni Association. I wish you every success and very much hope that you stay connected with DIU and your juniors who are still at the university in the years to come. While congratulating the graduating students, I would also like to congratulate the teachers and administration of DIU for supporting each graduate on the way to achieving their degree. Remember that as your teachers, we would always be available for any advice/support that you need – we will always remain your teachers.

Respected audience,
For our guests who have come to share the occasion, I would like to give some background on the university. DIU started its academic offerings in March 2002. At present, the university conducts thirty-seven academic programs under five faculties. Over 23,000 students are enrolled at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the university with over 750 full-time teachers and about 650 administrative officials supporting the academic activities.

In line with Vision 2021 of Digital Bangladesh, a large part of the academic and administrative services of the University have been put online making the University one of the prominent ICT-oriented universities of the country. The main objective of the university is to turn out technologically oriented graduates capable of pursuing meaningful careers and ultimately making a positive contribution to the development of the nation not only as job holders but as entrepreneurs.

To develop our international activities, we have collaborations with over two hundred renowned universities and institutes in fifty countries around the world. With them, we have regular student and teacher exchange programs, we conduct joint research programs leading to Ph.D. degrees for our young faculty members, employees, and students from a number of foreign universities. We currently have over 500 international students from different countries of the world. As part of our efforts to develop the entrepreneurial mindset, we have recently launched the Global Entrepreneur Summer Camp in 2019, hosted last month jointly with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).

The Permanent Campus of the university established here in Ashulia would ultimately accommodate over twenty-five thousand students as well as teachers, officials, and supporting staff. We are working towards a state-of-the-art campus, with all the facilities that a modern university should have. Now the facilities at the permanent campus include IT-equipped classrooms, 24/7 WiFi, academic buildings, male and female hostels, guest houses, cafeterias, playgrounds, and a modern masjid among others. We now hold the prestigious QS University ranking for 2019. We want and need your collaboration to turn to utilize these facilities to turn the campus into a world-class university.

Dear Graduates – a few concluding words for you:
You now have the skills of a graduate. Find problems that you would like to solve. Become a motivated problem solver. Use the subject skills you have as a resource. You also have an advantage that many previous generations of graduates did not have – you are socially networked. Make the best use of these networks to connect with similarly minded peers and help each other to succeed. Work together and, collectively, solve problems to help each other for the progress of Bangladesh and the world. Turn each problem into a research question and do not rest till it is solved.

On the path to success, you will face many setbacks. As you keep chasing your target, each setback will make you stronger and better at facing subsequent challenges. You are the citizens of a modern world. Become an entrepreneur and contribute to building a better Bangladesh. If you get a job, do so only temporarily to learn how to set up a business. Ultimately become a job giver rather than a job seeker. We are fortunate to have one of the best role models among us, as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our country, our Founder and Chairman, BoT, Mr. Md. Sabur Khan. Read the books he has written, and attend the programs where he gives guidelines to young entrepreneurs.

Keep in mind that you are the ambassadors of your Alma Mater – Daffodil International University (DIU). The world will recognize DIU through your achievements.

Finally, just as we trust a brand manufacturer, trust the Almighty who has created the human brand and has taken the trouble to create you individually – the best of creation, a unique human being. Be grateful to Him for giving you the opportunity to experience an intelligent life, derive satisfaction, and make full use of the potential He has given you so generously. The more you use your potential, the more you will realize His Greatness in creating you.

In the end, again, I express our gratitude to Honorable Minister and Honorable Convocation Speaker. Thank you, Dr. Dipu Moni, MP, Honorable Minister, and the Chairperson of the Convocation Ceremony. Thank you, Honorable Convocation Speaker, Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit for your time and encouraging words for the graduates. Thank you, Professor Abdul Mannan, Chairman, UGC. Thank you, distinguished guests, from Thailand and Taiwan and other local and international guests. We will gratefully remember you and your presence in the Convocation on this green ground in the years to come. Finally, thank you, Honorable Founder and Chairman, BoT, DIU, Mr. Md. Sabur Khan for your vision and continuous efforts & guidance to make DIU a top-class university.

Dear Graduates, Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen,
May the Almighty bless you all with peace and happiness! May He bless DIU on its road to development. Thank you all.