UTP Public Lecture Series by YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, UTP Chancellor (7 March 2013)
YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), today gave his annual public lecture in front of a packed audience at UTP’s Chancellor Hall. This year’s lecture was entitled ‘Graduates in the 21st Century’.
UTP has been organising the public lecture series since 1998 and since then, has invited many prominent speakers including His Royal Highness The Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah; YBhg Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Khoo Kay Kim and the late YBhg Tun Mohd Ghazali Shafie.
UTP Lecture Series is a valuable forum for knowledge sharing between the speakers and the university community on various topics and issues. The knowledge and information that can be obtained from these sessions complement and enhance what the students gain within the classroom and formal education. As for the lecturers and staff, such sessions will provide them with better insights of national and global issues.
UTP is indeed very honoured to have a very distinguished speaker, YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom the university look up to on his views on various issues including politics, national development, economics, corporate governance and education.
For this lecture, YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir, a remarkable visionary, shared his thoughts on what makes the 21st century graduates, how they could fit in the demanding society and challenging international market, and most importantly thrive in lifetime employability.
In his lecture, YABhg Tun reminded UTP students that in order to become 21st century graduates, they must continuously upgrade and enhance themselves with knowledge. Students may think that the process of learning ends when they have their degrees, but in truth, YABhg Tun said that “the process of learning does not stop in the university, as learning is a lifetime occupation. The quest for knowledge must go on at all time.”
YABhg Tun also emphasised that apart from knowledge, the 21st century graduates must possess good character traits, such as honesty, loyalty and trustworthy. According to YABhg Tun, for graduates to acquire these traits, parents must do their part “in moulding and shaping their children with good character traits and moral values in order for them to be successful in their careers and lives.”
YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, Vice Chancellor of UTP, UTP management committee members, students and staff of UTP, government officers and the public attended the event and were glued to their seats throughout the lecture.
