What will the role of universities be in this globalized economy? How will they contribute to improving society through innovation that will improve the quality of life and support economic growth? How will they prepare their graduates who will extract the best and explore the greatest in this increasingly complex society?// It is important to remember that undergraduate education and post-graduate education are tightly linked to research. Our education programs should ensure that the students are learning in an atmosphere characterized by the pursuit of new knowledge and process of discovery. An interrelated educational program will create a flow of young, bright and uninhibited minds to work on the frontier of discovery.// The fundamental mission of a university is the creation of new knowledge which sometimes has immediate practical applications. But that can never be the only goal. And making it a primary goal will frequently be short-sighted. Basic contributions to knowledge should be valued for being exactly that. Our university has an almost unique role in fostering such contribution.// Choosing the right people is the first and perhaps the most crucial step in ensuring an innovative environment. There are three types of people that can be important. The first class of individuals consists of fanciful visionaries. The second class of important people in innovative environment consists of revolutionary explorers. The third class of individuals consists of uninhibited executors.//

這個經濟全球化的時代背景下，大學將扮演怎樣的角色呢？大學將如何通過旨在提高生活質量、推動經濟發展的創新活動進而推動社會的進步呢？在這個日新月異、充滿變數的社會，大學又將如何培養那些善于取精用弘的學生呢？//我們應該認識到，本科生教育和研究生教育都與研究緊密相連。我們的教育應該為學生創造一種可以探尋新知識、帶來新發現的氛圍，將教學與研究融合在一起的教育可以培養一批活躍在探索前沿、聰穎開放的青年才俊。//大學最的使根本的使命就是創造新知識，雖然大學所創造的新只是有時會立即產生實際應用價值，但這決不是大學所追求的唯一目標。將獲取實際應用價值的目標定位大學的主要目標是一種短視行為。基礎研究也同樣是大學的使命，而且大學在推動基礎研究方面能發揮獨特的作用。//選對人是確保創新型研究環境的首要因素，也是最為關鍵的因素。選人要選三種人：第一種人是浮想聯翩的思想家，第二種人是富有革命精神的探索家，第三種人是不受常規約束的實干家。//