Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) held its 31st Congregation from 28 to 30 November, at which academic awards were presented to over 7,000 graduates.

Addressing the ceremony, HKMU President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing congratulated the graduates for successfully completing their studies and encouraged them to pursue life-long learning to equip themselves for future challenges. “Today marks the culmination of years of hard work, late nights, stressful deadlines, and I hope, high grades!” he said.

Prof. Lam pointed out that a four-year university education may not be enough to prepare for a person's entire life. He said he believed that in our ever-changing society, we need to learn new skills, master new technologies, create new knowledge, absorb further information, and adapt to new environments. He encouraged the graduates “to subscribe to the idea of life as a journey of continuous learning, unlearning and relearning, and upskilling and reskilling.”

Life is not always smooth and it can seem very unfair at times, but the ways in which people respond to crises, bad luck and disappointments will define who they are, said Prof. Lam. “Everything happens for a reason; ultimately, we should not blame others for the consequences of our actions. If the world seems to be against us, we must make our own way in life,” he added.

In eight sessions of the three-day congregation ceremony, more than 4,150 bachelor’s degrees, and over 1,900 postgraduate degrees and other academic qualifications were conferred on the graduates.