PENANG, 22 September 2013 - Graduates were urged to prepare themselves with a variety of abilities and travel all over the world to gain experience.

Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Tan Sri Razali Ismail, said when he briefed more than 800 graduates during 48^th USM Convocation Ceremony recently.

He said that the graduates should be brave to go anywhere in the world to gain experience for voluntary work, business, as well as to serve with international agencies to ensure that they are not going to be closeted in their own world.

“Go explore and find experience, be knowledgeable, see the real world, have some fun and wake up as a hero who could make a difference to yourself and the country with the knowledge that you have,” he said.

He said that during the fourth and fifth sessions of the Convocation which involved more than 1,500 graduates who received their scrolls according to their courses.

He added that the university should have started to explore the effort in placing its students in every corner in the world to ensure that they dare to try anything, be more adventurous and stay away from their comfort zone.

“Show us the real you in finding new opportunities and wealth. It does not matter what are the things that you are going to do, what is important is explore the world and try to think outside the box,” he said.

He added that no matter how successful an individual is, it must be in line with the personality and ability to think like a mature person and be respected.

“At the end of the day, what gets measured is the ability and competency in you that set you apart from others who are waiting for the opportunity to replace you once you let the opportunity go.

“This is the harsh reality of the world today. Therefore we have to be pragmatic in whatever we do,” he said. - Translation: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photos: Mohd Fairus Md Isa