 Thank you so much, Paul, for so kind words. Graduates, distinct guests, ladies, and gentlemen. I'm really honored to be here with you today at your graduation from one of the most finest universities in the world, focusing on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In my capacity as president of SOAS University of London, it is my pleasure to welcome you and our graduates, families, friends, and supporters to this occasion of celebration. As some of you may know, I have been a social and political activist over many decades, and I have advocate for women's rights and children's rights. Joining the SOAS family has enriched me personally and enlightened my work and that of networks I'm associated with. It has been proved that education shows the seeds of transformation, deepens our understanding of one another and the world. It also helped us to build the bridges across cultures and nations. Madiba once said, I quote, education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world, unquote. But for me, this can simply summarise, be summarised in one word, empowerment. And it suits so well for the world we are in today. SOAS offers a real opportunity for students and academic staff to experience on a daily basis interaction and exposure to what I can there call a microcosmos of the world. You will hardly find another place that brings together knowledge from Asia, Africa, and Middle East, and where rich diversity of cultures and backgrounds, learning, discovery, and critical thinking are nurtured and enhanced, which makes SOAS a very special and very global in its perspective. You have been blessed with an exceptional education. I urge you to use it wisely and apply the learnings you gain here to your personal life, at your workplace, in your communities, and in your countries to make a difference. For almost 100 years, SOAS has made a tremendous impact on the lives of those who have walked through its doors. And many have achieved positions of power and influence in their respective countries and regions. It is a huge concern that the regions of SOAS focus, namely Asia, Africa, and Middle East, have been confronted with growing conflicts fueled by political, religious, ethnic intolerance, inequality, and competition over resources. Perhaps this is the biggest challenge of your generation, dear graduates. It is my hope that you, young people, will raise to this challenge with creativity, resolve, and generosity. Do use your knowledge to break the cycle of violence and create a movement where, as humans, we value, respect, and accept difference and diversity as our common strength. This way, we nurture and live in peaceful and cohesive societies where social justice prevails. 2015 is a milestone year for the world. It is the last year of Millennium Development Goals and entails an evaluation. It marks the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals this September during the UN Gender Assembly. World leaders will then attend the Climate Change Summit in Paris in December. Certainly, this year is a turning point. The solemn commitment to end poverty in the next 15 years will affect every sector of your personal life, as individuals, as members of your family, your community, and your professional life. You, 2015 Sowas graduates, will join the workforce at the beginning of this historical milestone where the human family pledges that every one of us is our brother or sister's keeper and no one must be left behind. I challenge you to offer your knowledge and skills that you have gained and developed here at Sowas, having as a driving motor that commitment to end poverty in your lifetime and leave no one behind. You will have to be innovative, change the business as usual attitude, and set ambitious targets in milestones. Stand and be counted as a part of the wave of change required to embrace the millions who live in deprivation so they too can benefit from the resources, the knowledge, the innovation, and the technology. The best our societies have to offer and have been accumulated throughout our human history. Do not be indifferent or turn a blind eye to injustices. When a person is denied his or her human rights, it is your dignity which is being affronted. Your personal freedom that you have been privileged with will never be complete while others are denied the same kind of freedom. As humans, we are able to influence our personal transformation as well as the transformation of the society we want. We are only limited by our own imagination. Before I conclude, I'd like to leave you with some advice that I have shared with the other SOAS graduates. One, take action and be passionate about what you do. Two, inform yourself at all times. Expand your knowledge constantly to sharpen the tools you need to serve society. Three, create your own definition of success. Money and power are often seen as measures of success. Yet for me, success is to have peace of mind attained through the knowledge that I have made my best effort to do the best of which I am capable of and to do everything within my power to reach out and work with others to provide a life of dignity for all. Four, be prepared to make sacrifices for what you believe in. The end result will exceed your dreams. Five, be prepared to have setbacks and sometimes make mistakes. Since we all inevitably do so, what is important is what we learn from them. After setback, pick yourself up, keep your determination to pursue your purpose. You are much, much stronger than you think. Six, take care of your family and friends. They will sustain you throughout difficult times and celebrate with you your successes. Congratulations to each and every one of you, dear graduates. You will always be part of SOAS and SOAS will always be part of you. Thank you for your attention.