 Ysbun yr amser, oedd eich lŷnod yn gweithio i'r adnod ddechrau, y gweld, yw'r gallach gael eu gweithio, a'u bobl yw'r adnod o'i'r adnod o'r gweithio. Ysbun yw'r adnod o'i ddechrau, y llwy oedd y maen nhw'n gweld, ac roedd yn gweld gweld cylliddiad. Felly, rydyn ni'n gweld llwy o'r adnod o'r adnod o'r syddau a'u cynsig oed o'r adnod o'r cyflwy, a gwneud o'r unig amser ac ymdweud. Mae ydych chi'n gweld yma'r ymdweud yma'r ffordd i'r ffyrdd yma. Mae'r ffyrdd i'r graddwyd, mae'r ffordd yn ymddangos gweld yn ychydig argymellol, ac mae'n ddiddordeb yn ymddangos gweld i'r ffordd a'r ddiddordeb yn ymddangos gweld, ac mae'r ffordd yn ymddangos gweld i'r ffordd i'r ffordd i'r ffordd i'r gweith. Felly, mae'r ddechrau yma'r ffordd i'r rhan o'r bodi'r gweld, I'm especially proud, but humbled to be presiding over this graduation ceremony in place of our president, Grasha Michelle. Unfortunately, and for self-evident reasons, she cannot be with us today, but she asked to me to extend to you her very best wishes and congratulations on your achievements. Naturally our thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family at this sad and difficult time. So what I have to say, therefore, is a rather modest substitute compared to her insights and observations. No one in this auditorium doubts that SOAS is an extraordinary and special university. Unique is so often an imperfectly used word, but for SOAS its use is precise and unquestionable. We provide a unique and unrivalled range of programmes in so which so many of you here today have been fortunate enough to participate in. You should be very proud of your time here at SOAS and revel in its richness and variety. The 21st century is SOAS's time and as new graduates it must be your time too. As Asia regains her preeminence in the world, as Africa becomes an increasingly important part of the global economy, and the Middle East begins to find its place in the world, what better time to have been at SOAS. You are now part of a world changing beyond all recognition and the opportunities presenting themselves to you are simply breathtaking. The school leaves you with an immutable and special legacy. The indefectible experience of liberal, unconstrained intellectual curiosity combined with its extraordinary cultural diversity. Now at any good university you also learn social skills of engagement with others. You learn how to communicate effectively. You learn how to work successfully alone as well as in collaboration with others. You also make discoveries. Discoveries about the nature of our common humanity as you study alongside people from different parts of the world with very, very different experiences. You also learn about yourself through the power of self-reflection. The school is a place for challenging orthodoxies and testing ideas in the fire of open debate. Issues of North and South, East and West, of development of poverty, of neoconservatism and democracy, of corruption, of privatisation and of course of religion and other ideologies. The landscape of our world is changing and our students are searching for understanding and seeking solutions. Globalisation means that knowing and understanding the world is now ever more important than before. Employers of course are increasingly drawn to graduates who are not only comfortable working alongside people from other cultures but are genuinely excited about the prospect of doing so. Governments too need the expertise of those who have in-depth knowledge of other nations and other systems. The professions and the academies are being enriched by the cross-fertilisation that comes from bringing together people with rich seems of interest and experience but from different parts of the globe. Nowhere is this done more effectively than here. SOAS creates that alchemy of unsurpassable brilliance. Now, as you pass across the stage today and receive your degree awards, you become a new and very special element of the SOAS community. As SOAS alumnus, you become part of a network which is over 50,000 strong allowing you to become involved in a heritage which is almost 100 years old. This network provides all sorts of support and continued engagement in the life of the school which you have so recently been a part. Please support and help and put something back. Because as you know, we have very ambitious plans as we approach our centennial year and your involvement will help sustain this wonderful institution as it enters its second century. SOAS of course has many and varied alumnus. Men and women destined for greatness when they return to their home countries. But it has always been an incubator for leaders and not just in the field of politics. Leaders in business, in scholarship, leaders in public service, leaders in many many different disciplines not only here in Britain but also from around the world. But as you graduate today and begin a new phase of your life, perhaps I may leave you with a couple of thoughts and observations. First, adaptability. We must become the change we want to see is an off-quoted remark from Nelson Mandela. And as I've already mentioned, the world into which you are graduating is evolving rapidly. It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change said Darwin in the 19th century. An observation which I believe is not out of place today. You must be prepared to change if you're going to make the difference and prosper in whatever field of activity you choose to pursue. In this regard, hold fast to the liberal intellectual rigor and humanist spirit you've experienced at SOAS. It will stand you in very, very good stead. Second, courageousness. As you make your way in the world, stand up for what you believe to be right. Stand up for those less fortunate than you. Look after and be there for your family and friends. And don't be afraid of being in the minority of one if you think that's the right thing to do or to say. The crepitus behaviour rarely succeeds. And to paraphrase Edmund Burke, evil flourishes when good men and women fail to act. Being true to yourself and to others around you instills confidence, respect and an inner epicurean calm which will fortify and protect you. Courage and aggression are so often confused. Don't be fooled. It's usually the case that positions that are held and defended with atoraxian grace and tranquility win out in the end. And remember, courage often involves fear, but it's how you conduct yourselves in those circumstances that matters. Third, optimism and authenticity. Intellectual rigor and debate teaches self-awareness. Be true to who you are. Play to your strengths and listen not just about what your head tells you, but what your heart tells you too. And as you think about your career, pursue what you love and dream about and then be the very best at what you do. Real success comes from being authentic, being comfortable in your own skin. This is both liberating, energising and builds indefatigable optimism and enthusiasm, allowing you to seize the opportunities which will surely come your way. Nor should the cynics believe this is naivety, far from it. It instead creates a strong sense of positive conviction. Or as Henry Ford, the great American industrialist made plain, if you think you can or you can't, you're right. As a former teacher of economic history, you might expect me to say that education is the most powerful weapon with which to change the world. Education changes people's lives and it's certainly changed mine. And in this auditorium today, you are all tomorrow's leaders. You might not think of yourselves in that way, but in fact you are. Because whatever you do, I know you will take what you've learned here and apply it with great distinction and success and be a wonderful role model for future generations of global citizens. So during your time at SOAS, you've had the good fortune, now the privilege, to have fashioned your personal weapons in the white heat of learning, honing and hardening them such that they can be put to best used for the rest of your life. Use them wisely, my friends. Use them well. So let me congratulate you on your achievements and on behalf of the school, go forward with our best wishes in the road that lies ahead of you. We at SOAS are very, very proud of you. Your achievements and your success are our legacy. Thank you very much.