7月13日，清华大学智能产业研究院（AIR）院长张亚勤获英国萨里大学（University of Surrey）荣誉博士学位，并在毕业典礼上发表演讲。

张亚勤院长从事技术研究三十余年，目睹了前所未有的创新，也见证了第四次工业革命的力量，从个人电脑、高清电视、移动通信、云计算到自动驾驶和人工智能。演讲上，他分享了科研历程中的收获，给出了宝贵的经验：

第一，做永恒的学习者，应对变化。

数据和信息都在爆炸性的增长，每年产生的新数据是有史以来产生的数据的总和，5年前学的静态的知识80%没用，重要的是动态的学习能力。人工智能时代，机器都在学习，人类更应如此。

第二，保持你的激情、保持你的纯真、保持你的棱角、保持你的锋芒。

形成自己独特的观点和视角，不需要八面玲珑，不需要遵循传统，不需要圆滑世故。

第三，将道德与人性摆在核心位置，践行“以人为核心”的原则。

技术是中立的，但技术的发明者具有目的性。工程设计只是工具，但工程师是在为整个人类服务，因此科研必须坚持“以人为核心”的原则。

同时，张亚勤院长也衷心地表达了对2020级毕业学生的美好祝愿，希望年轻的学者积极响应历史责任的号召，保持敏捷，做真正服务于人类的科学研究。用才能、灵感与创新，用同情、勇气与人格，去发光发热。

演讲原文

Ya-Qin Zhang’s Speech for Class 2020

University of Surrey

July 13, 2021

Honorable Prince and Chancellor Edward, Esteemed President and Vice Chancellor Max Lu, Prof. Adrian Hilton, parents and students, ladies and gentlemen:

I am immensely honored to accept the honorary degree from University of Surrey, one of the finest institutions in UK and a leading university in the world with fast-rising influence and increasing global reputation and recognition.

I want to congratulate the graduating class of 2020 for your most remarkable accomplishment: GRADUATION. You made it!

This is undoubtedly the most challenging and uncertain time in our living memory.

We see the sudden disruption and catastrophic impact of the pandemic, a global scale that challenges the very foundation of our social fabric, economic structure, and life style.

We also see the staggering pace of innovation and the transformative power of the fourth industrial revolution, with technology breakthroughs in nano-technology, renewable energy, and quantum computing: Particularly in deep learning and AI, including the landmark work from a British company DeepMind on AlphaGo, AlphaZero, and now AlphaFold.

Over the last three decades, I have had the most distinctive opportunity to work on some of the most exciting technologies such as HDTV, mobile communications, cloud computing, and more recently autonomous driving and AI, in China, US, and around the world, in basic research, technology innovations, and product development.

I have had the wildest ride with not only a great deal of fun, but also extraordinary hardship along the way. I’d like to share with you three of my personal learnings:

1) Be an adaptive learner in the world of data explosion and constant change.In today’s fast changing technology industry, most of what you learned five years ago is irrelevant. The most valuable skill you’ve gained at Surrey is the ability to learn new things, to discern the signal from the noise, and to extract knowledge from the ocean of data.

2) Have a unique point of view and perspective.When you get into the real world, there is a natural tendency to become “polished”, to follow existing trends, and to blend in with the rest.

I ASK you to maintain your sharpness, your edge, and your differences. When I interview people, particularly young engineers, I look for their point of view, their thoughts, and their flash of ideas, which to me is far more important than being smooth, polished or “correct”.

3) HOLD Ethics and humanity at the heart of what you do.Over 2000 years ago, the great Greek thinker Socratesput ethics as the soul for the pursuit of truth. Around the same time, the great Chinese philosopher Confucius placed “Renyi”, which essentially means humanity, as the foundation for social structure. It is no coincidence that two of the greatest minds from vastly different cultures had the same idea. This has become even more critical today as we all face more choices, more confusion, and more temptations. Technology is neutral, but innovators have purpose. Engineering is a tool, but engineers serve humanity. I am particularly happy to see the newly-created People-Centered AI initiative at University of Surrey by Vice Chancellor Lu and Professor Hilton that truly exemplifies the value and essence of AI.

My young friends, this is the defining moment for you, for you to rise, to shine and answer the historic call of duty, with not only your talent, spark and innovations, but also compassion, courage and humanity.

Again, my most profound gratitude to the University of Surrey for this distinguished honor you have bestowed on me. Thank you all! Congratulations!

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