Programs and Events
Ambassador’s Remarks at the NYIT Commencement Gulf Convention Center June 4th, 2006, 11:00am
Distinguished guests, proud parents and, most importantly, members of the graduating class of the New York Institute of Technology in Bahrain.
I want to thank NYIT for inviting me to speak at this important occasion when we not only mark a significant achievement in the lives of our young graduates, but also celebrate the efforts of our American education institutions to bring one of the things I think the United States does best – educate – to this part of the world. I also want to thank you for letting me share in the sheer happiness of this occasion. Believe it or not, I actually missed my own university graduation some 35 years ago (I think at the time we in my generation just did not comprehend the significance of graduation as one of life’s milestones as we set out to meet the challenges before us), so I always take great pleasure now when I have the opportunity to attend a university graduation, or even more so when I am honored by an invitation to speak at one.
I’d also like to thank Linda Davila, Chair of NYIT’s Board of Trustees, President Edward Guiliano, and Vice Presidents Robert Vogt and Joe Ford, all of whom have flown in from New York to be here for this very special occasion, for their support for the NYIT endeavor here in Bahrain. Also, I’d like to thank Mohammed Hussain, Executive Chairman of NYIT Middle East for his efforts in helping establish NYIT Bahrain. And thank you also to Deans Richard Carhartt and David Decker, who have provided the leadership of this great university that has made it an exemplar.
We are here today to celebrate the accomplishments of the outstanding men and women who are about to become graduates of the New York Institute of Technology. I am proud to be here today with these distinguished students and in support of this fine American institution of higher learning.
It was about one year ago that I had the pleasure of meeting President Guiliano and many members of the NYIT team when I joined Minister Al-Naomi in officially opening up the NYIT campus in Adliya. In addition to the important occasion that day was, it also had special personal meaning for me because, as most of you I am sure know, NYIT has placed its campus at the site of the first U.S. Embassy in Bahrain. I actually went into the office that was formally the office of the American Ambassador – and I took great pleasure in knowing that the office was in good hands, and that the site of the old Embassy is still – in its own way – serving as an Ambassador for the United States in Bahrain.
Which brings me to the main point I would like to make today. In recent years, we have seen increased interest on the part of American universities in establishing a presence in this region, and this is a very positive development for two reasons.
First, international education and exchange bring greater understanding, something critically important in the difficult times we live in. This is something I learned at a young age when I had an opportunity to study overseas while in university. And it is the reason we at the Embassy devote so much time and energy and resources in the area of education and exchange – whether it is increasing the number of Fulbright, Humphrey and other scholarships that we offer (and the numbers are going up dramatically, as is interest in them); or our programs to increase English language capability in Bahraini schools through such programs as ACCESS (which is growing in scope); or in our support for GLOBE programs, which provide opportunities for bright students in Bahrain to develop their interest in science and the environment; or even in our support of the Bahrain School, which is a Department of Defense-run school that currently has students from more than 35 countries, including many from Bahrain and other countries in the region
One thing these programs do – and this is something that institutions like NYIT do as well – is expose students to the world, open their minds, help them deal with and understand the complicated world that we live in.
But that is not all they do. They also bring American education directly to the people of Bahrain, and that is the second reason why I am so supportive of institutions like NYIT when they set up campuses here.
So why do I think an American education is so special? Let me tell you a story that I think demonstrates the point very well. Almost 10 years ago, I was working at the American Embassy in Singapore – a country not unlike Bahrain in that it is small in size, lacking in physical resources, and ultimately dependent on its human capital if it is to succeed in the modern globalized economy. At that time, Singapore’s education system was considered one of the best in the world. Students in Singapore’s public schools were scoring “off the charts” on globally-recognized standardized achievement tests, and Singapore students who went on to the U.S. invariably ranked at the top of their class. International educationalists took notice, and speculated about what “secret formula” the Singaporeans had discovered. Teams came from the United States to Singapore to try to learn what accounted for the terrific academic results there.
But remarkably, something else was happening. The leadership in Singapore at that time realized that the country would have to change if it were to meet the challenges of a globalized economy. No longer would Singapore continue to grow as a labor-based economy. To compete, it would have to develop its intellectual capital – people who could think, create, become entrepreneurs, take chances, accept risk – in other words, compete in the fast-passed, hi-tech, inter-connected, so-called “flat world” that we find ourselves in today.
And guess what? For all Singapore’s education system’s strengths in creating exceptional test-takers, academic stars, it was not producing graduates who were independent, creative, strategic thinkers who could meet today’s challenges. And which education system did they conclude was creating the kind of graduates with the tools to succeed in the modern world? The American system.
So, ironically, at the same time that you had American academics traveling to Singapore to determine what it was about the Singapore system that created such stellar students, you had teams from Singapore going to the United States to try to determine what it was about the American system that created such stellar graduates. And that is the point – American universities don’t just create strong students, they create strong graduates.
Of course the New York Institute of Technology has known this since its first students began classes fifty-one years ago. And you graduates today must know this, too, having chosen to study at the New York Institute of Technology. You have recognized that NYIT maintains the American tradition of excellence and creativity. With its commitment to providing a career-oriented practical education, NYIT gives its students the tools to go out into the world. But just as important, in my view, NYIT creates an academic experience that promotes the American virtues of problem-solving, critical and independent thinking, teamwork, and intellectual curiosity. These are the hallmarks of the American educational system and, more broadly, of America’s economic strength.
You are graduating from NYIT at an exciting time in Bahrain. The leadership in Bahrain is embarked on an effort to prepare Bahrain, and the Bahraini people, for the economic challenges of the 21st century. You can see this in the economic, education, labor, and political reforms that are being developed and introduced. You can see it in ambitious new projects like the Financial Harbor, World Trade Center, and new port, which reflect a confidence in Bahrain’s growing, world-connected economy. And you can see it in the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Bahrain, which we expect to come into effect soon and which will offer increased opportunities for trade and investment between our two countries.
The education that you have received at the New York Institute of Technology has relevance to the economic development of Bahrain. Your training has prepared you not only with the technical tools to succeed in Bahrain’s changing economy, but also the intellectual skills to become leaders in your fields and in Bahrain.
Bahrain recognizes the value of an American degree, especially one from the New York Institute of Technology, as exemplified by the excellent placements of NYIT graduates in the Bahraini private sector and in government. I’m proud to say we’ve recognized it at the Embassy as well. In recent years, the Embassy has hired two exceptional NYIT graduates whose work exemplifies the virtues of an American education.
So on this day of commencement, as you venture out into professional careers and new avenues of learning, I congratulate you on your achievement in your studies. Use what you have learned, and especially the skills you have acquired, to make us proud, and to reaffirm that an American education produces the kind of thinkers and leaders who are able to drive the economic development of great nations like Bahrain.
Thank you and good luck to all of you.