On Friday, July 19, 1957, at the fourth
Commencement Exercises at the, University
College His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie I
made the following speech:
"We
feel much satisfaction at the reports submitted
by the Chairman of the University
College, and by the
President of the College, on the
academic, cultural
and physical progress achieved, in
particular during
this academic year; moreover, when We
observe the
growing number of graduates produced by Our
University
College, we are happy to find that Our
hopes are far
on the way to being realised.
An
Institute of Higher Education has to set a noble
pattern for a nation, and indeed,
proceeding as you are
under proper guidance, you are setting
an example
of unity and progress.
We
have declared on various occasions that lack of
unity is harmful to a country and of
benefit to others.
This you have understood. We are happy
to see how
far you have striven towards a deeper
mutual understanding.
Knowledge paves the way to love, and
love in its
turn fosters understanding, and leads
one along the
path of great common achievements for
one's country.
Your
are enjoying the fruits of mutual esteem and
cooperation, both among yourselves and
between the
teaching staff and student body, thus
promoting an
atmosphere favourable to academic development and to
the growth of personality. These words
of Ours should
be an incentive to you, as well as a
reward. For in this
way are We clearly realising a still
higher purpose.
Junior
students took up to their seniors, while the
community at large follows your daily
life with keen
interest, and thus learns from you. By
your efforts
to understand one another, to express your sincere if
divergent opinions; to study the view
points of others, and
to attain closer cooperation in a spirit
of mutual respect,
you are setting a fine example, While
you grow up
together as students in your own land,
preparing yourselves
to serve the nation without abandoning
the best of its
traditions, you are taking part in your
own fashion, in
the efforts to render your homeland
prosperous and
secure, and to ensure that her greatness
persists and
flourishes.
The
aim of higher education is to prepare an elite
that sets an ideal of achievement
through personal and
professional values. This aim cannot be
reached except
by following the Country's spiritual
traditions as well as
certain basic conditions.
We
declared in 1947 that a true Ethiopian education
should foster not only the material and
practical but
also the spiritual training of youth.
Later in the same
year we laid stress on the two-fold duty of
educators:
"To teach the subjects of the
curriculum, and at the
Same time, to teach right conduct." We are
happy to
see that in Our University College the basic
principles of
Our educational policy are being carried
out.
Our
confidence in the future is great when We see
that here Arts and Sciences are fostered
together; that
all students are required to master cultural as well
as
practical subjects, and to take account
of the social and
spiritual aspects of scientific,
economic, juridical and
other specialised fields of knowledge. Specialisation
tends towards diversification and division among
human beings; spiritual and cultural education leads
them back into unity, on the national as well as on the
personal level. These two essential
aspects of the true
preparation of young people are
respected in Our
University College. We see the fruits in the growing
competence, strength of character and
professional
personality of the students.
We
are guiding this young University College and
modern Ethiopia on the same principles:
while establishing
in Our own times this institution of higher learning.
Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 5 -
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