Graduation Address

"Convocation Address by Clifford William Stanley" (October 2000). (UA Case 69, Box 3)

Madame President, Mr. Vice-President, Fellow Honorary Degree Recipients, Graduates, Families and Friends.

Let me say how pleased I am to be the recipient of this Honorary Degree, and to be able to share this time with my family and close friends. I am especially pleased to be in the company of two men, being similarly honoured, who are leaders in their field, highly respected by their colleagues, and who have each contributed so much to our community.

And, to all graduates—congratulations. This evening’s recognition is a testament to your hard work. This milestone will inspire you in your encounters with opportunities and challenges throughout your life.

Now, if you will listen to my attempt to link your personal success to a better world, then I’ll limit my talk to 6 more minutes. I offer this proposal because I know that it’s party time, and your minds could well be somewhere else.

As you graduate today, there are a number of important science-based evolutions—and I will call them revolutions—gaining momentum throughout the world.

There is an on-going revolution in medicine, pharmaceuticals and surgery, which is already improving and extending human life as never before, giving rise to a host of tantalizing opportunities and challenges.

Next, there is the revolution of the Internet. This unplanned phenomena is enabling unprecedented access to information, as well as wide-spread freedom of expression. This is already having the effect of smashing through walls of nationalism and secrecy, as well as contributing to a global economic boom.

Many people believe the Internet will have a vast democratizing effect on even the most closed countries of the world. (And, of course, some people do feel there is a negative side, in the anarchy of the Internet, but that is another subject.)

In addition to the medical and information revolutions, we are on the verge of adopting, on a wide scale environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources. Actually, hydrogen, being plentiful in water, gases and hydrocarbons, may well turn out to be the global fuel of choice, supplemented by solar, wind, and other sources.

We have to revolutionize our energy sources, because if we don’t, we run the risk of melting our polar ice caps, depleting ozone layers, and breathing air even more dangerous than the recycled air of a jet from Toronto.

And, finally, I want to believe that as developed countries have the luxury to be less self-centred because of their own growing prosperity, largely due to these technology revolutions, there will be an increasing world-wide quest to determine the answer to the profoundly human and troubling question, which is:

"Why do some people, some cities and even some countries, prosper, when others do not?"

By applying research and resources in amounts equivalent to the other technology revolutions, we will get to understand the historical and social contributors which lead to these dangerous economic imbalances in human society.

I believe these understanding will give rise to solutions which, when applied with vigour, will lift the quality of life of all peoples. Finding these solutions must be of over-riding concern to each of us; and I mean personally—to me—and to you.

The technology revolution in themselves may seem new to some of us, but it is only the speed of change that is new.

As Jared Diamond points out in his book "Germs, Guns and Steel," the application of technology has always molded human history. He points out it was the very early technology of food production in certain cultures, and in more recent centuries, the advent of steel and guns, as well as the devastations of germs, which have pre-molded present-day societies.

So, what does this all have to do with us?

Well, fortunately for our new careers, we now know that the creation of both global and personal wealth can only be achieved by harnessing technologies through sustainable businesses. Many of these will be start-ups which you will build. Many others have yet to be defined, but many of your will participate in them.

Already, according to a social report to the United Nations this past summer, the so-called new economy of the information revolution is fueling a global economic boom in this 21st century. This report points to dozens of low income countries which are emerging from economic stagnation.

Although the benefits of these technology revolutions are presently applying unevenly throughout the world, parts of Africa come to mind, we do have huge opportunities, as never before, to merge world interests with our own personal goals.

So, let’s imagine that a new opportunity comes your way in one of these new technology sectors that I’ve mentioned, and you wonder if you should go for it.

The question is what would hold you back?

I think, from my own experience, first would be a fear of failure—and worse, people will laugh at you if you fail.

My answer is that there is often a thin line between success and failure anyway, with which I am well acquainted. And I’ve contributed my share to such laughter in the world.

In fact, talking about close calls—getting my engineering degree from UNB was, in itself, a miracle of sorts.

I could also, for example, tell you about my foray into deer farming, except that my wife, Barbara, said if I did she would take away my Honorary Degree.

What else could hold you back from pursuing your own significant opportunities? In fact, it could be your own fear of success. People might think that you’re too ambitious or maybe even crazy, and you can bet you could be criticized. This is particularly true if your new industry is challenging existing industries. This is not at all unusual.

When I entered the cable industry in 1963 my father said:

"Bill, I’ve never heard of cable TV and are you sure you should leave a big company in Montreal to manage a business in Edmundston that none of us have heard about?"

He wasn’t alone; many people thought cable TV was a flash-in-the-pan.

Actually, to my father’s credit, he was partially right, it did take my 30 years to 'get lucky.' (I mean 'lucky' in business!)

Let me leave you with this set of thoughts. The technology revolutions are definitely transforming human existence on several levels. If you have firm foundations based on learning, and human caring, you can take risks in these arenas and win in a substantial way.

And finally, whatever you choose as your path, as the United Nations report indicates, these are the best of times to merge your self-interest with a meaningful contribution to positive change in this new world.

Best wishes, and may you get lucky in less than 30 years!

Thank you.