[中文]科学技术的发展使我们能够了解宇宙最深处的奥义、物质最基本的组成以及生命的奇迹。

与此同时，今天，当代人类的作为与不作为不仅危害了地球上的生命而且危害着地球自身的生命。

全球化正在使世界变小、变快、变富裕。但“9·11”恐怖袭击和禽流感提醒着我们，一个更小、更迅捷的世界并不一定是一个更安全的世界。

我们的世界是一个知识爆炸却又迫切需要智慧的世界。如今，当广播讲话越来越简短，当越来越多的短信把优美的散文挤出门外，当人们的个人生活变得越来越疯狂的时候，具备深层次思考能力的大学毕业生才是我们这个世界真正需要的。

鉴于所有这些原因，我相信——而且今天我更相信——大学所承担的使命是独一无二不可替代的。[/中文]
[外文]Scientific and technological advances are enabling us to comprehend the furthest reaches of the cosmos, the most basic constituents of matter, and the miracle of life.

At the same time, today, the actions, and inaction, of human beings imperil not only life on the planet, but the very life of the planet.

Globalization is making the world smaller, faster and richer. Still, 9/11 and avian flu remind us that a smaller, faster world is not necessarily a safer world.

Our world is bursting with knowledge, but desperately in need of wisdom. Now, when sound bites are getting shorter, when instant messages crowd out eaasays, and when individual lives grow more crazy, college graduates capable of deep reflection are what our world needs.

For all these reasons I believe ― and I believe even more strongly today ― in the unique and irreplaceable mission of universities. [/外文]