Message to future leaders

National College
Center for Development Studies

FARWELL DINNER PROGRAM TO THE GRADUATES

SPEECH BY DR. NAWA RAJ KHATIWADA

VICE CHANCELLOR OF KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY
DIGNITARIES ON THE DIAS AND THE FRONT PART OF THE FLOOR
FACULTY MEMBERS AND OTHER OFFICIALS OF NATIONAL COLLEGE
GRADUATES OF BACHELOR OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF THE GRADUATES
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

IT IS MY GET PLEASURE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT TODAY AND I FEEL HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO ADDRESS THIS AUGUST GATHERING.

FIRST OF ALL, I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE THE GRADUATES WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY AND WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR STUDIES. BEING A FOUNDER AND AN EXECUTIVE OF A DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE PROFESSIONAL MARKET OF ‘DEVELOPMENT SECTOR’ IN NEPAL. I AM ALSO EXCITED TO MEET YOU ALL AND READ THE GLORY OF ACHIEVEMENT AND SPARKLING VICTORY IN YOUR SMILING FACES.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE PARENTS, GUARDIANS, FACULTY MEMBERS AND THE FOUNDER OF THIS COLLEGE AND, OF COURSE, ITS UMBRELLA, KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY, WHO HAVE PROVIDED AN INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION IN PROVIDING A MARVELOUS GUIDANCE AND CONTINUED SUPPORT TO THESE STUDENTS.

YOU MUST HAVE LISTENED TO MANY SPEAKERS IN THE CONVOCATION DAY AND EVEN TODAY IN THIS EVENT, SO I DO NOT WANT TO BURDEN YOU ALL WITH ADDITIONAL DELIBERATION ON DOS AND DON’T PHILOSOPHIES RATHER I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THREE SIMPLE ISSUES CONFRONTING THE FRESHERS, WHICH I HAVE FOUND MOST PERTINENT DURING THE 20 YEARS OF MY ENGINEERING, ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH CAREER.

FIRST AND THE SIMPLEST ONE IS: AN ELEVATOR PITCH TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION

AS A FRESH GRADUATE VERY OFTEN STUDENTS PUT THEMSELVES INTO ADDED ANXIETY OF WHAT TO DO NEXT.

WHETHER TO CONTINUE STUDIES,
WHETHER TO LISTEN TO PARENTS AND GET MARRIED,
WHETHER TO FIND JOB AND WORK FOR SOME ORGANIZATION
WHETHER TO APPLY FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OR FELLOWSHIP AND SO FORTH.

WITH SUCH A MIND STATE, LET US IMAGINE, MR. X OR MS. Y, GRADUATE OF NATIONAL COLLEGE SOMEHOW REACHES IN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF A COMPANY.

THE EXECUTIVE ASKS THE CANDIDATE : TELL US WHY ARE YOU HERE?

LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION TO THE FLOOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK X OR Y WOULD SAY IN THIS SITUATION.

ANY SUBMISSIONS?

?????????????????????

YES, THAT IS THE POINT, WHAT A FRESH GRADUATE WOULD SAY, HE OR SHE WOULD SAY “ I HAVE JUST COMPLETED MY BACHELOR DEGREE AND LOOKING FOR A JOB. IN THE WORSE CASE, HE/SHE WOULD FURTHER PUT A REFERENCE “MY FATHER’S UNCLE-IN-LAW’S FRIEND IS MR. Z, AND I WAS TOLD THAT YOU AND MR. Z WERE BATCHMATES.

I DO HAVE REMINISCENCE OF SIMILAR RESPONSES WHEN I MEET YOUNG INDIVIDUALS WHO THRONG TO MY OFFICE.

I OFTEN ASK THEM “ MAY I KNOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING THESE DAYS? “

VERY LIKELY, THE RESPONSE WOULD BE “WHAT TO DO SIR, NOTHING, I AM COMPLETELY FREE, AND LOOKING DESPERATELY FOR A JOB. ”

THAT IS THE POINT. ON SUCH SUBMISSIONS YOU MAY GET A RESPONSE “SO WHAT, THERE ARE TENS OF HUNDREDS OF CANDIDATES HERE WHO ARE LIKE YOU AND LOOKING FOR A JOB”. UPON INSISTING, IT IS NO WONDER, THAT YOU WILL BE GREETED WITH ONE OR TWO OR MANY “ SO WHAT “ ANSWERS.

MY DEAR FRIENDS ! THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO CAPTURE THE ATTENTION. THAT IS NOT AN ELEVETOR PITCH. AS AN EMPLOYER, I AM NOT BOTHERED THAT YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED OR YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOB. I AM LOOKING FOR A SUBORDINATE WHO COULD PUT SOME VALUE IN THE BUSINESS WE ARE DOING. WHO COULD HELP ME IN CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES I AM ENDOWED WITH. I WANT SOMEONE WHO CAN SHOW PATIENCE IN THE WORKPLACE, WHO OWNS MY AGENDA AS HIS OR HER AGENDA, I WANT MY EMPLOYEE TO ACT DECISIVELY WITH PURPOSE AND CONFIDENCE, I WANT SOMEONE WHO CAN SHOW RESILIENCEY IN TIME OF CRISIS, UNCERTAINITY AND UNPREDICTABILITY.

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF THE PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE WOULD SAY TO ME.

“SIR, I HAVE GOT EXCELLENT CREDENTIALS, AND I CAME TO KNOW THAT THE ACTIVITIES YOU ARE DOING IN YOUR COMPANY AND MY CAREER INTERESTS PERFECTLY MATCH. HOWEVER, I AM NOT MUCH AWARE WHAT SPECIFIC SKILLS YOU NEED, WHAT COMPETENCE YOU NEED, THEREFORE, I WOULD LIKE TO EQUIP MYSELF WITH THOSE SKILLS, I WANT TO PUT MY EFFORTS IN ADDRESSING THE GAP BETWEEN THE CREDENTIALS I HAVE AND THE COMPETENCY YOU NEED. “

NOW WHAT MIGHT BE THE SKILLS I AM LOOKING FOR TECHNICAL SKILLS SUCH AS COMPUTER SOFTWARE HANDLING, HUMAN SKILLS WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AND IN TEAMS AND THIRD MOST IMPORTANT IS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH IDEAS AND CONCEPTS I.E. THE CONCEPTUAL SKILLS.

AND WHEN YOU ARE ASKED ALTHOUGH YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED YOU SHOULD BETTER REPLY “I AM PUTTING MY SLEEVES UP OR SHARPENING MY SKILLS” RATHER THAN “DOING NOTHING”.

LET ME NOW MOVE TO THE SECOND ISSUE: HOW MUCH POTENTIAL ARE YOU ENDOWED WITH?

WE BETTER START WITH AN ACTION NOW. IN NEXT FEW SECONDS, I WILL GIVE YOU AN INSTRUCTION AND I EXPECT YOU TO DO ACCORDINGLY.

OK, ARE YOU READY?

“RAISE YOUR HANDS !!”

BOTH HANDS PLEASE !!,

MOVE THEM UP !

STILL UP !

STILL UP !

OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH NOW KEEP YOUR HANDS DOWN.

WHAT LESSON WE DRAW FROM THIS EXERCISE. ASSUMING THAT THE POSITION OF YOUR HAND WITH MY LAST INSTRUCTION WAS 100 % OUTCOME OF “RAISING HANDS” ACTIVITY, IF YOU RAISE ONLY ONE HAND HALF WAY UP, YOU ARE USING ONLY 25 % OF YOUR POTENTIAL. IF YOU RAISE ONE HAND ONLY TO THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN, YOU ARE USING 50 % OF YOUR POTENTIAL. SIMPLE, ISN’T IT?

THE SAME LOGIC CAN BE USED IN DOING THINGS OR ACCOMPLISHING RESULTS. I HAVE ALREADY WELCOMED YOU TO THE PROFESSIONAL MARKET AND YOU ARE CELEBRATING THE GLORY OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. SO, I CAN IMAGINE MR. X OR MS. Y TO BECOME A DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER, A PROJECT OFFICER, A FINANCE OFFICER, A LINE MANAGER, AN ENTREPRENEUR, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OR A TEAM LEADER. IF YOU JUST PUT THESE IN A PLOT WITH TIME AS Y-AXIS VARIABLE, YOU WOULD FIND THE ENTREPRENEUR AND LEADERS ON THE TOP TIER AND TECHNICIANS OR PRACTITIONER IN THE LOWER TIER.

NOW, THE QUESTION IS: WHAT MAKES THE TOP TIER PEOPLE DIFFERENT THAN THE LOWER TIER PEOPLE?

IS IT SALARY? IS IT POWER? OR SOMETHING ELSE?

ANY RESPONSES TO THAT?

THE ANSWER IS ABILITY TO CONVERT THE IDEAS OR CONCEPTS IN USABLE PRODUCTS. EVERYBODY GOT SOME IDEAS. OR EVERYBODY GOT POTENTIAL. IT IS NOT THE POTENTIAL OR IDEAS THAT WILL PUT YOU IN FIRST TIER OF PROFESSIONS BUT IT IS THE ABILITY BY WHICH YOU PUT THE IDEAS IN ACTION.

NOW, THE THIRD POINT IS : WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR EFFORTS NEXT?

SOMETIMES DWELLING ON ALL THIS UNCERTAINTIES MAY BRING LOT OF CONFUSIONS. IT MAY BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO COME INTO A SET OF CLEAR GOALS AND WAY FORWARD. BUT THIS IS A NATURAL PROCESS. EVERYONE HAS TO GO THOROUGH THIS. DON’T THINK YOU ARE ALONE IN THIS RACE. AT THIS STAGE INSTEAD OF PUTTING TOO MUCH PRESSURE IN ONESELF, ONE NEED TO TAKE THINGS EASY, SPEND MORE TIME THINKING INSTEAD OF PANICKING. IT BEST TO SHARE YOUR FEELINGS, THOUGHTS AND DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT YOU THINK IS RELEVANT FOR YOURSELF WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND MENTORS. THINGS BECOME CLEARER AS YOU PUT MORE THOUGHTS INTO IT AND TALK MORE ABOUT IT. BECAUSE ANY DECISIONS YOU TAKE AT THIS MOMENT ARE VERY DECISIVE AS IT SETS TONE FOR YOUR FUTURE………………..

TWENTY YEARS BACK, WHEN I GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY, I WENT TO A GOVERNMENT JOB. THAT TIME THERE WERE NO COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NEPAL. I MEAN MEGA BANK OR HIMALAYAN BANK AS YOU FIND ATM MACHINES OF THEM IN EVERY STREETS OF MAJOR CITIES. THERE WERE NO KANTIPUR DAILY OR HIMALYAN TIMES. THERE WERE NO PRIVATE HYDROPOWER COMPANIES AS YOU SEE THEM TODAY. THERE WERE NO PRIVATE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES. THERE WERE NO MUSHROOMING MICRO-FINANCE OR CO-OPERATIVE GROUPS LIKE TODAY. MOST INTERESTINGLY, THERE WAS NO KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY OR NATIONAL COLLEGE. HOW WERE THESE DEVELOPMENTS MADE? WHO PIONEERED THEM? OF COURSE, THE ANSWER IS THE FIRST TIER PEOPLE WHO CONVERTED THE IDEAS INTO USABLE PRODUCTS. THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THE CONCEPTS TO ACTIONS. THOSE WHO COULD INFLUENCE OTHERS AND LEAD THE TEAM OF COLLEAGUES TO REALIZE THEIR VISIONS.

WITH THE SAME TOKEN, IF I EXTRAPOLATE THE FUTURE AND IMAGINE A FUTURE OF NEPAL IN 20 YEARS TIME FROM NOW.

IT WON’T BE A MIRACLE TO ME IF I FIND,

KATHMANDU WITH AT LEAST THREE MAJOR SATELLITE TOWNS IN TRISHULI, PANCHKHAL AND CHITLANG VALLEY CONNECTED WITH HIGH SPEED TRAIN. A METRO RUNNING FROM BUDHANILAKANTHA TO GODAWARI VIA RATNAPARK. THE OTHER ONE RUNNING FROM THANKOT TO DHULIKHEL VIA TRIBHUWAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. TIA BECOMING ONE OF THE BEST DOMESTIC AIRPORT IN THE REGION.

FORGET ABOUT THE NEWS WHICH APPEARED IN THE NEWSPAPER TODAY,
I QUOTE
विश्वको घृणित विमानस्थलको सुचिमा त्रिवि आठौ सुचिमा परेको छ ।
I UNQUOTE

BUT IT WON’T BE A SURPRISE TO ME IF IN 20 YEARS OF TIME THE NEWS WILL REPORT,

ONE OF THE BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OF THE REGION HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN BHATTEDANDA, SOUTH OF KATHMANDU VALLEY. AN ELECTRIC BULLET TRAIN RUNS FROM ILLAM TO DARCHULA AND COVERS THE DISTANCE IN JUST 5 HOURS. LOADSHEDDING BECOMES A PAST HISTORY. FAST TRACT RUNS FROM KTM TO TERAI. KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY BECOMES TOP RANKING ACADEMIC INSTITUTION AND PRODUCES THE ETHICAL LEADERS, ENTREPRENEURS AND WORLD CLASS THINKERS AND POLICY MAKERS.

I WILL BECOME A SENIOR CITIZEN AND ABOUT TO RETIRE FROM MY PROFESSIONAL JOB. I FIND MANY OF YOU IN THE POSITION OF TOP TIER PROFESSIONALS, BE IT A COMPANY CEO OR LEADING BUSINESS PERSON OR MD OF THE RAILWAY SYSTEM IN NEPAL. YOU BECOME THE MOVERS, SHAPERS AND SHAKERS OF THE EVENTS LEADING TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS. IT WON’T BE A WONDER TO ME IF I HAVE TO BE IN A QUEUE FOR SOMETIME AND WAIT IN YOUR OFFICE JUST TO MEET YOU.

YES, THIS IS POSSIBLE AND YOU HAVE THAT POTENTIAL. THERE ARE CHALLENGES, PROBLEMS AND ISSUES WHICH POSE A KIND OF UNPREDICTABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY IN OUR PROXIMITY. HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK VERY CAREFULLY THERE IS A SILVER LINING IN EVERY CLOUD NO MATTER HOW BLACK IT IS. THE KIND OF SATISFACTION YOU GET IN CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES, THE KIND OF ENJOYMENT YOU GET IN ROLLING OVER YOUR IDEAS, IS OF COURSE, FANTASTIC.
IF YOU WANT TO CONFIRM THIS, JUST ASK A QUESTION TO THE LEADER AND PIONEERS SITTING HERE IN THE DIAS.

SO, THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT. A WONDERFUL TRAJECTORY OF DESTINY IS IN FRONT OF YOU. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR ENDEAVORS AHEAD.

THANK YOU.

(I highly appreciate the efforts put by Babita Thapa, Dilli Poudel, Parthana Tandukar, Ritu Shrestha, Rosy Chaudhary, Sophiya Dulal and Surendra Gautam in preparing and finalizing the manuscript of the speech)