Welcome back, dear students! I hope you enjoyed a good time on your summer holidays. Upon coming back to the campus you will discover that there are international Humphrey Fellows visiting from variety of different countries. Some of them are from countries you have never heard of before. I will not give you the list of the countries they represent, nor their names; it is up to you to find out. This is an exercise to test your open-mindedness and your ability to get in touch with the rest of the world when given the opportunity.
These visitors graduated long before you reached high school, so they have a lot to tell you about campus life. You will hopefully enjoy it. Bear in mind that university study has two objectives: first, to help you expand your knowledge in the field that you have chosen, and second, to set goals for your future. The closer you get to achieving those goals, the higher you will get among the elite of the intellectual family. I say family because campus is already a family of its own. University helps you increase your ability to serve your community and nation best. The more capable you become in serving the nation, the higher you find yourself in the rank within your community. Just remember, the philosophy of any campus in the world is creativity and expansion. Its goal is to make you be the most useful you can to your nation. Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”? This is a key phrase to apply to campus life.
Therefore, dear students, be the most competitive you can, and I am sure you can, mostly after good holidays. Now you have come back afresh, full of energy. Together, all of us will make the world run smoother, easier and more peaceful. Hand in hand, we will make the world just one nation, one community and one family.
Aboudou Mroivili
International student, University of Oregon