Be Meticulous, Remain Dedicated, and Stay Persistent for a Bright Future

It's great to be here with you witnessing this critical moment in your lives. Congratulations!

In today's era of information explosion, many of you may look to acquire as much knowledge as possible, and may be afraid of missing out on any hot topics.

Although knowledge knows no bounds, learning can be focused. There is no shortcut to learning, and only persistence can take us far.

The more choices we face, the more cool-headed and restrained we should be. We should spend our precious time and energy on learning and thinking, and cultivate a strong inner self to help us face the rapidly changing world.

I would like to share the stories about two Huawei teams. I hope these will leave you with some takeaways.

The first story shows us that true knowledge comes from practice.

After graduation, some of you may continue moving forward at the front of your fields, while some of you may step into real-world scenarios where you can apply what you've learned.

At Huawei, we have a team of PhD holders, who use their theoretical knowledge to solve the real-world problems our company faces. For example, they've used their specialized knowledge in communications, photology, and materials to solve a problem that has haunted the industry for over 20 years.

As they looked to solve the problem, they worked onsite under the scorching sun, in factories filled with rumbling machines, and alongside customers under torrential rain.

Through these efforts, they overcame the challenge. Their accomplishment has been hailed as one of the greatest-ever innovations in optical access networks, and has been used commercially at scale across the globe.

So, what was the challenge?

Throughout cities, there are massive fiber networks, spreading to places we may never see. Around the world, countless fiber cables are deployed across homes, residential areas, and cities, as well as over mountains and beneath oceans, connecting us all together. Whenever we make phone calls, use WeChat, or watch videos, fiber plays a crucial role.

Have you ever considered how faulty fiber cables are fixed? This is the very issue that has haunted the industry for years. Fiber cables are passive and cannot carry electrical signals.

Traditionally, we put a paper label on each fiber cable. Then, whenever a fault occurred, we sent people onsite, who had to check each and every fiber cable. That was extremely inefficient and costs were terribly high.

Our PhD holders raised the creative idea of printing an optical iris on every ODN port. This iris is essentially an optical QR code, giving every port a unique identity. To identify a port, one simply needs to scan the QR code, and optical sensing would do the rest.

However, there are many steps involved throughout the process, from an idea, to a product, and then to large-scale commercial use. It is rather difficult to print an optical QR code on each port, as it is similar to engraving a portrait of Venus on a piece of hair. As the team started putting their idea into practice, they encountered problems every step of the way.

Although the idea was theoretically viable, their experiments often failed due to a lack of consideration for the constraints of components. Even when verifications proved successful in labs, onsite verifications failed, because materials heated up under the glare of the sun. The failure of just one parameter could result in the failure of the entire system.

Furthermore, the production techniques of related factories were unable to meet requirements, so our PhD holders worked onsite to help them improve. Additionally, our suppliers lacked the required production lines, so our PhD holders helped them build some from scratch.

Upon finally achieving success, one PhD holder reflected, "Theoretical knowledge is far from enough to transform ideas into products. A huge gap exists between theories and products, and 70% of our time at Huawei is spent on bridging this gap."

To solve real-world problems, our PhD holders need to rely on the solid theoretical knowledge they have accumulated at university. What's more, they need to get their hands dirty and keep their feet on the ground. This is how they overcome challenges they have never seen in textbooks.

On New Year's Day, 1950, Peter Drucker, the "Father of Management", paid a visit to his teacher Joseph Schumpeter, a world-renowned economist. When asked a question, Schumpeter replied: "… it is not enough to be remembered for books and theories. One does not make a difference unless it is a difference in people's lives." Drucker said he had "never forgot that conversation". He believed that knowledge is useless until it has been translated into deeds.

If one has an idea, talks about it, or even writes it down, it is useless unless it is applied in practice.

I hope that, as you look to the stars, you will keep your feet on the ground. This is a "fundamental lesson" you should learn before entering society.

The second story shows us that focus leads to in-depth knowledge.

Being specialized is the basis upon which one stabilizes their inner self, and the cornerstone for creating value for an organization.

At Huawei Finance, there is a group of people who work quietly, unnoticed. What they do may seem simple, but they do everything to the best of their ability. They don't have eye-catching educational backgrounds or bios, but they deliver zero errors, and are thus outstanding in their own ways.

Outstanding has never been a word limited to one definition. PhD holders who use their theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems are outstanding. Artisans who deliver high quality during everyday work are also outstanding. As long as employees meet their position requirements and work diligently, they are the outstanding talent we need.

For example, we have a contract verification position in our company. A contract verification accountant is responsible for checking whether contract handover information is consistent with procurement contracts.

Their everyday work involves comparing whether purchase orders are consistent with procurement contracts, identifying risky contract terms and conditions, promptly communicating with related personnel, recording issues, and keeping track of how related issues are handled.

On average, each employee working in this position compares 6,000 contracts a year, and they must ensure high-quality operations on every occasion. These employees understand both contracts and businesses, and are expected to provide improvement proposals or solutions for front-end business teams.

This may not sound like a thrilling job, but their accurate and error-free operations support our yearly payments of nearly 100 billion US dollars.

You do not need to stand atop a mountain to be seen. Praise is not reserved only for those who are great. The foundations of tall buildings are often laid by ordinary people, made possible through their dedication to a lifelong job, their persistence towards better quality, their meticulous work approaches, and their endless pursuit of excellence.

Excellence is the result of long-term efforts and determination to reach new heights.

If one is fully devoted to a craft, their skill will be consummate. If one is fully devoted to a job, they will have a successful career.

I truly hope that you will do every job to the best of your ability, perform your duties diligently, and never let up in your efforts, even on minor tasks.

Every line in your life story will be a gain. Every day of your long journey will be full of wonder. Every moment of your dedication will lay the groundwork for your future growth.

As long as you remain diligent and dedicated, you will make the extraordinary out of the ordinary.

Dear students, you will soon embark on a new journey in your lives, pursuing your dreams and creating value.

I hope that you will remain humble and persistent during this journey, and gain wisdom and courage along the way. I also hope that you will always keep your dreams in your hearts, and youth in your souls.

But please also remember: Life is not a fight for success, but a never-ending process of pursuing knowledge and finding your true self.

We are not born with knowledge, and knowledge itself is always evolving. We gain lasting access to knowledge only when we constantly explore and push beyond our cognitive limits.

I wish you all the best!

Thank you.