On the date, the 9th Graduate Commencement Ceremony of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen was held at the Liwen Hall of the university. Meng Wanzhou, the rotating chairman of Huawei, delivered a speech as a special guest.

Meng Wanzhou shared insights on knowledge acquisition and professional development with graduates, emphasizing the importance of applying theory to practice and the necessity of continuous improvement in one's field, providing valuable advice for their post-graduation journey. Meng stated, "Knowledge has no end, but learning can be focused; there are no shortcuts in learning, but effort can be enduring." She stressed, "Use your precious time and energy for learning and reflection, and face the changing world with a strong inner core."

In her speech, Meng Wanzhou told the story of Huawei's doctors using "surgical knives" and their theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems, illustrating that "true knowledge must come from practice." When discussing professionalism, Meng Wanzhou used the example of the contract inspection position to emphasize that extraordinary value can also be achieved in ordinary positions. She stated, "It is not necessary to stand at the peak to be seen, and not only greatness is worthy of praise. The foundation of a building is constructed by ordinary people's dedication to 'one life, one thing,' their professionalism of 'continuous improvement,' their rigor of 'paying attention to every detail,' and their excellence of 'being refined through countless trials.' Excellence is the steadfastness forged by time and the sedimentation accumulated through unremitting climbing."

Meng Wanzhou's Message to Graduates: "Knowledge is not innate, nor is it static. Only by cultivating an active questing mindset and breaking free from the constraints of fixed perceptions can we persistently approach them."

Full Text of Meng Wanzhou's Speech: Start with Caution, Respect the End, and Persist to Victory

Dear President Xu Yangsheng, respected teachers, parents, and dear students:

Hello everyone! I am delighted to be invited to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, to share this significant moment in your lives with you. Congratulations to all of you!

In the era of information explosion, many students hope to grasp as much knowledge as possible and not miss any hot topics, inevitably feeling a bit ( ). I want to say that knowledge has no end, but learning can be focused; there are no shortcuts in learning, but effort can be enduring. The more choices we have, the more we need to stay清醒 and restrained, dedicating our precious time and energy to learning and thinking, using a strong inner core to face the changing world.

Below, I will share the stories of two small teams around me with everyone, hoping that the students can gain some insights.

First, true knowledge must come from practice. After graduating from university, some continue to gaze at the stars at the forefront of their disciplines, while others step into real-world application scenarios. At Huawei, there is a group of doctors who, armed with their "scalpels," use their theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems. Among them, there is a team of doctors who, with their "scalpels" in telecommunications, optics, and materials, delve into the scorching front lines, crouch in the noisy production workshops, and brave the rain to follow clients to the field. In practice, they have overcome a long-standing industry problem, which has been recognized as one of the greatest innovations in optical access networks, now commercially deployed on a global scale.

What is this puzzle? In our city, in the building where we live, in places invisible to our eyes, a large number of optical fibers are deployed. On Earth, billions of optical fibers pass through homes, neighborhoods, cities, and span across mountains and oceans, connecting us all together. Whether we make calls, send WeChat messages, or watch videos, we rely on these thin optical fibers. Has anyone ever wondered how to repair a broken optical fiber? This question once deeply troubled us. Because optical fibers are passive and cannot carry electrical signals. The traditional approach was to label each optical fiber with a tag, and in case of a fault, one would have to manually check each fiber one by one, which was extremely inefficient and costly. Huawei's doctoral team creatively proposed printing optical iris in the optical fiber, which is equivalent to stamping a "light QR code" inside the fiber core, giving each optical fiber a unique identity. By utilizing the sensing capability of light, the "light QR code" can be recognized, making it easy to identify each optical fiber with just a scan.

But from an idea to a product, and then to commercialization at scale, there are many "jumps" in between. Tagging each optical fiber with a "QR code" is as difficult as carving the Venus de Milo on a hair strand. When they actually started to implement it, they found that problems emerged at every step: theoretically proven, but without considering practical device constraints, experiments failed immediately; and when laboratory verification succeeded, on-site verification faced the scorching sun, material heating, and the failure of a single parameter would cause the entire system to fail; the manufacturers' processes also did not meet the requirements, so the doctors had to station in the workshops, guiding workers to improve the processes hands-on, and without corresponding production lines, the doctors assisted suppliers to make breakthroughs. At the moment of success, one doctor remarked, "In the process of turning theory into reality, merely mastering theoretical knowledge and principles is far from enough. From theory to product, there is a vast gap. At Huawei, % of the work is about bridging this gap."

Problems encountered in real-world scenarios not only rely on the strong theoretical foundation accumulated during school but also require getting hands dirty and feet muddy, solving one problem after another that textbooks have never encountered through practice. On New Year's Day, "the father of modern management" Drucker visited his teacher, the famous economist Schumpeter. His teacher told him, "It is not enough to be remembered merely for one's books and theories. Unless you can change people's lives, it has no significant meaning." This deeply influenced Drucker, who believed, "Talent itself is useless. Any knowledge is only valuable when it can be applied in practice and change people's lives." "Knowing in the heart, speaking with the mouth, writing on paper, but not practicing in action, is all useless." I hope that students can, while looking up at the stars, also get their hands dirty and feet muddy, embracing this "basic course" of entering society.

Practice yields "true" knowledge, and focus yields "deep" knowledge. Professionalism is not only the foundation for stabilizing one's core but also the cornerstone for building organizational value. Within Huawei's finance team, there is a group of unsung individuals who, though engaged in seemingly mundane foundational work, excel in every task they undertake. They may not have dazzling academic credentials or resumes, but they demonstrate "excellence" through countless "zero errors" in their respective roles. The definition of "excellence" is never singular. A doctoral student who wields the "scalpel" to solve practical problems in practice is excellent, and so is a craftsman who consistently delivers high-quality daily work over the long term. Employees who match the needs of their positions and fulfill their duties diligently are the excellent talents we need.

For example, there is a position called "Contract Full Inspection." The task of the Contract Full Inspection Accountant is to check the consistency between the handover information and the contract text after the company's procurement contracts are signed. The main daily work involves comparing the information in the procurement orders with that in the contracts to ensure consistency, identifying potential risk clauses in the contracts, and promptly communicating, registering, and following up on various issues. This position averages the comparison of contracts annually, consistently maintaining a high level of operational quality. They understand both contracts and business, and they also provide improvement suggestions and construction plans for the front-end business processes. Although these tasks may not sound particularly thrilling, their accurate and error-free work supports our annual payments of nearly a trillion dollars.

Not only those standing on the mountaintop can be seen, and not only greatness deserves to be praised. The foundation of a great building is constructed by ordinary people's persistence in "dedicating their lives to one thing," their professionalism in "continuous improvement," their rigor in "paying attention to every detail," and their excellence in "enduring countless trials." Excellence is the steadfastness forged by time and the sedimentation in relentless climbing. "When the heart is focused on one art, the art will be refined; when the heart is dedicated to one profession, the profession will flourish." I hope everyone exerts enough effort, delivers each task, fulfills every responsibility, and never slack off because of trivial matters. Every stroke in the poem of struggle is a harvest, and every moment in the long journey is a marvel. Growth lies in the点滴奋斗, with one's back to the lights and face to the stars, interpreting the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Classmates, you are about to embark on a new journey of life, to pursue your dreams and realize your values. May you gain wisdom and courage, humility and resilience on this journey. May your dreams always burn brightly and your spirit always remain young. But please remember, life is not a race for success, but an endless path of seeking truth and knowledge. Knowledge is not innate, nor is it static; only by cultivating an active questing mindset and breaking free from the shackles of fixed perceptions can you persistently approach them.

Wishing you all the best! Thank you, everyone.