By Syiqa Suhaimy
GOMBAK, 6 December 2022: “Knowledge without action is vanity, and action without knowledge is insanity,” said IIUM Rector, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, as he quoted Imam Al-Ghazali in his speech at the 2nd session of the 38th Convocation Ceremony.
The Rector emphasised on the benefit of knowledge that only becomes apparent when it is put into action as he said, “What is the point of knowledge and values if we would not internalize it and we are not able to put it into practice.”
He continued by saying that the difficulty starts as soon as the graduands leave the university since the community looks on them to apply what they have learned to make a difference in people’s lives.
“Graduating from a university is only an achievement when followed by many other tasks in the future as you are equipped with knowledge and wisdom,” he added.
“Education and learning are therefore a lifelong process, thus earning a degree is not the endgame but the endgame is to make it real,” he explained.
Despite the advances technology has made for humanity, the Rector stated that technology can never replace knowledge because individuals are still capable of carrying out their daily activities without technology.
He continued and highlighted that the graduates’ accomplishments in their respective fields would demonstrate their tolerance for others and further exemplify their courage and civic values in removing injustice from society.
The Rector thanked all of the graduates’ parents for instilling values in their children because they are the future of the world.
In his concluding remark, the IIUM Rector said, “All parents deserved an acknowledgement from the institution because parents had a significant impact on the graduates’ accomplishments.” ***