2025 Commencement Ceremony | Speech by Professor Nitzan Shilon

Class of 2025, congratulations!

祝贺2025届毕业生们！

Professor Zhang Ping, Interim Dean Feldman, esteemed colleagues, and most importantly, dear graduates and your beloved families,

尊敬的张平教授、Feldman院长、各位老师、亲爱的毕业生及你们挚爱的家人们：

It is a profound honor to stand before you today on behalf of the STL faculty.

今日燕园风暖，能作为教师代表站在这里，我深感荣幸。

Before I begin, let me assure you: today there will be no cold calls, no balance sheet analyses, and no hard-nosed questions about Pareto efficiency. Today, we are here to celebrate you, our graduates. So please, sit back, relax, and revel in this moment—you’ve earned it after four intense years filled with late-night study sessions, campus lockdowns and daily COVID tests during your first year, challenging readings, moot court competitions, and the nerve-wracking experience of being cold-called in class. I still remember vividly when you once argued back to one of my questions, citing footnote 142 to prove me wrong. Your diligence has truly made an impact.

大家不要紧张。今天没有随堂提问、没有报表分析、也没有关于帕累托最优的诘难。今天的主角是你们——让我们放松身心，沉浸在这个属于你们的时刻。毕竟，历经四载寒窗的深夜苦读、初入校园时的疫情封控与每日核酸检测、艰深的文献研读、模拟法庭辩论，还有课堂上被突然点名时的心跳加速，这份荣耀你们当之无愧。我始终记得，下课后有同学曾引用脚注142条就某个问题与我辩论，那份学术锐气令人赞叹。

Today, I want to highlight three unique tools you have acquired at STL, tools that you won’t find elsewhere in law schools in China, and how you can leverage them as you step out of this beautiful green campus into your new professional lives.

今日，我想聚焦你们在国际法学院收获的宝贵而独特的三笔财富——这些其他中国法学院不能给予的馈赠，将如何助力你们走出燕园青翠，开启职业新篇。

First, let me pose a question: have any of you pondered, “Why are we here today?”

首先，我想问大家：你是否曾想过，“我们今天为什么会在这里？”

Of course, we are here to celebrate your remarkable achievements and to mark your transition into the professional world. But why do we gather today, involving you, your families, and our distinguished guests? Isn’t it costly and time-consuming?

当然，我们是为庆祝你们的卓越成就，为见证你们迈入职场的重要时刻而相聚。但我们为什么非得聚在一起？还要邀请嘉宾和大家的亲友？这不是既花时间又花钱吗？

If you’ve thought about this, please raise your hand. Don’t worry; I won’t call on you!

如果你曾思考过这个问题，请举手——放心，我不会点名！

In truth, I wasn’t entirely serious with that question. I believe there is no substitute for human interaction in celebrating milestones like this 14th STL commencement. Even in a digital age dominated by AI and avatars, the importance of coming together is irreplaceable.

其实刚才那个问题并非完全认真。因为我始终坚信，面对像今天这样的重要时刻，人际之间的真实互动是任何形式都无法替代的。即使身处一个由人工智能和虚拟形象主导的数字时代，人与人相聚、共同庆祝的重要性依旧不可取代。

This thought exercise serves a purpose: to illustrate a critical analytical tool that no other law school in China equips you with—the Socratic method. This is not just a means to pass classes at STL; it is a life tool. Challenge ideas, even those from authority. Speak truth to power, just as the child in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” boldly declares, “The king is naked.”

这个小问题是为了引出大家在STL收获的第一笔财富——苏格拉底式思辨法。它不仅仅是通过课堂学习的工具，更是贯穿一生的思维方式。它教会你们质疑，哪怕面对权威；它鼓励你们敢于说出真相，就像《皇帝的新装》中的那个孩子勇敢地喊出：“国王什么也没穿。”

The second unique asset you earned here is the knowledge to become agents of change. You are positioned to be bridge builders between China and the world. Here at STL, you not only learned U.S. law in addition to China law; you were educated by professors from every corner of the globe: the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. Your classmates hail from 22 of China’s 23 provinces and 11 countries beyond. Thus, being a global citizen is ingrained in your daily reality.

你们在STL获得的第二笔财富，是成为变革推动者的知识和眼界。在这里，你们已经具备了连接中国与世界的能力。在STL，你们不仅学习了中国法和美国法，还受教于来自世界各地的教授——美洲、欧洲、中东、澳大利亚与亚洲。你们的同学来自中国22个省份，以及11个不同国家。由此，成为“全球公民”已深深融入你们的日常现实之中。

While it may be challenging to envision a united global community tackling issues like climate change and economic inequalities amid rising populism and trade tensions, remember your history. The challenges that confront you today pale in comparison to the hardships endured by your parents' generation, and those trials, in turn, are dwarfed by the monumental struggles faced by your grandparents' generation. They overcame their challenges, and so will you.

诚然，在民粹主义上升、贸易紧张局势加剧的背景下，要想象一个团结起来应对气候变化与经济不平等的全球共同体，确实不易。但请回望历史长河：你们的父辈经历的困顿远甚当下，祖辈面临的挑战更如崇山峻岭。先辈尚能披荆斩棘，你们又岂会畏缩？

By adhering to the principles of self-discipline, curiosity, and perseverance, you will not only achieve personal success but also initiate what I dub “the invisible hand of transnational law.” Your careers as transnational lawyers are crucial, not just for your personal prosperity, but even more, for transnational wealth creation and for fostering harmony and peace among the peoples of the world.

只要秉持自律、求知与坚韧，你们终将催生"跨国法治的无形之手"。你们作为跨国法律从业者的职业生涯不仅关乎个人成就，更将促进跨国财富共创，缔造世界人民的和谐共荣。

Lastly, you have built an invaluable network of classmates. Twenty years ago, on my first day as a student at Harvard Law School, then-Dean Elena Kagan—now Supreme Court Justice Kagan—focused not on our esteemed professors, but on us, her students, predicting that we would become the leaders of tomorrow. Admittedly, I found that hard to believe then, as we all seemed so confused, and even frightened. Yet, reflecting on it now, I see she was right. Look to your right and your left; this is your network of future chief judges, law firm partners, thought leaders and disruptive entrepreneurs. Use it wisely!

最后，你们在这里建立起的同窗网络，也是无价的财富。二十年前，我刚踏入哈佛法学院，时任院长Elena Kagan——如今的美国最高法院大法官——在开学致辞中并没有重点介绍学院的知名教授，而是把目光投向我们这群初来乍到的学生。她说：“你们，将是未来的领导者。”老实说，当时的我对此半信半疑，因为我们每个人都还显得那么迷茫、甚至有些惶恐。但现在回想，我发现她是对的。此刻环顾左右：你身旁坐着的，是未来的首席法官、律所合伙人、思想领袖和变革企业家。请善加珍惜、明智运用这份资源。

The Socratic method, your role as bridge agents, and your network of future leaders are invaluable. Yet, these tools are insufficient without heeding Confucius: 'Wisdom acquisition is a moral duty.' As my contemporary hero, 94-year-old Warren Buffett, reminds us: 'Nothing has served me better in my long life than continuous learning.'

以上三笔财富诚然宝贵，但你们还需谨记孔子的箴言："学而不已，阖棺乃止。"正如我敬佩的如今已经94岁高龄的巴菲特所言："持续学习，是贯穿我漫长人生最可靠的指南针。"

While strong foundations are essential, it is continuous learning that will enable you to realize your potential amidst future challenges. Shenzhen, our vibrant city, epitomizes this journey: it constantly innovates and grows, but its success was not achieved overnight. It faced many challenges, just as you will.

坚实的基础固然重要，但唯有不断学习，才能助你们在未来的风浪中实现真正的潜能。我们的城市深圳，就是这种成长旅程的真实写照：它不断革新、不断前行，但它的成就从不是一蹴而就的，它也曾经历许多挑战，就像你们即将面对的那样。

In conclusion, I’d like to share with you a story about Mozart: a young man goes to Mozart and says, ‘I want to start composing symphonies.’ Mozart asks, ‘How old are you?’ The young man replies, ‘Twenty-two.’ Mozart responds, ‘You are too young to write symphonies.’ The young man counters, ‘But you were ten when you started composing!’ Mozart replies, ‘Yes, but I wasn’t running around asking other people if I should do it.’

最后，我想与大家分享一个关于莫扎特的故事。最后，我想与大家分享一个关于莫扎特的故事。有位年轻人去找莫扎特说自己想开始创作交响曲，然后产生了如下对话：

莫扎特：你多大了？

年轻人：22岁。

莫扎特：那你还太年轻了。

年轻人：可你十岁就开始作曲了啊！

莫扎特：没错，但我十岁时可没有到处问别人我该不该做这件事。

In my words, sometimes you should simply listen to your intuition and follow your heart!

这个故事告诉我们，有时候不必思虑过多，跟随自己的直觉和热爱前行就够了！

Thank you, congratulations once again, and let’s stay in touch. Best of luck!

谢谢大家！祝所有毕业生前程似锦！愿此别非终章，我们仍有回响。