At graduation time I often think of my father.
He lost everything during the revolution in Egypt in the 1960s
and had to start again from scratch in a new country.
But he had one thing that enabled him to rebuild his life:
a good education.
And so when I was growing up, he would always say to us:
"they can take everything away from you, except your education."
And for you, that couldn't be more apt.
You have a world-class education, which you've earned here at the London School of Economics and Political Science,
and you've seen how huge upheavals can happen in the world.
And your education will enable you to navigate through whatever crises you may face in the future.
Now this graduating class had a slightly different experience:
you completed your academic year in fairly unusual circumstances
and because of that exceptional set of circumstances
and the huge amount of hard work it took
I think you should be especially proud to be the graduating class of 2020
and I hope that you can find a way
to share with your family and friends this very special moment.
Congratulations! You've made it.
This is your graduation – I'm sorry it's not quite the Peacock Theatre.
I just want to say it's been an absolute honour
to serve as your General Secretary over the past two years
and you absolutely deserve this special day
so please do take time out to just reflect on your achievements
and on what the future holds for you.
Now if there's anything that this time has taught us,
it's that life is unpredictable.
So, don't get caught up in life being a linear progression
because the truth is: your career will take twists and turns.
But you guys are going to shape the world by using your imagination.
There's so much that's up for play, and through determination, vision and creativity
there's absolutely nothing that you can't achieve.
So, remember this time, look back on it with fondness,
remember the friends you came up with and the people you became in the process,
and I'm sure you'll go very far in the future.
I wish you all the best.
My business school class in 1987 was called 'the Class of the Crash'.
But history proves that crises not only pass,
but they catalyse the creation of new ideas,
new industries and new opportunities.
You're entering the world at a challenging time for democracy.
Do not be deterred in pursuing your dreams of improving our collective situations –
in fact double down on them.
If my time at LSE taught me anything
it was that it was possible not just to lean into society's most complex questions,
but also to imagine a career built around the idea of contributing to solve them.
I think my time at the London School of Economics
gave me a set of frameworks and tools and insights,
which helped me to understand and analyse things in a systematic way.
And, of course, I've made deep friendships during my time there
which, all of this has held me in good stead in all of my professional career
with the United Nations, Amnesty International, Action Aid.
So my message to you: set goals, keep learning
take chances, work hard, and play hard, learn from your mistakes,
you'll make them I most certainly did.
Eventually, weave your experiences together into an optimal path for you.
Use your time from here wisely, concoct your dreams bravely
and realise that you are graduating from a unique, special institution
that gives you extraordinary permission
to go after them.
Don't let that go to waste.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what you come up with.
Most important, go through this with family and friends.
Lean on your classmates.
They probably also have no idea what they're getting themselves into.
But be assured that armed with incredible education,
doors will be open to you for life.
So embrace the journey, and have fun.
I think what makes LSE so welcoming is the people that make up LSE.
When you walk from one building to another,
you can't really go without seeing anyone you know,
which is such a good feeling.
I have so many highlights from LSE.
I think the main one for me was joining the African Caribbean Society.
I think the main one for me was joining the African Caribbean Society. I think the main one for me was joining the African Caribbean Society.
For the last two years, I've been president of the Drama Society,
and that's probably taken up most of my time at LSE.
Being part of charity week was amazing.
It sets the tone for the future.
It is us that are making the change – it's no longer our parents or our elders.
It's going to be us.
I kind of spent a lot of time in the library.
So, that's a place on the campus that I'll remember, I think, for the rest of my life.
But, apart from that, I think a big part of my time in LSE is living in London.
I grew up in a really small village, and so coming to London was a huge change!
I actually attended about 25 concerts in my three years of studying
which is a lot of concerts!
You have opportunities to, maybe, finish your lecture and go to London Fashion Week.
Or, finish your lectures and then spend time in the library, or visit the British Library, or something.
There are so many opportunities in London, and I think that's what I'm really going to miss.
I think LSE has made me a more confident person.
I've never had to speak in front of a large audience as much as I have at university,
which was scary at first, but then I started to welcome it.
I have been grateful to receive lots of good academic support
with some very high-profile academics in my field.
To the fellow students, I would say 'well done'.
Remember where you've come from, and recognise how hard you've worked
and what you've been able to achieve.
I hope we don't end up in the chase for success.
We should rather chase what we like to do, and what we're passionate about
and then hopefully the success will chase us, after that.
Finishing my degree by pressing send on Moodle whilst sat in my pyjamas in bed
was not really how I envisaged finishing my degree.
But, I think it's allowed us to spend more time, in a lot of cases, with family and friends at home.
I think next year graduating with the cohort below us
is actually a really nice way to graduate
because I know so many people from the year below.
But also, we're planning on meeting up, me and my friends,
and just doing something really small.
Might just go out for dinner when everything opens again
and just celebrate like that.
I think, just, until next year!
You're now an LSE graduate, and with that,
you join an incredibly distinguished group of alumni.
18 Nobel laureates,
At least 34 Premiers, Presidents and Prime Ministers around the world
and a network of over a 150,000 alumni in over 200 countries.
All of whom shape the world, and make the world a better place every day.
We are planning to hold a graduation ceremony next July
and I very much hope to be able to shake your hand in person, then.
But stay in touch with the School in other ways: through our fantastic alumni network,
by participating in our public events programmes.
Stay in touch with the Careers Service and with the Alumni Centre on campus.
We very much want you to stay a part of our wonderful community, forever.
Congratulations LSE graduates!