What will the role of universities be in this globalized economy? How will they contribute to improving society through innovation that will improve the quality of life and support economic growth? How will they prepare their graduates who will extract the best and explore the greatest in this increasingly complex society? It is important to remember that undergraduate education and post-graduate education are tightly linked to research. Our education programs should ensure that the students are learning in an atmosphere characterized by the pursuit of new knowledge and process of discovery. An interrelated educational program will create a flow of young, bright and uninhibited minds to work on the frontier of discovery.

　　在这个经济全球化的时代背景下，大学将扮演怎样的角色呢?大学将如何通过旨在提高生活质量、推动经济发展的创新活动进而推动社会的进步呢?在这个日新月异、充满变数的社会，大学又将如何培养那些善于取精用弘的学生呢?我们应该认识到，本科生教育和研究生教育都与研究紧密相连。我们的教育应该为学生创造一种可以探寻新知识、带来新发现的氛围，将教学与研究融合在一起的教育可以培养一批活跃在探索前沿、聪颖开放的青年才俊。

　　The fundamental mission of a university is the creation of new knowledge which sometimes has immediate practical applications. But that can never be the only goal. And making it a primary goal will frequently be short-sighted. Basic contributions to knowledge should be valued for being exactly that. Our university has an almost unique role in fostering such contribution. Choosing the right people is the first and perhaps the most crucial step in ensuring an innovative environment. There are three types of people that can be important. The first class of individuals consists of fanciful visionaries. The second class of important people in innovative environment consists of revolutionary explorers.The third class of individuals consists of uninhibited executors.

　　大学最根本的使命就是创造新知识，虽然大学所创造的新知识有时会立即产生实际应用价值，但这决不是大学所追求的唯一目标。将获取实际应用价值的目标定位大学的主要目标是一种短视行为。基础研究也同样是大学的使命，而且大学在推动基础研究方面能发挥独特的作用。选对人是确保创新型研究环境的首要因素，也是最为关键的因素。选人要选三种人：第一种人是想法活跃的思想家，第二种人是富有革命精神的探索家，第三种人是不受常规约束的实干家。