The following is a message from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton to the Class of 2024:
To the exceptional class of 2024: my warmest congratulations! I don’t doubt that many of you faced a few challenges on your path here today, perhaps balancing the demands of jobs, family and other obligations. For some, you have persevered with your studies while living in a new city, province and country. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that I direct my remarks to why it was all worthwhile. I would like to share a few words not only about the individual benefits of your York University education but also about the significance of universities as a public good.
We are living in a time of significant turmoil. AI and automation are redefining how we interact with each other, how we study, how we work and how we live. While there are certainly benefits – some of which we have yet to realize – the creators of AI, including Geoffrey Hinton, have also been warning us about the challenges that must be managed. The automation of jobs, the spread of fake news and a dangerous arms race of AI-powered weaponry are some of the biggest dangers we face. We could also add increasing privacy violations, issues resulting from algorithmic biases in data, the intensification of socioeconomic inequality, market volatility and the potential of uncontrollable, self-aware AI.
These technological advances are intersecting with complex, global problems such as geopolitical tensions, conflict and war, poverty, the effects of climate change and health threats – altogether adding to the uncertainty and volatility that we see in the world. In this context, it is increasingly urgent that we invest in higher education and enhance access for a diverse population of students to ensure that no talent is left behind.
I don’t think any of us know exactly how AI and automation will evolve. Certainly at York, I know we have a broad network of colleagues looking at the social regulation of AI. But technology is not going away anytime soon.
A recent study demonstrated that more than 60 per cent of Canadians may already be exposed to AI through their employment, and that an estimated one out of 10 employees in Canada could be at a high risk of automation-related job transformation. According to the OECD, the jobs of the future are going to be the jobs that require cognitive, creative, critical thinking and decision-making skills.
There is also compelling research showing that students with higher education are more likely to pursue continuing education to upgrade and reskill, a quality that makes students more agile in a shifting labour market. While many of you will likely enter the job market at entry-level wages, the reality is that over the longer term, your learning potential has more room to expand. Those with a bachelor’s degree earn 24 per cent more than the national average. The more education you have, the higher your earning potential.
Students with a university degree are more likely to have stable employment and access to a range of benefits like paid vacations, sick and parental leave, and compensation packages that include RRSP and pension contributions. An education increases one’s chances of finding fulfilling employment and living a longer and healthier life. So, I want to say to our graduating class, do not worry too much if you don’t have everything worked out right now, because the long-term gain is in your favour. I am a sociologist by training and neither of my parents went to university. I certainly did not anticipate my own career path, but as a university president, I am reminded every day how important universities like York are in creating accessible educational opportunities for diverse learners, equipping them with the transferable skills they need for their own success, and developing a vibrant, agile workforce committed to building sustainable and resilient communities.
In addition to these individual benefits, I want us to not lose sight of the impact that universities are having as a public good. In Canada, universities provide almost double the contributions to research and development than our U.S. counterparts. Higher education is also fundamental to a healthy, democratic society.
From our new School of Medicine, a first-of-its-kind, patient-centred, community-based program that will train the next generation of primary care physicians; to our new Sustainability Strategy that pools efforts across teaching and learning, research and innovation, and campus operations toward a goal of achieving net zero on our campuses by 2040 or sooner; to the honorary doctorates we select who share our values and commitment to enhance the well-being of the communities we serve, York has been rising to the challenge of what it means to be a progressive university by weaving together our commitment to access, excellence and impact in everything we do.
But higher education needs the support of our partners, government and industries to invest in higher education, and we need you, our newest graduates, to act as our ambassadors.
I am confident that each and every one of you will find your way and make a difference in the world.
You will undoubtedly face more obstacles on your journey, but you have already demonstrated by being on this stage today the perseverance, the resiliency and, I hope, a commitment to empathy that will serve you well.
We want you to stay in touch so that we can see what you do next.
Let me close with warm appreciation for your decision to choose York. We are immensely proud of you. Congratulations on this momentous occasion. Bonne Chance! Merci! Miigwetch!