National ball of graduates of higher education institutions
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University graduates should make their dreams come true and aim for concrete results that will benefit people. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement during the national ball of graduates of higher education institutions.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “As they think about their future, I would like to encourage young Belarusians to understand: we don’t do everything we do for a pretty picture in social networks. Although living the life online is fashionable these days. But you should make your dreams come true in real life. You will have to do it, you will have to work for concrete results that benefit people. Then your personal accomplishments will make up a happy future of the entire country.”
Addressing the youth, Aleksandr Lukashenko urged them to treat natural resources with extreme care. “We have to turn this piece of land named Belarus into the most convenient and comfortable place to live not only for you but for your children and grandchildren. Let’s work together to at least keep things as good as they are now. I am not saying we will become richer, everyone will have cars, top-of-the-line electric cars, and so on. It is not the point. We need to preserve the cozy and comfortable country,” he said. “It is what matters. We can do the rest as we go. We shouldn’t wreck the God-given nature because it would not be possible to restore or buy it. It is not a car.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko underlined the importance of today’s event for the graduates. “During annual meetings with the best university graduates – truly the gold pool of our youth – I feel special joy and pride because you are our future. I strongly hope a better future of ours,” the President said. “An improvised road of success has brought you to this hall for the national ball of university graduates. You may have taken but a few steps along this road, but you’ve worked hard during the university years.”
The head of state remarked that some people say the university years are the best years, the lucky years of one’s life. However, Aleksandr Lukashenko believes otherwise. “These years may be joyful and full of happiness but they are also the hardest years in the life of someone, who puts genuine effort into studying,” he explained.
The President pointed out that representatives of more than 100 foreign nations are also among students of Belarusian universities. “The demand is colossal. We cannot admit everyone, who wants to study here, even for a lot of money because we lack accommodation, labs, classrooms, buildings,” he said. It is the first time the most diligent of the foreign students have been invited to attend the ball today. “May it become a new good tradition,” Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested. “I think in the course of their studies they have come to love the hospitable Belarusian land. If someone wants to stay or come back here, we will always welcome you! Your genuine friends live here.”
This year’s ball of university graduates took place ahead of the 75thanniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invaders, a holy date for the Belarusian nation. “Today I would like to tell you: don’t forget those, whose deeds gave you the right to live in your own land and, most importantly, under peaceful skies. We should be thankful to those, who are no longer with us, for our present,” the head of state stressed.
It is also symbolical that the ball has been arranged alongside the key sport event of this summer – the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019. “It is a good sign. You should follow the example of our best sportsmen (and there are many of those), whose bright victories, whose medals give us, the fans, strong emotions in addition to enhancing the image of our native country. May you too be a generation that scales the tallest mountains,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The President said he was confident that consequent accomplishments of today’s university graduates will become the best expression of gratitude to the parents and mentors, whose aid and support were invaluable in the years of studying. “And I would like to give you a piece of advice as a friend: don’t give yourselves airs. Everything you have now came from your parents and from those, who taught you. As from tomorrow you will start building on top of it and it will be yours,” he continued. “Or you will start losing and it will be yours, too. But at the beginning I urged you to always go ahead, aim high if you want to be competitive in this life as the fashionable saying goes. Otherwise, things will turn bad.”
“Let me reiterate it: never stop accomplishing. Energy and talents of the youth have astonishing power. Belarus is a country of great opportunities. Everything will work out fine and we will hear your names with pride more than once,” he concluded.
The best graduates and professors of educational institutions receive the presidential thanks. The head of state presented the awards personally. He stressed it is the first time the graduates had received state awards and the event was of great importance.