2023毕业生特辑 | 李浩铭：我的哥大关键词 “谦逊、鼓舞、超乎想象”

教育

2023-06-12 12:06

哥大全球中心「知行录」栏目作为展现今天哥大人生活与精神的平台，将传递鲜活且多样化的哥大人形象 - 或热烈、或冷寂；或万众瞩目，或自得其乐。这里有兴趣、追求、信仰、品格，千姿百态、俯仰异观。

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毕业是学习旅程中的一个重要节点。而毕业生的故事，更是对这个时刻的重要性做出了最好的注解。

本期「知行录」推出哥大2023届毕业生特辑——来自香港的李浩铭（Sean Lee）是哥伦比亚大学哥伦比亚学院艺术史和建筑学的本科毕业生，他形容他的哥大之旅是“谦逊、鼓舞和超乎想象”的。

他说，哥大的核心课程在培养他的世界观方面起到至关重要的作用，让他成为了一位灵敏的思考者，并赋予他打破常规和挑战极限的能力，实现自己的学术和职业理想。“哥大教给我的不是思考什么，而是如何思考。”

作为一名国际学生，李浩铭的学习和生活如何在哥大展开？是什么让他对哥大“一见钟情”？他对向往哥大的学子有什么建议？这些问题将在他的分享中一一被回答。

请用三个词形容你的大学生活

If you could describe your college experience in three words, what would they be?

我和哥大同学们的毕业照。

我想应该是谦逊、鼓舞和超乎想象。

"Humbling, inspiring, and unpredictable."

哥大让我真切地感受到“山外有山、人外有人”这句话的含义。在这里有来自世界各地的杰出学生和学者。我曾自认为是个优秀的学生，但当我置身于这样人才济济的校园中时，我即刻倍感“谦逊”。

There's a Chinese saying that there is always another taller mountain. This is undoubtedly the case at Columbia, where the abundance of talent is truly humbling.

回想我初入哥大的那一天，我的宿舍左边住着一位志在回馈社会的公益创业者，他的项目是为残疾儿童打造机械假肢；我的宿舍右边则是一位来自新泽西却能说一口流利普通话的未来物理学家，他还曾受邀参加过中国的某个综艺节目。

I recall my first day on campus looking for my dorm room as I was introduced to a social entrepreneur who builds robotic prosthetic limbs for disabled children to my left and an aspiring physicist from New Jersey who was featured on national TV in China, speaking fluent Mandarin to my right. The list goes on and on and on.

在晨边高地阅览万卷人生之书，你会发现有着这样卓越成就的人数不胜数。我必须承认，当我尝试立足于一个以优秀作为基线的新环境时，一开始的确有些措手不及，但我随即便被身边众多热衷于回馈社会的哥大人所感染。

I must admit, it was a bit overwhelming in the beginning as I was trying to navigate this new environment where excellence is the baseline—one fortified by a diverse community of thinkers and innovators so passionately driven as they strive to make a lasting impact for the betterment of society.

我深刻地感受到，哥大的校训“借汝之光，得见光明”在每一个哥大人身上彰显。加上哥大有着一个多元、包容的校园氛围，为开创未来的思考者和创新先锋提供了丰厚的土壤，“鼓舞”着我迅速融入这里，成为哥大社区的一员。

Our motto In Lumine Tuo Videbimis Lumen, translated as in thy light we shall see light, is personified in every individual I have interacted with at Columbia who has never stopped inspiring me.

在我的哥大生涯中，我在课堂外学到的绝对不比在课堂上学到的少！

It is without a doubt that I have learned as much from the countless thought-provoking exchanges outside the classroom as I do from my professors in class!

有的朋友说，我是一个总是充满惊喜的人。过去四年，我积极把握哥大提供的多样机遇，勇于走出自己的舒适区，在通信业、公司治理、投资银行和风险投资等行业领域探索更为开阔崭新的世界。现在我即将步入公共管理领域，开始下一篇章的学习。可以说，我的哥大之旅是“超乎想象”的。

Some of my friends describe me as a wild card. My Columbia journey has been quite unpredictable as I have stepped out of my comfort zone to try things I never would have imagined before. In the past four years, I have traversed between the worlds of the telecom industry, from corporate governance to investment banking and venture capital, with the next chapter in my life learning about public administration.

哥大给予了我大量探索的机会和空间、尝试新事物的勇气、从挫折中汲取教训的坚毅、学习的意志、并在成功时刻保持谦逊的态度，在此基础上继续努力求进。

Columbia has provided me with a plethora of opportunities to explore, the courage to experiment, and the fortitude to learn from one's failures or the humility to build upon our moments of success.

这就是我珍视的哥伦比亚大学，我为自己能成为其中的一员感到无比自豪。

This is the Columbia I value and am proud to be a part of.

对许多人而言，毕业是一个说“珍重、再见”的时刻，但在哥大，我们会说“回头见”。与哥大全球社区及校友的广泛而深刻的互动让我意识到，我的哥大生涯不仅限于我们在晨边高地度过的四年，而是一生的追求和热爱。

For many, graduation is a moment to say goodbyes, but at Columbia, we can only ever say "for now" or "later". If anything, expansive interactions with Columbia's global communities and alumni have shown me that Columbia isn't just about the four years we spend on Morningside Heights but rather, a lifelong commitment.

疫情期间，在香港的哥大校友带我们参观货柜码头。

哥大全球中心如何丰富了你的本科学习？

How have the Columbia Global Centers enriched your college experience?

我想从突入其来的新冠疫情谈起。一场瘟疫让原本美丽可爱的哥大校园瞬间变得冷冷清清，但是它没有把哥大精神打倒，反而让我们这个全球社区的凝聚力更加坚固。

The pandemic has made it clear that it is not the brick or the mortar that defines Columbia but rather the people and community.

由哥大全球中心领衔的一系列项目和倡议，包括在全球数十个城市为国际学生提供学习、交流的空间，邀请不同领域的世界领袖和学者给我们上课、与我们座谈。在其中一场线上峰会上，我还有幸向我们的李·布林格校长和校董们以及多国政经领域的重要领袖分享我的经历。

With initiatives led by the Columbia Global Centers, such as the University Initiative for International Students that offered students access to nine Global Centers and WeWork sites across the globe, or the dynamic program of speakers and virtual internships, vibrant Columbia communities have sprung up all around the world—a testament to the fact that the Columbia spirit prevails even during these exceptionally difficult times.

我在哥大全球中心 | 北京参加学生活动。

面对近年来霸权主义、去全球化的威胁，哥大全球中心仍在不懈推动着跨文化、跨区域的多边交流，发挥着积极有力的作用。特别是在关乎全人类的气候变化、可持续发展等议题上的大力推进，帮助哥大人成为视野广阔、更具包容心的全球公民。

The magic of the Global Centers has been about dissolving barriers across cultures based on kindling dialogue that champions a multiplicity of perspectives. Opportunities to connect with scholars from around the world beyond Morningside Heights have undoubtedly sharpened my world views on a wide range of topics, from sustainability to entrepreneurship to being a global citizen.

哥大全球中心 | 北京在我的职业发展和学术深造中起到了关键作用，助力我建立起不同的人生里程碑。

The Global Center in Beijing has played a pivotal role in empowering me to realize my own career aspirations.

在大三的暑假，经由北京中心的推荐，我成功入选奇绩创坛的实习项目，让我有机会站在创新创业和风险投资的前沿，去了解顶尖专家是如何发展新能源和人工智能。这段经历令我大开眼界。在大四研究生申请阶段，我再次通过北京中心深入了解了中国高等学府的学术项目，获得了与在校老师、前辈交流的机会，这些帮助让我少走了很多弯路。

One summer, I expressed interest in learning about entrepreneurship and investments. The Beijing Center subsequently helped me secure a highly coveted internship at MiraclePlus (formerly Y Combinator China), which was a transformative experience as I stood at the forefront of technological frontiers in fields such as emerging climate technology and artificial intelligence. More recently, as I was exploring options for graduate school, the Beijing Center also became a critical resource in connecting me with administrators and alumni from programs I was applying to.

我十分感激一直以来全球中心为学生们提供的鼓励和支持！

I am deeply indebted to the Beijing Center's constant encouragement and unwavering support.

你最喜欢的哥大经历有哪些？

What are your favorite experiences at Columbia?

我在哥大的经历丰富多彩，比如，代表哥大参加美国东岸的校际双人帆船比赛、与教授一起拜访不同的建筑师和艺术家工作室等等。

My experience at Columbia has been varied, such as representing Columbia University in intercollegiate pairs sailing competitions, visiting different architects and artists' studios, and so on.

我印象最深刻的是在担任哥大香港学生与学者会主席期间，与香港特区政府携手，举办向欧美学生展示香港“一国两制”优势以及大湾区创新机遇与人才引进政策的座谈会。

A remarkable moment was the webinar I hosted as the President of the Hong Kong Students and Scholars Society at Columbia University as we partnered with the Hong Kong SAR Government to showcase opportunities arising from the success of Hong Kong's pioneering "one country, two systems" framework alongside innovation and talent policies of the Greater Bay Area to students in Europe and North America.

同时，我也非常庆幸自己能多次获得由哥大全额资助的海外游学机会。大四期间，我和同学们在建筑系教授的带领下去了摩洛哥，后来又和艺术史教授去了德国。

A highlight of my senior year has definitely been my Columbia-funded traveling seminars. My Architecture professors took us to Morocco in the fall, and I also went to Germany with my Art History professors in the spring.

在来到哥大之前，你的经历是什么样的？

Tell us a little bit about your life before coming to Columbia and how you ended up here.

在去哥大之前，我在英国的七橡树中学度过了七年的时光。

Prior to Columbia, I spent seven years at Sevenoaks School in the UK.

我和同学们在Butler图书馆前的草坪上拍摄毕业照。

自从高中时我第一次参观哥大校园起，哥大就成为了我的梦校——我当时就被晨边高地的建筑深深迷住了：从Low Library走向Butler Library时，它的宏伟壮观让我感到震撼。我甚至能感受到，它的那股能量已渗透在校园的草坪里（是的，那时我对校园里的花草印象特别深刻）。

My Columbia journey began with the architecture geek in me being deeply moved by the beauty of the campus when I went on an admissions tour. As I walked from the Low to the Butler Library for the first time, I felt this overwhelming greatness for me to seize. This flux of energy even resonated through the crisp grass lawn of the campus (yes, the grass really left an impression on me!).

在我看来，看似被花匠整整齐齐修剪过的草坪，其整齐的样貌下却自由生长着一根根形态各异的青草，这让我联想到哥大的核心课程、我的同窗伙伴、以及整所大学的过去、现在和未来。一代一代的哥大人不就是在严谨有条的核心课程框架下，自由茁壮地发展成各界翘楚的吗？

Funnily enough, its expansive plain, the precision of its cut, and the chaotic quivering of individual strands of grass mimic what I see in Columbia's Core, my peers, and the university as a whole: brimming with transformative ideas which spread across time and place.

毕业后你有什么计划？

What's your plan after University?

今年秋季，我将圆梦清华，在清华大学公共管理学院继续求学。

I will pursue a Master in Public Administration at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

艺术史与建筑可能听起来和公共管理的跨度很大。但在我看来，艺术史培养我对人类文明史的时空观念，在追溯文化和文明发展的过程中了解不同民族培根铸魂的源泉；而建筑学则培养我们洞察人与人、人与外界之间的互动，也让我思考如何管理一个城市，如何塑造未来的可持续智慧城市。

As an Art History & Architecture major, this might come across as a significant divergence of interests. That said, the Core has been critical in cultivating my worldview and, more importantly, training me to be an agile thinker with transferable skills.

哥大的核心课程不仅使我在各个学科领域无缝连接，塑造我整体的世界观，并把我训练成一个适应力强、灵活变通的实践者。同时，核心课程是我穿梭古今中外跨越数千年、解码东西文化奥秘的桥梁。

The Core has been my bridge between the past and the future, the anchor of "sameness" in a sea of differences, empowering me to challenge limits and conventions to achieve personal growth. The exposure to differing perspectives in the process of refining my understanding of the human condition from The Rise of Civilizations to Contemporary Civilizations has laid the foundations for my future explorations in the world of public policy formulation.

最可贵的是，哥大教给我的不是思考什么，而是如何思考，让我成为一个灵敏的思考者。

My Columbia education has not been the product of what to think but how to think.

你对感兴趣申请哥大的学生有什么建议吗？

Do you have advice for students interested in applying to Columbia?

问问自己为什么想去哥大。前辈们经常会叮嘱我们，聆听自己的心声。这句话听起来容易，但事实上我们时常会急于模仿他人的成就而忽略了自身的优势、迷失自我。

Ask yourselves Why Columbia? We are often given the advice to follow one's heart. As effortless as it sounds, it is surprising how one can so easily lose sight of the person they are, with some blindingly seeking to emulate the success of others as they neglect their strengths or weaknesses and, more importantly, their true passions.

哥大的申请文书让我们反思过往的经历以及预判自己如何在哥大这个广阔的舞台上大展身手。希望你们在书写自己精彩人生的同时，永葆初心，做好自己！

The application is an opportunity to reflect on your personal experiences—take advantage of this and just be yourself!