The road of life consists of winding paths and detours

Rektors tale til dimittenderne, afholdt ved diplomoverrækkelsen den 25.6.2021.

Dear Graduates,

It is really nice to see you all here today. In fact, it is overwhelming because we have been so isolated from each other through Covid-19.

Obviously, today’s ceremony is about much more than presenting you with an envelope containing your certificates. I am here to express how proud I am, how impressed I am by your accomplishments. I’m sure you are too. You should be, at any rate. 

Your achievements are historical. There is no handbook called “How to make a diploma project during a pandemic”. You wrote that book – one chapter at a time. And you were excellent writers - able to be agile and navigate in a chaotic situation. It is not in any way an ideal situation - it is not fair - but I am fairly convinced that you have gained anti-fragility throughout the process. Like our immune system fighting the pandemic, you have not only achieved the ability to survive – you are actually at a stronger point of departure next time you may find yourself in a similar situation.

Real life doesn’t always give us what we deserve
The pandemic reminds us that life is unfair – Not everyone is given the same opportunities. Whether you have achieved the grade 12 or the grade 2 in your diploma project, I recommend you consider the following: When you entered the Royal Danish Academy it was through a principle of merit. Based on grades or other achievements - for some of you study projects in your portfolio. There has been no consideration of social background or any other admission factor such as that.

In Denmark as in most other countries we consider that a fair system as it levels the playing field between privileged and disadvantaged. If the playing fields is regarded as even that leads to the assumption that what you have achieved being here today is your own doing – you have been the smith of your own success. 

I admire and I give full credit for the endless hours of hard work, you have spent on your diploma project, for the uncertainty that you have overcome, for the skills and creativity you have demonstrated. 

When you succeed, make space for gratitude and humility
And yet I am warning you about the illusion that playing fields are even and success is your own doing. Why?  Because if that is the assumption it goes without saying that those who have not made it to this point only have themselves to blame and if you are not successful - whatever that means – it is because you have not worked hard enough; you have not deserved it. 

Do not take that burden upon you – it is way to heavy now and will be just as heavy in the career you have in front of you. If you fail – and you will sometimes – do not take all the blame and at the same time: When you succeed remember to make space for gratitude and humility. There is luck, systemic factors and helping hands involved. Resources that others might not have. 

You now belong to the group of academics in society. We have seen solid resistance in UK and USA: A backlash against an academic group that holds the belief that their success is merely due to their own efforts and that they have earned it together with the right to look down at people who has no academical degree. This is poison for a society. Let us not contribute to such a mistake!

Avoid working for free
And let us not buy into the market logic either – the idea that market aligns effort and outcome in the right way. It doesn’t! And lots of rich people are not rich because they have worked hard or deserve it more than others.

If your friends are earning more than you it is likely that it is not due to their achievements alone but also due to market structures that, in our case – in the creative business world - sometimes result in expectations to work for free or for low wages. Those problems are not solved by one person alone - your wages are not a direct reflection of your skills alone - it is not fair in that respect - but having said that: Do try to avoid work that you are not paid for. You are worth much more than that! 

Search broadly and be bold
When you go out now and look for a job – those of you who does not have one already – my advice to you is to search broadly and be bold!

Try challenging yourselves in relation to what you imagine here and now to be the job of your dreams. My guess is that there are many more jobs relevant to you waiting out there than you can think of just now. Meet up with friends over coffee to shine a light on this and widen your scope of options.

You have acquired a sound area of specialisation as a platform to leap from. As architects or designers, you now have a methodology that enables you to tackle professional uncertainty - a methodology that includes a complex process where the result is not known in advance. 

You often hear architects and designers say that they see their role as the one who gives the client, not what she wants, but what she did not know she dreamed of. And that is exactly what I expect from you. That you will surprise us with careers and projects that makes sense to us and makes the world a better place to live – experiments and solutions we never dreamed of.

The detours of life will get you there
You will experience again and again that life is not fair - I hope that this experience will lead to humility and respect for the achievements of other people. Also, I hope it will lead you to not be too hard on yourself. Merit and good grades do not automatically open doors – the road of life from here will have many windings paths and detours. Luckily it is often exactly those detours that will bring you closer to a satisfying life. 

I’m not saying farewell, but I am welcoming you back again soon to further your studies, as partners or as colleagues. 

Congratulations!