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568 Inspiration, aspiration, ambitionfessors should serve as role models and advise students to go for quality overquantity. This theme should be featured visibly in conferences or sessions fornew researchers. My final advice for the aspiring young researchers is to alwayslook inward to your inspiration, aspiration, and ambition to plan andassess your work and career.Appendix: Idealism or pragmatism (Wu, 2008)Let me join my colleague Professor Rao in thanking the University, the Chancellor,and the President for bestowing such an honor upon us and in congratulatingthis year’s graduating class for their hard work and achievements.Since I am younger, Jon said that I should stand here longer [laugh].Iwouldliketosharesomethoughtsonourresponsibilitiestothesocietyand to ourselves. When I was a bit younger than you are now, I faced two distinctchoices: medicine and pure mathematics. This was Taiwan in the 1960s,and most of my relatives urged my parents to nudge me toward medicine, notbecause they thought I would make a good doctor, but because it would providea secure career and high income. Thanks to my parents, though, I wasable to follow my passion and pursue mathematics. At that time I did notconsider the financial consequences because I enjoyed doing math. I am nothere to suggest that you follow this romanticism in your career planning —in fact many of you have probably lined up some good jobs already [laugh].Rather, I want to discuss the role of idealism and pragmatism in our lives.At the many turning points of our lives, we are often faced with choosingone or the other. Most will heed the call of pragmatism and shun idealism.For example, some of us may find that we disagree with a policy or decision atwork. Yet it will be our job to follow or implement this policy. A pragmatistwould not go out of his way to show disapproval, even if this policy goesagainst his conscience. On the other hand, an idealist in this situation is likelyto show her disapproval, even if it puts her livelihood at risk.One of the most shining examples of idealism, of course, is Nelson Mandela,who fought for freedom in South Africa. Apartheid was designed to intimidateminorities into submission. Even something as simple as membership in a legalpolitical organization could lead to consequences such as loss of income andpersonal freedom. Knowing these risks fully well, Mandela and countless othersembarked on that freedom struggle, which lasted for decades.While I do not expect or suggest that many can follow the most idealisticroute, pragmatism and idealism are not incompatible. For example,researchers can channel their efforts to finding new green energy solutions.Even humble statisticians like us can help these environmental researchersdesign more efficient experiments. Successful business people, which many of