At the opening ceremony of Arete College on September 12, Professor Michael Agliardo sent a video message from the United States to express his congratulations. The transcript of his speech is as following.

Greetings. My name is Professor Michael Agliardo. It is my pleasure to serve as the academic dean of Arete College. I would like to offer a special congratulations to the members of the first cohort of Arete College. Thank you for joining us.

Together we are launching a bold experiment in education. You will, of course, decide the goals of your education are. Nonetheless, you will also have the opportunity to participate in the mission of Arete College.

The first part of your “Arete experience” will involve deepening your understanding of Chinese culture and your own heritage. And then when you come to England or the United States, you will have the opportunity to broaden your perspective.

Confucius believed that a leader had a strong moral foundation and well-rounded education. The goal of western liberal arts education also aims at forming the whole person. That includes service. The schools that you are preparing to attend all emphasize that education prepares us to serve others and to play a vital role in society.

To truly succeed at Arete you will have to be open to growing in many ways. I am very glad to know that you have already had the opportunity to get to know one another. In fact, Dr. Xiao has sent along pictures of all of you spending time with one another. And it is really beautiful to see that. And from what I have heard, you all have very different backgrounds.

As a result, you will be able to learn a lot from one another. I myself hope to meet you all in person in the spring. If all goes according to plan, I will teach the sociology course in the curriculum. And I hope you take the opportunity this semester to prepare well because my course will be probably be one of the most difficult that you will take.

I will also be here in the U.S. for those who are coming here for the second part of their education. I will visit the schools that you attend and provide ongoing support. I have said many times that education is both a challenge and an adventure.

But wherever you go, always remember your roots. Always remember where you came from. And always remember your parents.

I welcome you as you begin your adventure together.