A culture of life-long learning was truly needed if a nation wanted to gear towards a knowledge-based society, said former prime minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohamad said when receiving an honorary degree in political science conferred by Naresuan University on Friday morning.
"As we move towards the knowledge-based society, a continued research and a culture of life-long learning need to be nurtured as it will help the strong nation-building process," said Mr Mahathir.
Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)
The 86-year-old Mahathir said it was not adequate for a university to just produce graduates who could not be employed.
"University is a beacon to provide knowledge for the much-needed paradigm shift and to improve new skills to meet the new demands of the markets."
That was why life-long learning was important, that was why creative thinking was significant and that was how the creative ideas of Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs have changed people’s lifestyles around the world and made them billionaires, said Mr Mahathir, who stepped down as prime minister in 2003.
Experiments and thousands of mistakes and perfecting your creations were foundations of success, Malaysia's fourth premier said.
In a door-stop interview with the Bangkok Post, Mr Mahathir said he was very happy to see there were no more demonstrations on the streets of Bangkok.
"There should be reconciliation now, they are trying, I think. And I wish Thailand could remain peaceful and cooperate in the development of Asean. I hope and I anticipate so," Mr Mahathir said.
Asked how he views the situation in the southern border provinces of Thailand, the former prime minister said the daily violence was very unfortunate. But he was "quite sure that the new government of Thailand will focus on solving the problems in the South as well".
On the iussue of Malaysia's collaboration in ending the problem, Mr Mahathir echoed the basic line that it was a domestic problem, "but if Thailand asks Malaysia to work in any way, we should (cooperate). Like when I was the prime minister, we tried to help resolve it in a peaceful (manner)."