Brian Zulaikha

I wish to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Welcome all. I wish to acknowledge, firstly, presiding Chancellor Catherine Livingstone, AO; Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Attila Brungs – thank you for the introduction; Dean of the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, Professor Elizabeth Mossop; and members of the Academic Board; staff of the Faculty Design, Architecture and Building; and especially all of you graduates – it’s your special day which brings us together, and a very warm welcome to you, your family and your friends. 

Thinking back on my recent teaching experience and watching all of you come up onto the stage, I’m acutely aware that Australia’s made up of a real mix of peoples from all walks of life, different cultures and ethnic origins. Let me begin by relating a little bit of my backstory. I was born in India into a Sephardic Jewish family. We immigrated to Australia when I was four years old, and while I’ve lived in Australia for most of my life, my life with my parents was relatively exotic. My parents were both from Iraq, and during my childhood are strong memories of curiosities and customs, which were alien to my parallel upbringing as an Australian. Arabic was spoken at home; I never understood it, really, and I learned Hebrew – I learned to read and write – but I could never understand that either. I was brought up to place commercial endeavour ahead of education, pragmatism ahead of idealism. 

My father was, by any measure, an extremely successful businessman, and these values were so strongly inculcated into my fabric, it even now surprises me that I’m an architect. I was taught that a job was to earn money, not to be a calling. Maybe I started off with that credo; however, I seem to have made an unwitting u-turn, because against that is my love of architecture and design, which started as an embryo; however, not until my second or third year at university, and has flourished, unabated, continuing to grow ever since. Architecture, design, fashion, landscape architecture, and I notice we’ve got graduates from building and graphics – it’s absolutely wonderful to see. These are vocations that might be called callings, and some, if not most of you, will have heard that call. My university education, perhaps not immediately apparent to me at the time of graduation, may not be to you, instilled in me a zest for learning and discovery, to better myself in my chosen field and to respect others. It enabled an appreciation and respect for other fields of endeavour, in the arts as well as in science, politics and history. 

The University of Technology has as its core values, and I’ll read these, to discover, to engage, to empower, to deliver, to sustain. At the University of Technology, you’ve been exposed to the most empowering life force – an education, one that encompasses these values as tenets for your future life. It is now 50 years, actually this month, since I graduated, and the role of the architect has endured – the design of beautiful, well-conceived spaces that soar above the everyday, and are at the same time practical, considerate of neighbours, the urban context and the environment, both local and of wider import. However, the process of designing and instructing a builder has markedly changed, and will no doubt continue to change throughout your careers. What has also changed is the world, and in contrast with my education, you’re all growing up in a world, being tested by various forces, driven by politics, population explosions, climate change, the scarcity of resources. 

There are many developments that further impact on architecture and the world of design. The change that is happening with the motor car, or with car ownership – this may mean a great deal of space currently designated for the private vehicle will need to be reconsidered. The scarcity of water in our cities, the need to consider conservation of this precious resource. The need to conserve energy while at the same time addressing higher ambient temperatures, and increasingly rare and costly resources. 

Architecture and design is so important, politically and ethically, and cities have to change to embrace environmental healthy living. Just as 50 years ago, it would have been impossible to predict the changing state of the built environment and the challenges faced by the construction world of today, so for all of you the complexities of the world we’ll face in the future are generally beyond our collective imaginations. Those mentioned are in the very early stages of realisation; the full impact is still to be felt. That is why it is so important that you continue on with the tenets of discovery and engagement. Continue to develop yourselves and not remain static. You have the tools at your disposal now; you must not lose them, as when the world moves on, as indeed it will, you must remain ahead of the game. 

Each of you has a different backstory. Some, like me, will have come from families where the practice of architecture, design or indeed any profession many not have been so highly valued. Others may have had design as a calling from an early age. Some many see it as a stepping stone into another career. All of you have the benefit of a wonderful education, a fabulous foundation into your adult working like. I trust on graduation each of you has a particular personal vocation. I encourage you to be engaged with the needs of the world the task ahead of healing the planet, following this call unswervingly. To adhere always to your head and your heart, and to renounce compromise. I believe this will be the real path to your personal success. To each of you, on behalf of all present, congratulations. We are so proud of you and what you have achieved. Every success in the future, I wish you. Thank you.