UN's Tom Fletcher tells Tsinghua students that we're living in "era of distrust" where "progress isn't automatic"
- Bakhtawar Tauseef
- May 13
- 3 min read
By BAKHTAWAR TAUSEEF
Global Business Journalism reporter
As the world faces its most serious humanitarian crisis since World War II, Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, delivered a clear message to students at Tsinghua University: "The future remains in your hands, if you are willing to act."
Speaking at Tsinghua’s Global Vision Lecture, part of the university’s 114th anniversary celebrations in late April, Fletcher urged the next generation to take ownership of the challenges in reshaping the world and to take the opportunities that come with them.
“We are living through an era of distrust, deepening inequality, and rapid technological change,” Fletcher said. “But progress isn’t automatic. It’s a choice you must make each day.”
Fletcher’s remarks came at a time when global humanitarian needs are soaring. More than 307 million people around the world now require urgent support, a number unmatched since the mid-20th century.
Yet funding is shrinking. Recent cuts to American humanitarian aid, traditionally the largest source of global support, threaten to leave millions without life-saving assistance.
“People will die because help won’t reach them,” Fletcher said bluntly. “The old models are no longer enough. We need new energy, new partnerships, and new ideas.”
Amid these shifting dynamics, Fletcher pointed to China’s expanding contributions to global aid efforts especially its rapid deployment of rescue teams following the Myanmar earthquake earlier this year. He called on China to further leverage its strength in technology, satellite forecasting and green energy to support global humanitarian needs.
“No single country can fill the vacuum alone,” he said. “But together, we can build a smarter, faster, more responsive humanitarian movement, one that serves people where they are.”
Fletcher did more than outline the world’s challenges. He mapped out how the next generation can overcome them. He urged students not to focus only on knowledge and memorization — things machines can do better. He urged students to enhance the human strengths that machines cannot replicate, singling out the traits of empathy, emotional intelligence, creativity and resilience.
“We don’t need second-class robots,” he said. “We need first-class humans.”
Reflecting on his work at New York University, Fletcher shared what he called his “10 survival skills” for the future, combining knowledge, practical skills, and values like kindness, bravery, and being globally aware. He also advised students to think not just about building their résumés but building their legacies of how they want to be remembered.
“Be kind. Be curious. Be brave and think about how you can be a good ancestor for the generations that come after you,” he said.
Fletcher concluded his speech with a challenge that the humanitarian system must be rebuilt, not top-down from governments alone, but bottom-up, with communities, businesses, and individuals working together. He compared the future of humanitarian work to the game Minecraft, where people build things together creatively, instead of the old top-down systems like the game Tetris.
“This is not the end of the story,” Fletcher told the audience. “But what happens next depends on what you do is starting now!”
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