Harrison Ford Receives an Honorary Doctorate: “Go Change the World” Special Commencement Speech

“Harrison Ford,” a powerful wake-up call and encouragement for the younger generation

Hollywood’s living legend, “Harrison Ford” (83), delivered a strong message to young people taking their first steps into society. According to a CNN report on the 14th (local time), on the 11th he received a “Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa” degree from “Arizona State University”. Standing before 14,000 graduates, he urged, “You have a much stronger force within you than you think,” and added, “Go change the world.”

He then reflected sharply on the mistakes of the older generation, saying, “The world our generation inherited is a mess.” He emphasized again, “Use your talents and ambition to create what didn’t exist—step up for people without power. That is the path to real change.”

From wandering youth to “a Hollywood legend” and “an environmental activist”

The speech also shed light on his dramatic life story. “Harrison Ford” openly admitted that, during his college years, his reckless lifestyle led to serious struggles with his grades. A story about how a drama class he chose almost by chance—just to make it easier to get credits—ended up becoming the starting point of his acting career caught widespread attention. After dropping out of college, he worked his way through minor roles and poured his passion into acting, yet he said he felt a deep emptiness. Eventually, he revealed that through “natural conservation organizations” activism in the 1980s, he found the true purpose of life.

He strongly argued that “Humanity is only part of nature—we do not rule over it,” and highlighted the importance of “environmental protection”, “social justice”, and protecting Indigenous communities.

Meanwhile, he rose to global stardom in 1977 by playing Han Solo in the film “Star Wars”, and in the 1980s he cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s top actors through the “Indiana Jones” series. After that, he left behind countless masterpieces, including “Blade Runner”, “The Fugitive”, and “Air Force One”, and last year he proved his stature by receiving the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).