Commencement Address for the 2021 Academic Year
Commencement Address for the 2021 Academic Year
  • Moo Hwan Kim, President of POSTECH
  • 승인 2022.05.15 01:55
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▲Offline 2021 Commencement Ceremony
▲Offline 2021 Commencement Ceremony

To the 767 graduates here who have completed your studies despite the seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic!
My sincere congratulations to you all. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to the parents, professors and staff, and the entire POSTECH community who, despite unprecedented challenges, supported these talented individuals who will serve our nation and humanity in the future.
I would like to thank all guests who have taken the time from their busy schedules to join us today, including Vice President Duk-Lak Lee of POSTECH Foundation, National Assemblyman Byongwook Kim, Deputy Mayor Jang-sik Lee, President Soo-Hee Nam of RIST, President Junku Yuh of Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence (KIRO), and Chairman Dae-Gong Lee of Aerin Foundation.
It has truly been a long journey. Everything was closed and paused due to a tiny virus in the air. The vibrant campus once filled with laughter felt deserted. However, even during this unprecedented period that no Postechian had ever experienced, you graduates carved your own path and finished your studies in health. The graduate students also achieved great results by immersing in research amid the pandemic. The last two years have filled me with more pride than any other times because I was with you, proud Postechians. 
Dear beloved graduates!
If we compare life to a book, we can say that all of you standing here have just finished a chapter. You may misunderstand that the diploma you will hold has perfected you as a member of society. And so, I wanted to present you with words from Edward Malloy, “A college degree is not a sign that one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life.”
When COVID-19 first appeared, many deemed it as an epidemic like SARS confined to only certain regions with an expiration date. However, it spread to all corners of the world at a menacing speed. The technologies and the systems we so conveniently used became its fuel. Who could have ever predicted these events two years ago? Not only new pandemics, but our future will veer into even more unpredictable directions, like the countless disasters and unexpected wars that humanity has suffered over the last few years.
That is why the knowledge and experiences honed at POSTECH will be an important guide for the future. However, this guide alone cannot be a solution to all problems. You must find the answers on your own using your knowledge and experiences. The new methods you uncover and implement will be called “innovation” by all of us. In other words, as you leave the POSTECH campus to live in the future, you must grow in other directions, rather than quit growing as of May 2022. 
Some of you here will go into the world and some will stay to continue your studies. Whatever the path you chose, it does not change the fact that you must press on. We must be constantly curious about the world, think in new ways through these curiosities, learn from failures, and try again and again. The 767 diplomas on this podium represent your readiness to take on new challenges for a better future for all of us, certified by the university and your advisors, and passports you need to move forward into the future. 
To the proud graduates!
POSTECH and the professors here have empowered you with the education you need to serve in various areas of society; and you all have grown beyond our expectations. Now I leave you with one last request before you take the first step toward your future. Earlier, I said that you must continue to learn and challenge yourself even after leaving this campus. When learning from a failure, I hope that you gain not only knowledge, but also the wisdom to make the right judgements and handle things justly. As people who will be responsible for the future of science and technology industries, you must be able to decide things with ethical and moral perspectives in mind. Only when wisdom is added to outstanding knowledge and individual competency can we achieve progress in our society and nation, as well as in the world. 
Dear Postechians who will move forward as fellow colleagues!
From now on, the steps you take are the future of POSTECH and the path for new Postechians to come. So, walk boldly as planned even if your steps feel small and imperfect at times. What may seem like humble steps to you are bright role models for those who will follow and proud records for the faculty and staff of POSTECH. 
I hope the big and small memories you made at POSTECH will be a source of support in your walk. The faculty and staff of POSTECH and your family will cheer on your race to finish what you have started. POSTECH will also do our best to become an alma mater that you will be proud of, that pioneers our own path and stays a step ahead of the changes.

 

Moo Hwan Kim, 
President of POSTECH