[2022 Commencement] UNIST Confers Degrees to 972 Graduates

The past four years of studying at UNIST were quite challenging, yet definitely meaningful and deeply fulfilling moments.

Clarissa Elizabeth Maria, an Indonesian international student, delivered a graduation speech at the 2022 UNIST Commencement Ceremony, which took place on February 17, 2022. As the highest-ranking graduate, she was named the Class of 2022 valedictorian and also had the honor of graduating a semester early. She wrote the script of her entire graduation speech with her self-taught Korean skills and delivered the speech in Korean with clear enunciation at the podium during the commencement ceremony.

“I was keen on biotechnology, and thus have decided to be bold and take a challenge by pursuing education overseas. Studying abroad comes with a wide range of emotions. I also felt lonely at times, but I overcame this with the help of friends in Korea,” said Elizabeth who is about to begin a new chapter of her life in the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering at UNIST in March 2022. “With further research, I hope to solve cancer’s toughest problems.”

Clarissa Elizabeth Maria, the Class of 2022 valedictorian, is delivering a graduation speech at the 2022 UNIST Commencement Ceremony, which took place on February 17, 2022.

In light of the national and rapid rise in the Omicron variant of COVID, UNIST has proactively determined to host the 2022 Commencement Ceremony on a smaller scale with a reduced number of attendees. The celebration took place in the 2F Auditorium of the Main Administration Building of UNIST from 2 p.m., honoring the Class of 2022 and celebrating their achievements in a manner that is safe and complies with national health protocols.

This year, a total of 972 graduating students will join a family of over 7,400 UNIST alumni. For those who were unable to attend the in-person ceremony due to the national guidelines related to COVID-19 for gatherings and events, the ceremony was also live-streamed via the Official YouTube Channel of UNIST.

The 2022 Commencement Ceremony began with a performance by UNISTra. l Image Credit: UNIST Official YouTube Channel

At the ceremony, President Yong Hoon Lee awarded 198 honorary Doctoral, 132 Master’s, 561 Bachelor’s degrees, as well as 81 Master’s from Specialized Graduate Schools. It turns out, since its opening in 2009, UNIST had a total of 7,466 graduates in science and technology, including 825 Doctoral, 1,517 Master’s, and 5,124 Bachelor’s students.

President Yong Hoon Lee expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2022. In honor of their graduation, President Lee also offered his congratulations and thanks to the faculty and staff members of UNIST for their dedication and sincere efforts all through the years culminating in this day.

President Yong Hoon Lee gives his commencement address at the 2022 UNIST Commencement Ceremony, held on Thursday, February 17, 2022.

At each commencement ceremony, UNIST recognizes the exceptional achievements of outstanding students through various awards, including the Yebong Best Dissertation Award. Established from the funds donated by the first UNIST President Moo Je Cho, the Yebong Best Dissertation Award is given to the author of the best doctoral dissertation. The aim is to recognize and encourage superior research and writing by doctoral candidates in any field of study.

Hanul Min (Advisor: Professor Sang Il Seok), the recipient of the Yebong Best Dissertation Award, has participated in several SCI-level research papers, while he was pursuing a master’s degree in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST. He has been involved in several studies related to perovskite solar cells and had his papers being published in prestigious multidisciplinary journals such as Nature (1) and Science (2).

At the ceremony, ByungHun Lee was awarded the Minister of Science and ICT Award in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements and for being an active participant in community service activities and mentoring for those underprivileged.

The UNIST President’s Award went to EuiJin Park (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and TaeYoon Kim (School of Business Administration) was awarded the UNIST Chairman of the Board’s Award at the ceremony. In addition, HuiSoo Shim and JongMin Choi were presented with the Ulsan City Mayor’s Award and the Ulju-gun Mayor’s Award at the ceremony, respectively.

The UNIST Best Research Award (UBRA) went to YeJin Kim from the Department of Chemistry (Advisor: Professor Oh Hoon Kwon), ByungJoo Han from the Department of Electrical Engineering (Advisor: Professor Jae-Young Sim), and SangHak Choi from the School of Business Administration (Advisor: Professor Junyoup Lee).

During his 2022 commencement speech at UNIST, President Lee noted “Today you leave this campus, but you will always be an integral part of UNIST. Wherever you go, you can be sure that your alma mater will be with you every step of the way, guiding you towards your goals and supporting your ambitions.”

In his congratulatory remark, President Lee also urged the Class of 2022 to boldly face challenges with the spirit of ‘First In Change,’ as they have done throughout their time here at UNIST by saying “You are the driving force behind the success of UNIST and I am immensely grateful for your enthusiasm and hard work.”

He noted, “UNIST will leap forward to become a world-leading university by providing the most advanced research and education in the fields of carbon neutrality, AI, semiconductors, and smart healthcare.”

The ceremony was held in the order of celebratory performance, academic procession, report on academic statistics, academic awards for outstanding students, greetings by University Officials, congratulatory remarks by the distinguished guests, conferral of degrees, graduation speech by a graduate representative, school anthem, and closing remarks. Despite the desire of graduates who want special photos with their cap and gown, UNIST has decided to not provide academic regalia rental services in light of the national and rapid rise in the Omicron variant of COVID.