[2019 Commencement] “Your dreams will surely come true if you are willing to challenge and fail with growing minds.”

“Please have the courage to accept change and innovation with an open mind.”

President Jung delivered some valuable life lessons in his commencement speech at the 2019 UNIST commencement ceremony, held on Tuesday, February 12.

To all graduating Class of 2019, President Jung emphasized three valuable lessons: First, never let the fear of failure get in the way of your dreams. Second, do not neglect personal development. Lastly, a little consideration and love for others.

During his 2019 commencement speech at UNIST, President Jung told new graduates about the ‘Fixed’ and ‘Growth’ mindsets by Professor Carol Dweck at Stanford University. Thus, President Jung emphasized the importance of developing a growth mindset, as those with a growth mindset accept challenge and failure as a means of learning. This was advice that we should constantly seek opportunities for improvement, boldly challenge and fail, and make these experiences an asset.

President Jung also asked the new graduates that they should bear in mind that they owe a great debt to the nation, as they have received many benefits from the government during their time at UNIST.

“UNIST, despite its short 10-year history, has accomplished remarkable success both internally and externally,” says President Jung. “Wherever you go, you can be sure fellow UNIST alumni will not be far away, and your alma mater will always be there to support you.”

President Mooyoung Jung gives his commencement address at the 2019 UNIST Commencement Ceremony, held on February 12.

Below is the complete commencement address by President Mooyoung Jung:

Dear Members of the Graduating Class!

Today, 1,043 graduating students will join the family of over 3,800 UNIST alumni. It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be able to share this important milestone with them. Congratulations on your achievements and I wish you all the success in your future endeavors.

In honor of your graduation, I sincerely congratulate and thank the faculty and staff members of UNIST for their dedication and sincere efforts all through the years culminating in this day. Please also allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the parents and extended families of our graduates as well, for their love, support, and sacrifice.

In particular, I would like to extend our special thanks to distinguished guests for taking their time out of their busy schedules to attend today’s ceremony.

Class of 2019! Will you all please stand up and give your teachers, fellow students, and family and friends a big round of applause for their endless support and love?

Dear Members of the Graduating Class!

Today marks the beginning of a new journey that you are about to embark on. We are very proud of each and every one of you and are excited to learn more about your journeys in the months and years ahead. However, a new world that awaits you can be challenging at times.

The world is changing rapidly and we are now on the cusp of a Fourth Industrial Revolution where the importance of ICT technology and integrated network capability are being emphasized. In this fast-changing world, we must embrace the change and most importantly improve your self-discipline in order to achieve your dream.

Dear Members of the Graduating Class!

For those of you, who stand at the crossroads of your lives with mixed feelings and no sure direction where your career should go, I would like to give you a few words of advice.

First, never let the fear of failure get in the way of your dreams.

Carol Dweck, an internationally renowned scholar and professor of psychology at Stanford University, examined the mindsets people use to understand themselves. Based on her research, she defines two kinds of thinking that creates two different lives: the ‘Fixed’ and ‘Growth’ mindsets. People with a fixed mindset uphold the idea that people’s abilities are fixed. They avoid challenges where failure is a possibility and label people according to their abilities and personal characteristics. On the contrary, people with a growth mindset love new challenges and view setbacks as opportunities to learn.

The road to achieving a dream is narrow, and it is faced with many adversities and hardships. Sometimes you may experience failure. But please have the courage to accept change and innovation with an open mind. Your dreams will surely come true if you are willing to challenge and fail with growing minds and grow into experiences and assets.

Second, do not neglect personal development. Today you leave UNIST with the best tools and the most advanced knowledge. Receiving your certificates, diplomas, or degrees today does not signal an end of learning, but rather the start of something new. This is why graduation ceremonies are called commencements. Go forth and never stop learning.

This is why Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder, exclaimed “Stay Hungry, stay foolish!” in a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005. In his speech, Jobs urged young graduates to pursue their inner passion and see opportunities in life’s setbacks, including death itself.

My last piece of advice is that you must have consideration and love for others. You should bear in mind that during your time at UNIST, you have received many benefits from the government, thus owing a great debt to the people. The fundamental purpose of learning is the prosperity of humankind. You have been excellent representatives of all this university stands for and I am confident you will continue to serve as exemplary citizens who enrich the lives of those around you. This spirit of consideration will become the foundation for development of the organizations and society as well as for the prosperity of the nation and mankind.

Dear Members of the Graduating Class!

There is a saying, “One can change their nationality, but one can never change their educational backgrounds”. You have worked incredibly hard to get to this important transition in your lives. Please take a moment to feel an enormous sense of pride and sheer joy in what you have achieved. You have every reason to be proud. Today you leave this campus, but you will always be an integral part of our UNIST community.

Your alma mater, despite its short 10-year history, has accomplished remarkable success both internally and externally. In particular, eight UNIST researchers have recently distinguished themselves with inclusion in the annual listing of the ‘2018 Highly Cited Researchers’ which selects the highly cited scientists by citations and this is the second highest number for Korean universities. Besides, UNIST has proved its research excellence by ranking 1st in South Korea for the second consecutive year in the CWTS Leiden Rankings, since 2017. UNIST has also been recognized as the top university for global research quality in the 2018 THE World University Rankings by being placed as South Korea’s number 1 and 48th in the world in terms of citations. Besides, in the 2018 edition of THE World’s Best Small Universities ranking that evaluates universities with fewer than 5,000 students, UNIST was ranked at 1st place in Asia and 6th place in the world.

Wherever you go, you can be sure fellow UNIST alumni will not be far away, and your alma mater will always be there to support you. We hope you stay connected and engaged with UNIST in the years to come. We also look forward to your continuing interest and support in developing UNIST into a world-renowned university.

Once again, congratulations on your successful achievements and wish you all the success in your future endeavors.

Thank you.

Mooyoung Jung
President, UNIST