KAIST

Dear Members of KAIST,

We are gathered here on this meaningful day to celebrate the 47th anniversary of KAIST’s foundation.

KAIST has made it this far thanks to the efforts and dedication of those before us and each and every one of you here today. As the first alumnus president of KAIST, I am immensely proud to be celebrating this day with the key players behind the institute’s innovative pursuits.

In commemoration of the 47th anniversary of its foundation, KAIST has given awards to 68 faculty, students, and staff members who have served as role models in the past year. Even if you are not among the recipients, I would like to remind you that everyone, in their respective areas, plays an important role in the development of KAIST.

So, let’s have a big round of applause to celebrate these remarkable achievements that each of us have made.

In this special occasion, we have a very distinguished guest today. Chairman Jong-Woo Lee of the Korea Former Co., Ltd has made generous contribution to KAIST as a board member of the KAIST Development Foundation for six years from 2011 to 2017. He donated in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Additionally, he endowed the Songam Distinguished Research Scholars Award last year. Today, I am proud to announce that today he made another donation to KAIST in honor of the 47th anniversary of KAIST. I would like to extend deep appreciation of his strong and continuous support of KAIST.

KAIST was established in 1971, when Korea was among the world’s poorest countries, by pioneers who envisioned a future built on the power of science and technology.

We had a very humble start. The institute started with about 100 master’s students and 20 faculty members in Hongneung, which is equivalent to the number making up a small department today.

The professors were the best in Korea, and the students were also the cream of the crop. However, no one recognized our vast potential. Because the students were on full scholarships with room and board, some people mocked the institute as an orphanage of university students.

At a time when people were struggling to get by, there were serious doubts about the necessity of KAIST. The faculty, students, and staff exerted their best efforts despite these tough circumstances.

Many of you must wonder where the first enrollees at KAIST got their strength and endurance from. I believe we had the three driving forces of MVP: Mission, Vision, and Passion.

First, we had a clear mission. We felt a sense of urgency for industrialization and advancements in science and technology by fostering talented individuals into the leaders of tomorrow.

We also had a vision. As declared in the last chapter of the Terman Report, “The Dream of the Future,” KAIST envisioned a great institute of technology with an international reputation. We
had a dream to “spearhead a new era in education and enhance the self-confidence of Koreans. We believed that such a dream would serve as a cornerstone in the establishment of a stable,
free society in Korea.

Last but not least, we had passion. We were driven by a burning passion to fulfill our dreams and give back to the country and citizens. It was a common sight back then to see numerous
students who spent many sleepless nights studying getting nosebleeds.

The spirit of MVP - Mission, Vision, and Passion turned KAIST into the MVP, or Most Valuable Player, among universities in Korea.

In the past half-century, we have seen remarkable progress.

Established in 1971, KAIST has played a pivotal role in driving the success of industrialization and informatization in Korea. To date, we have produced 59,000 graduates, including 11,700
doctoral degree holders. Our graduates account for 23% of high-ranking leaders in Korea’s industries, universities, research institutes, and government agencies, and 25% of the doctoral
degree holders in semiconductor-related fields.

Living up its reputation as the cradle of startups, KAIST’s alumni, past and present faculty, and students have founded 1,450 companies. These companies have recorded 13.6 trillion won
in annual sales. Considering that government investments over the past 47 years amounted to just 3.1 trillion won, KAIST can be considered one of the government’s most successful
projects in terms of Return on Investment (ROI).

Despite its relatively short history compared to top-tier universities in the world, KAIST is highly competitive in several majors. It was ranked among the world’s top 20 in six subjects,
including materials science and engineering.

Thomson Reuters, which compiles rankings of universities based on economic value or competitiveness of patents, ranked KAIST as the sixth most innovative university in the world,
and the first in the Asia-Pacific region.

What would have happened to Korea if KAIST was not founded 47 years ago? KAIST has been a blessing for Korea, and I am proud to be serving as its president.

In just a half century, KAIST has gained a reputation as a world-class university. Now, it is time to live up to the expectations of the nation and citizens, and take the next leap toward
becoming a world-leading university.

Last year, when I was inaugurated as the first alumnus president, I presented our new vision: becoming a “Global Value-Creative World-Leading University.” KAIST, the pride of Koreans,
will now be on the global stage as a hub of multidisciplinary talents and a center of new knowledge/technology creation, moving one step closer to its goal of contributing to the
prosperity and happiness of humankind.

For the past ten months, more than 140 faculty, staff, and external advisors have voluntarily participated in establishing ‘Vision 2031’. Action plans have been devised, and the report is
now in the final stage. The Vision Declaration Ceremony will be held on March 20. We look forward to your active participation and continuous support.

Dearest members of KAIST,

Under the core values of “Creativity” and “Challenge,” we have grown into a world-class university. To attain Vision 2031 and to emerge as a Global Value-Creative World-Leading
University, we need to imbue a “Caring” spirit on top of “Creativity” and “Challenge.” This is the new ‘3C’ spirit.

The ‘3C’ spirit should be advocated by individuals, organizations, and countries in order to drive innovation and spread prosperity across the world.

Last January, I was invited to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. When I participated in the Summer Davos in Dalian, China and the Annual
Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, I felt that the events were less impressive than the way they were portrayed in the media.

The WEF forum in Davos was different, and I saw firsthand its significance and influence. Leaders from more than 60 countries and 4,000 key figures from global companies, institutes,
universities, and organizations attended the event despite inconvenient transport and a high registration cost. They were willing to take the time to attend because WEF serves as a
networking platform for people with a desire to change the world through innovation and create a more prosperous future for humankind.

The one-week forum was an opportunity for me to learn and reflect. I was able to nourish my spirit of “Creativity” for innovation, my spirit of “Challenge” for the courage to change the
world, and my “Caring” spirit for the prosperity of humankind.

Based on the ‘3C’ spirit, I hope that KAIST will see further improvements in education, research, and administration.

Collaborative efforts for creativity are being emphasized in education. We must enforce Education 4.0 to encourage discussion-based learning, and strengthen team-based learning as
well as flipped learning, thereby enabling students to build creativity and gain new knowledge through active discussions with others.

Given the many changes in the education system, professors have a new role to play. Instead of the traditional one-sided role of delivering knowledge, they must serve as facilitators of
knowledge and wisdom, moderators of discussion-based learning, and mentors who bring out the best in their students.

KAIST has adopted a pioneering research model. We must conduct research that is the world’s best, the world’s first, or the world’s only. I encourage everyone to boldly address unresolved
issues and do their part for the advancement of Korea and the world.

In keeping with the “Caring” spirit, we should give words of encouragement to one another and create a warm and welcoming campus. Let us spread a culture where everyone is cared for,
including the socially vulnerable. Be the one who steps up for even the most challenging tasks, and volunteer for the greater good.

Our spirit of “Creativity,” “Challenge,” and “Caring” will leave behind assets and a strong legacy for generations to come.

I expect KAIST to become a center of innovation for addressing global challenges, as well as enhancing the quality of life for people in Korea and beyond. KAIST will host the Times
Higher Education (THE) Innovation and Impact Summit next April. This summit will serve as an opportunity to further advance the global reputation of KAIST as a hub of innovation.

Let’s do our best to fulfill our vision of becoming a Global Value-Creative World-Leading University, and be a source of pride for the nation.

Once again, congratulations to the awardees. To all members of KAIST including Chairman Lee of the Korea Foreman, I wish you continued success and good health in the future.