KAIST

The graduation ceremony for the class of 2011 was held in the Ryu Keun Chul Sports Complex on the 11^th of February with the Vice minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Kim Chang Kyung, Oh Myoung Chairman of the board, graduates, and 2,500 parents of the graduates.

5 honorary doctors, 507 doctors, 1,111 masters’ graduates, 771 undergraduates (2,389 in total) received their degrees. KAIST has produced since being established in 1971, 8,578 doctors, 22,796 masters’ graduates, 11,341 undergraduates; a total of 42,715 highly skilled science and technology experts.

During the ceremony Ms. Oh Lee Won, who helped establish the Professor Lee Won Jo Program, Chairman Cho Cheon Shik, who helped establish the graduate school of Green Traffic technology, Chairman Jang Young Shin, President Kim Young Gil of HanDong University, and Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, received honorary doctorate degrees.

The valedictorian of the undergraduates was Ryu Jae Yoon (22 years old, department of Chemistry), and received the ‘Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Award’ and gave a speech on behalf of the graduating undergraduates.

Mr. Ryu commented “I am very happy and honored to be graduating as a valedictorian” and that “I had attended the 2010 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony as representative of the Korea Engineering Undergraduates and I hope to become a Nobel Prize recipient myself one day and will do my utmost to become one”. Mr. Ryu will progress onto the graduate school of Chemistry and will be studying catalytic reactions in organometallic compounds.  

In addition the Chairman of the Board Award went to Kang Jong Ho (department of Mathematics), President Award went to Cho Hyun Jae (department of Electric and Electronic Engineering), Chairman of Alumni Award went to Lee Joo Young (department of Aerospace Engineering), School Support Award went to Kim Dong Han (department of Mechanical Engineering).

Also, the Graduate college of Cultural Technology produced, for the first time ever since being established in September of 2005, 3 doctors.

A Mongolian government official known as ‘Tumur’ (Tumurpureve Dulambazar) received a doctorate’s degree and his son Jagdori is currently enrolled in KAIST and will be receiving a masters’ degree this coming fall graduation.

Christopher Emmerich received a double degree from KAIST and Germany’s Karlsruche Institute of Technology.

The vice president of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said in his commemoratory speech, “Make sure to sacrifice and work hard for advancement of country and society with pride and belief that you are experts in your respective fields.” And that, “we expect you to compete with world’s leading experts in your respective fields thereby helping improve Korea’s status in the world”.

President Seo commented, “Graduates of KAIST are ready to make great contributions to not only Korea but the human race in general. Hopefully the education the graduates received at KAIST will be used to help society and the human race.”