Selected Speeches
Dr. OH Yeon Cheonserved as the President of SNU from 2010 to 2014. These are selected speeches during his presidency.
President's Commencement Address
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Dear graduates,
My heartfelt congratulations to you all.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the parents and the faculty members for all their love and support for making your achievements possible.
Dear graduating class,
During your studies at SNU, you have matured into educated world citizens, explored the depth of knowledge in your respective fields, and completed your theses and dissertations. You have forged new friendships on campus, have had fervent discussions on all kinds of issues and pondered on your future. College is where you prepare for the future by building your knowledge. Now, you are about to enter into the world where you will be asked to realize your goals. Your future may not always be bright. But you will be able to overcome any bump on the road if you call on your inner strength and courage based on all your academic achievements during your studies at SNU. Sometimes, a creative, risky attempt may bring failure, but failure will give you new lessons and inspirations and eventually lead you to a whole new different road that leads to success.
Dear future leaders of Korea,
I believe that the university is the true foundation for opening the doors to a new era. You graduates, as our future leaders, must stand at the “heart of hope” and realize your individual dreams and lead the society with new creative values. By opening your eyes wide and looking to the world, consistently deepening your academic values and being kind to and sharing with others, you will be able to lead the society and the world with a new zeitgeist. Endless introspection, self-development and self-reform will lead you to grow into the true pillars of the world contributing to the greater good, rather than being bogged down to mere self-interest. You must hold onto the belief that a firm communal and spirit will shape your future.
Now, I would like to share a few words of wisdom with the future leaders of the world.
First, it is important for you to hold onto views of the humanity and the nation that can truly contribute to the greater good. Co-existence and respect for humanity must be the values that you must hold most dear in your actions and thought. You must go beyond self-interest and attempt to have the utmost respect and understanding for those who are less fortunate. In this process, you must try to go beyond polarizing way of thinking in black and white and always try to communicate and understand each other with the utmost consideration for others.
Second, you must put great value on diversity and flexibility and work diligently towards creating fundamental values through creative thinking. In order to respond to the uncertainty that we face in our society and nation today and to make a great leap, you need comprehensive thought and integral imagination. You must depart from conventional and fixed ideas and create new paradigms. These are indeed the grave responsibilities bestowed upon SNU graduates.
Third, you must grow as future leaders with the qualities and capabilities of educated world citizens. It is your responsibility to rise above the boundaries of a nation’s goals and cultural characteristics and create enlightened values that may be deemed universal in every way. Economic polarization and other side effects of rapid global economic development are not problems confined to certain nations but problems that we as global citizens face together. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, you need to think as global citizens.
You will become true global leaders if you have cultivated all of these three important values.
Dear graduating class,
I am certain that you will continue to carry on the legacy of the spirit and tradition of SNU. The faculty and staff at SNU will always be on your side. SNU will forever be your spiritual foundation. Once again, I would like to congratulate you on this step forward, and I hope that your future will hold fulfillment and deep pride.
Thank you.
February 26, 2014.
Yeon Cheon Oh, President of Seoul National University
My heartfelt congratulations to you all.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the parents and the faculty members for all their love and support for making your achievements possible.
Dear graduating class,
During your studies at SNU, you have matured into educated world citizens, explored the depth of knowledge in your respective fields, and completed your theses and dissertations. You have forged new friendships on campus, have had fervent discussions on all kinds of issues and pondered on your future. College is where you prepare for the future by building your knowledge. Now, you are about to enter into the world where you will be asked to realize your goals. Your future may not always be bright. But you will be able to overcome any bump on the road if you call on your inner strength and courage based on all your academic achievements during your studies at SNU. Sometimes, a creative, risky attempt may bring failure, but failure will give you new lessons and inspirations and eventually lead you to a whole new different road that leads to success.
Dear future leaders of Korea,
I believe that the university is the true foundation for opening the doors to a new era. You graduates, as our future leaders, must stand at the “heart of hope” and realize your individual dreams and lead the society with new creative values. By opening your eyes wide and looking to the world, consistently deepening your academic values and being kind to and sharing with others, you will be able to lead the society and the world with a new zeitgeist. Endless introspection, self-development and self-reform will lead you to grow into the true pillars of the world contributing to the greater good, rather than being bogged down to mere self-interest. You must hold onto the belief that a firm communal and spirit will shape your future.
Now, I would like to share a few words of wisdom with the future leaders of the world.
First, it is important for you to hold onto views of the humanity and the nation that can truly contribute to the greater good. Co-existence and respect for humanity must be the values that you must hold most dear in your actions and thought. You must go beyond self-interest and attempt to have the utmost respect and understanding for those who are less fortunate. In this process, you must try to go beyond polarizing way of thinking in black and white and always try to communicate and understand each other with the utmost consideration for others.
Second, you must put great value on diversity and flexibility and work diligently towards creating fundamental values through creative thinking. In order to respond to the uncertainty that we face in our society and nation today and to make a great leap, you need comprehensive thought and integral imagination. You must depart from conventional and fixed ideas and create new paradigms. These are indeed the grave responsibilities bestowed upon SNU graduates.
Third, you must grow as future leaders with the qualities and capabilities of educated world citizens. It is your responsibility to rise above the boundaries of a nation’s goals and cultural characteristics and create enlightened values that may be deemed universal in every way. Economic polarization and other side effects of rapid global economic development are not problems confined to certain nations but problems that we as global citizens face together. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, you need to think as global citizens.
You will become true global leaders if you have cultivated all of these three important values.
Dear graduating class,
I am certain that you will continue to carry on the legacy of the spirit and tradition of SNU. The faculty and staff at SNU will always be on your side. SNU will forever be your spiritual foundation. Once again, I would like to congratulate you on this step forward, and I hope that your future will hold fulfillment and deep pride.
Thank you.
February 26, 2014.
Yeon Cheon Oh, President of Seoul National University
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