POSTECH News

President Doh-Yeon Kim’s Inauguration Ceremony Held

2015-09-07 1,143
The POSTECH community came together on Tuesday, September 01, 2015 to welcome and celebrate the 7th president of POSTECH, Dr. Doh-Yeon Kim. Held in the POSTECH Auditorium, the inauguration ceremony was attended by about a thousand of POSTECH members and distinguished guests ranging from academics and political leaders to representatives of local community. Some of the distinguished attendees included the chairman of the POSTECH Foundation, Ohjoon Kwon, president of the National Research Foundation of Korea, Min Keun Chung, and president of Seoul National University, Nak-in Sung.  In the inaugural address, President Doh-Yeon Kim announced his pledge to “devote [himself] … to ensure that POSTECH continues to fulfill its mission and hold true to its reputation as a leading university that shepherds the advancement of Pohang and Korea.”  “POSTECH is to become a flagship university,” President Kim said, “to steer our nation into a new direction of higher education and research.”

View President Doh-Yeon Kim’s Inaugural Address English / Korean


The POSTECH community came together on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 to mark the beginning of Dr. Doh-Yeon Kim’s term as the 7th president of POSTECH during his inauguration ceremony. Held at the POSTECH Auditorium, the inauguration ceremony was attended by over a thousand POSTECH members and distinguished guests ranging from academics and political leaders to local dignitaries. Among the distinguished attendees to grace the occasion were Chairman Ohjoon Kwon of the POSTECH Foundation, President Min Keun Chung of the National Research Foundation of Korea, President Nak-in Sung of Seoul National University, and Pohang Mayor Kang-duk Lee.
 
During the ceremony, President Doh-Yeon Kim announced his pledge in his inaugural address to “devote [himself] … to ensure that POSTECH continues to fulfill its mission and hold true to its reputation as a leading university that shepherds the advancement of Pohang and Korea.”
 
“It is the crucial role of universities to drive innovation and growth momentum in society”, President Kim said. “POSTECH is to become a flagship university, with a more daring and open heart, to steer our nation into a new direction of higher education and research.”
 
President Kim outlined his plan for POSTECH and highlighted these three following points: 1) placing utmost priority and effort on educating the next generation of talent; 2) continuously pursuing excellence in research and translating into a concrete contribution to society; and 3) enhancing the university administration based on transparent and open management.
  
President Kim quoted the Oriental classics to emphasize the crucial need for the POSTECH community to unite and harmoniously work toward the goal of standing in the vanguard of the world.    
 
President Kim, who began his presidential term on Tuesday, September 1, is admired as not only a distinguished scholar in materials science and engineering, but also an experienced leader devoted to Korea’s policy-making to innovate science and technology development. Currently a fellow of the American Ceramic Society, President Kim served as the minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and as the chairman of the National Science & Technology Council of Korea. He was also the president of the University of Ulsan.   
Ohjoon Kwon, the chairman of the POSTECH Foundation, expressed his “trust [in] President Kim’s excellent character and exceptional leadership,” during his remarks at the ceremony.
 
POSTECH also hosted a celebration concert on Friday, September 11 to commemorate the inauguration of its seventh president.