3,144 Degrees to Be Awarded at KAIST, Including 785 Doctorates, on the 14th
President Kwang-Hyung Lee: "Do Not Fear Failure and Continue to Embrace Challenges"
Despite a six-month research hiatus due to COVID-19, suffering an elbow fracture from a bicycle accident, undergoing nasal surgery, and three surgeries for kidney stones, Syed Sheraz Ali did not give up on his studies.
Ali, a Pakistani international student and single father who left his one-year-old son in his home country, works as a university lecturer and entered the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering PhD program in 2019. However, his academic journey was filled with continuous hardships.
The featured graduate, Syed Sheraz Ali. A Pakistani international student and a single father. Provided by KAIST.
Amid many difficulties, Ali found lessons to learn and, by changing his perspective, he no longer feared new challenges. Viewing both his academic and personal life positively, he demonstrated firsthand that failure is not merely an obstacle but a stepping stone to success.
He embraced failure as part of the growth process and participated in events such as the 'Failure Project Showcase' and 'Failure Essay Contest' held by the KAIST Failure Research Center, sharing his experiences and growing stronger as a researcher.
Ali is also the president of the Muslim Student Association. To enable more Muslim students to dine comfortably, he introduced halal menu options in campus cafeterias. Thanks to these changes, KAIST has deepened its understanding and experience of diverse cultures.
In Professor Oilkwon’s lab, Ali is conducting research on artificial muscles (soft actuators) with the world’s highest bending strain, utilizing MXene, a nanomaterial for artificial muscles that moves smoothly.
Ali said, "After completing my PhD, I plan to develop soft robots, healthcare electronic devices, and next-generation tactile technologies based on MXene, a next-generation 2D material," adding, "I advise juniors not to fear failure but to embrace a challenging attitude."
According to KAIST on the 13th, the 2025 graduation ceremony will be held on the 14th at 2 p.m. at the Ryu Geun-cheol Sports Complex on the Daejeon main campus.
At the ceremony, a total of 3,144 degrees will be awarded, including 785 doctoral, 1,643 master's, and 716 bachelor's degrees. Since its establishment in 1971, KAIST will have produced a total of 81,156 highly skilled science and technology professionals, including 17,313 doctoral, 41,566 master's, and 22,277 bachelor's graduates.
Lee Chang-gyu (Department of Computer Science) will receive the Minister of Science and ICT Award, and the Chairman’s Award will go to Lance Khizner Dabu Gragasin, a Filipino international student in the Department of Bio and Chemical Engineering. The President’s Award will be given to Yang Seo-young (Department of Biological Sciences), while the Alumni Association President’s Award and the Development Foundation Chairman’s Award will be awarded to Bae Ga-hyun (Department of Industrial Design) and Kim Bu-yeon (Department of Mechanical Engineering), respectively.
Science and ICT Minister Yoo Sang-im will attend the graduation ceremony to present awards to outstanding graduates and deliver a congratulatory speech.
The representative graduation speeches will be given by Kim Min-jae (Department of Materials Science and Engineering), who has practiced the value of sharing that learning is cooperation, not competition, and Mohammed Haruna Hamza (Department of Aerospace Engineering), an international student from Nigeria. Notably, this is the first time in KAIST’s history that a foreign student has been selected as a representative speaker.
Hamza lost his home and school due to bombings by terrorist groups in his home country and migrated south, but despite adversity, he nurtured his dream of becoming an aerospace engineer and continued his studies. Invited by the Korean government to study at KAIST, Hamza expressed his gratitude for those who helped him through his hardships and said, "The future is the result of the decisions we make today."
At the graduation ceremony, honorary doctoral degrees will also be awarded to Lee Joong-geun, chairman of Booyoung Group.
President Kwang-Hyung Lee conveyed an encouraging message in advance, saying, "Hold onto your dreams, seize opportunities, and never fear failure. Even if you fail, do not give up and keep moving forward. I hope each of you shines on a stage filled with infinite possibilities."
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