□ DGIST’s (President Kunwoo Lee) “Spring Commencement Ceremony 2025” was held on February 14 (Friday) at 2 PM at the Main Administration Building Convention Hall. A total of 60 doctoral students, 72 master's students, and 128 bachelor's students (260 candidates) were awarded their degrees at the ceremony.
□ Best-selling author and mind miner Song Gil-young, known for Your Desire is Seen Here and Nominative Society, was invited as a special speaker and delivered a meaningful message to the graduates.
□ Kim Do-hoon, a graduate of the Department of Physics and Chemistry, received the Minister of Science and ICT Award. He has accomplished outstanding academic achievements by publishing papers as the first author in prestigious international journals, including Nano Letters, Advanced Science, and Nature Communications. “I am grateful to the professors and fellow researchers I worked with at DGIST,” he said. He encouraged younger students, stating they “will achieve meaningful results if they are unafraid of new challenges and are committed to research.”
□ Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science graduate Kim Jin-woo developed a disease treatment and diagnosis technology that fuses ultrasound and laser energy. His papers were published in international journals such as Advanced Optical Materials and APL Photonics. In recognition of these achievements, he was awarded the 2024 Korea Talent Award and the 30th Samsung HumanTech Paper Grand Award. “As a proud DGIST graduate, I will take great responsibility to become a reliable partner to deliver hope and vision to my juniors who walk the same path,” he said.
□ Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering graduate Oh Sey-hyuk developed “a fully embedded wireless brain neural signal recorder” as a member of Professor Jang Kyung-in’s research team, paving the way for the possibility of diagnosing and treating intractable brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease. This research was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a leading international journal in the field of biomedical engineering. “Thanks to DGIST's unsparing research support, state-of-the-art research facilities, and outstanding colleagues, I was able to achieve good research results,” said Oh. “I will continue to grow as a researcher to contribute to the country and the community through innovative research.”
□ Dr. Koo Jin-hyung of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science has been selected as one of 67 graduate students globally for the Google PhD Fellowship in recognition of his world-class research in computer science. “I was able to grow and focus on research during my time here, thanks to the support of my advisor, department professors, and colleagues,” he said, adding, “I would like to congratulate other graduates and give my best wishes for their bright future.”
□ School of Undergraduate Studies graduate Choi Ah-young published a paper as the lead author on “environment-friendly hydrogen production through photoelectrochemical methods” in the international SCI journal ChemSusChem—a rare occurrence for undergraduate students. “DGIST offers a wide range of opportunities for students to realize their ideas and take the initiative to conduct original research,” said Choi. He further added, “I hope to contribute to creating a sustainable future based on my various research experiences at DGIST.”
□ “I hope DGIST graduates do not fear failure, continuously challenge themselves, find their own happiness, and remain grateful for what they have received,” said DGIST President Lee Kunwoo. He further added, “I hope they grow into researchers who contribute to the country and community with pride and responsibility as future leaders of Korea’s science and technology.”
□ DGIST, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, has graduated approximately 2,500 convergence science talents since opening its graduate and undergraduate programs in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Starting this February, it has introduced the Graduate School of Engineering Practice and Biomedical Engineering Major. In September, it will host the 2025 World Engineering Education Forum and the Global Engineering Deans Council (WEEF-GEDC 2025), the world's largest engineering education academic event. Additionally, DGIST plans to strengthen institutional competitiveness by selecting physical intelligence, quantum, and bio as the three major future strategic fields[1] and promoting sustainability-focused research. Through this, we plan to not only foster exceptional scientific talents but also become a world-class university by stimulating global collaboration in education and research exchanges.
[1] Three major future strategic fields: the “Future Strategic Fields Discovery Committee” has been formed to find three major areas of physical intelligence, quantum, and bio, and in-depth reviews for their selection as future strategic fields are underway.
