On April 5, DSU President Jekuk Chang delivered the commencement speech at the 27th graduation ceremony of Camarines Norte State College (CNSC) in the Philippines.

President Chang's commencement speech was made at the request of Dr. Rusty G. Abanto, CNSC President, President Chang was accompanied by DSU’s Dean of International Affairs, Hahn Kyong-ho, on his visit to the Philippines.

Afterwards, President Chang said of the ceremony, which lasted from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.,

“It was very touching to see all 1700 graduates of CNSC show respect for the occasion despite waiting in the hot sun for 5 hours. I shook hands with so many of the graduates that my hands were sore later. Also, I was very moved by my esteemed counterpart President Abanto’s standing for over four of those hours to award every graduate individually.”

In his commencement speech, President Chang called for three things from the honourable graduates of CNSC as they begin the next chapters of their lives after university:

“First, let me say all the people I have met today have extended the utmost kindness and will give me treasured memories that I will hold deeply in my heart. Please cultivate such meetings in your own lives, for the extension of warmth and kindness to others will lead to great things and bring you many rewards in the future. Indeed, in my personal life, the reason DSU was able to establish a separate campus in China was ultimately due to my relationship with a Chinese student whom I met while studying in the United States.”

“Next, find your vocation and a sense of responsibility toward one another. Once you have, they will give you a strong power that will motivate you towards success and add great meaning to your life.”

“Third, you should strive to pursue your hopes and dreams under all circumstances. When you face big challenges or hardships, you can and will overcome them if you are steadfast and don’t give up on your hopes and dreams. As Martin Luther King of the United States exclaimed, "I have a dream." And even in times of extreme discrimination, the hopes and dreams he inspired were a torch that illuminated the darkness for both African-Americans and oppressed peoples everywhere.”

“I wish good luck to all graduates leaving here today, to those entering graduate school, and to those friends, family, and faculty who helped get you to this moment," President Chang concluded, In response to President Chang’s warm and encouraging words in his commencement speech, CNSC students and faculty rushed to leave messages of thanks on Facebook. Here is a small sampling:

Reynald Ibanez (CNSC student)

Thank you for visiting our university in the Philippines—it was a great honor to be able to welcome you as a commencement speaker. Filipinos love Korea. Teenagers in the Philippines are fascinated by Korean dramas. Korea is incredible! Thank you again for visiting the Philippines.

She Mayores (Professor, Bicol University, Philippines)
I remember that President Chang once came to Bicol University too as a commencement speaker at our graduation ceremony. It was a memorable event both because my students were such good students, and because President Chang gave such a great commencement speech at that time too. Thank you very much. I will always pray that President Chang keeps his health and continues to give blessings and inspiration to young people around the world, who are in urgent need of such innovative leaders as him.

In addition to President Chang’s commencement speech, he initiated a shared commitment with President Abanto to begin exchanges between the two universities.

The fields covered include film production, computer science, digital contents, and business administration. Specific programs are now being formulated, and upon completion President Abanto and twenty-four professors will visit DSU in June to sign the finalized exchange agreements.