The KAIST Herald interviewed Dongjae Kang, the incumbent President of the Undergraduate Association (UA), regarding his presidency.
Q. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, I am Dongjae Kang and I am the 34th President of KAIST UA <KIND>. My term started on December 27, 2022, and the end of my term is approaching soon. I hope to do my best for the remaining term.
Q. What are some events you believe were successful during the term?
Given the numerous events that took place this year, there could be varying opinions among students. We as the UA tried to create an association that all four thousand KAIST students feel closely connected to. Despite the vast range of the roles of the UA, I think the basis of all roles is to make it both “wanting to be approached and approachable.” In this regard, I consider the <CNU X KAIST One-day Bar> event to be the most [successful] as many students who were not typically interested in the UA also participated in it. Along with this event, we are planning to go on a general retreat to Busan with approximately 80 students for a three-day trip right after the end of this fall semester. Our priority is to become an association that all students can experience and actively communicate with, and to convey the message that the UA is “an association of and for students.”
Q. What are some events you believe could be improved?
Instead of [highlighting] a specific activity, I think it would have been better to actively advertise and engage the students in the numerous events we prepared. For instance, we organized an “Understanding Student Society” seminar in both the spring and fall semesters to introduce the meaning and the organization of the UA to the students. While we prepared for the event diligently, we [fell short] in promoting the event. I think we could have promoted [the event] to more students offline and present the contents [more effectively].
Q. Do you have any other words to say to KAIST students?
Before my presidency, I did not fully grasp the meaning of the phrase “students are the owners of the school.” Over the past year, I as the president tried to pay attention to as many school events and students as possible and can now understand the meaning better than before. Just as there is no school without students, I firmly believe there is no UA without students. I was able to learn that the UA should not work as an independent organization but should work with and for the students in all aspects. The UA should put all efforts into finding the appropriate answer, but the answer should always be with the students. If our answers seem to be apart from those of the students, we should communicate with them and reach a solution for all. This is a message I want to convey to the people who will represent KAIST in the future. To all the students, I encourage you to stay closely connected and actively communicate with the UA, as you are the [very] owners of KAIST.