An energetic OneMIT Commencement ceremony today featured calls for MIT's newest graduates to have a positive impact on society while upholding the Institute's core values of open inquiry and productive innovation.
"Orient yourself not just toward the construction and acquisition of new tools, but to the needs of people," said science communicator Hank Green, in the event's keynote remarks. He urged MIT's newest graduates to focus their work on the "everyday solvable problems of normal people," even if it is not always the easiest or most obvious course of action.
"Because people are so complex and messy, some of you may be tempted to build around them and not for them," Green continued. "But remember to ask yourself where value and meaning originate, where they come from." He then provided one answer: "Value and meaning come from people."
Green is a hugely popular content creator and YouTuber whose work often focuses on science and STEM issues, and who has built, with his brother, John, the educational media company Complexly . Their content, including the channels SciShow and CrashCourse, is widely used in schools and has tallied over 2 billion views. Green, a cancer survivor, is also writing a book explaining the biology of cancer.
The ceremony also featured remarks from MIT President Sally A. Kornbluth, who delivered the traditional "charge" to new graduates while reflecting on the values of MIT and the value it brings society.
"We believe scientific discovery is deeply valuable and inspiring in itself - and we know that it's absolutely essential for driving innovation and delivering new tools, technologies, treatments, and cures," she said.
Kornbluth challenged graduates to be "ambassadors" for the open-minded inquiry and collaborative work that marks everyday life at MIT.
"I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT," she said. "Ambassadors for scientific thinking and scientific discovery. For thoughtful research of every kind - here, and at universities across the country. For the importance of research to the advancement of our nation - and our species. And ambassadors for the limitless possibilities when we understand, appreciate and magnify each other's talent and potential, in a thriving global community."
Kornbluth also elaborated on the core elements of the work MIT has always pursued.
"At MIT, we allow a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal or political," Kornbluth said. Still, she noted, "in this disconcerting time, as we prepare to send the Class of 2025 out into the world, I want to celebrate three fundamental things we do agree on - the rock-solid foundation of our shared work and understanding."
The first of these, Kornbluth said, is that "we believe in the beauty and power of the scientific method. … It's designed to root out error, protect us against our own biases and assumptions, and provide a systematic way to turn facts we cannot see at first into knowledge we can act on. It's hard to imagine anything more useful than that." Secondly, she said, in a similar vein, "we believe in the beauty and power of fundamental scientific discovery."
A third element, Kornbluth observed, is that "we all know that we're sharper, more rigorous, more curious, more inventive and more likely to achieve breakthrough results when we work together with brilliant people, across a broad spectrum of backgrounds, perspectives and viewpoints, from across the country and all around the world. You don't find the big ideas in an echo chamber."
Kornbluth added: "I want to say something I've said repeatedly: MIT would not be MIT without our international students."
MIT's Commencement celebrations are taking place this week, from May 28 through May 30. The OneMIT Commencement Ceremony is an Institute-wide event, held in MIT's Killian Court and streamed online. MIT's undergraduates, as well as advanced degree students in its five schools and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, also have additional, separate ceremonies in which graduates receive their degrees individually.
The OneMIT event also featured remarks from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who said she was "incredibly proud" of the graduates and the Institute itself.
"You stand for the qualities that make Massachusetts special: a passion for learning and discovery that is so powerful it changes the world," Healey said. "Curing disease. Inventing technologies. Solving tough problems for communities, organizations, and people all around the globe. Making lives better and powering our economies. Thanks to you, Massachusetts is No. 1 for innovation and education." She added: "MIT's contributions to our knowledge economy - and our culture of discovery - are a pillar of Massachusetts' national and global leadership."
Speaking of the economic impact of MIT-linked businesses, Healey had an additional suggestion for the graduates: "Put your talents to work in Massachusetts, a place where you are valued, respected, and surrounded by incredibly talented, engaged innovators and investors. Make your discoveries here. Found your startups here. Scale your companies here."
She even quipped, "We put forward some pretty good incentives through our economic development legislation and we'll help you find a way to spend that. Just reach out to my economic development team."
Green imparted general life advice as well.
"One of the problems you will solve is how to find joy in an imperfect world," Green said in his Commencement address. "And you might struggle with not feeling productive, unless and until you accept that your own joy can be one of the things you produce."
On another note, Green added, "Ideas do not belong in your head. They can't help anyone in there. I sometimes see people become addicted to their good idea. … They can't bring themselves to expose it to the imperfection of reality. Stop waiting. Get the ideas out. … You may fail, but while you fail, you will build new tools."
Throughout his speech, Green emphasized the humanitarian qualities of MIT's students. This past semester, after being named Commencement speaker, he sent the graduating class a survey that about half of the class responded to.
The survey included the question, "What gives you hope?" In his speech, Green said the many of the responses involved other people. Or, as he characterized it, "People who care. People who focus on improving life in their communities. People who are standing up for what they believe in. People who see big problems and have the determination to fix them."
The OneMIT ceremony began with the annual alumni parade, this time featuring the undergraduate class of 1975, while the Killian Court Brass Ensemble, conducted by Kenneth Amis, played the processional entry music.
The Chaplain to the Institite, Thea Keith-Lucas, delivered the invocation, while the campus a capella group, the Chorallaries of MIT, sang "The Star Spangled Banner," and later, the school song, "In praise of MIT," as well as another Institute anthem, "Take Me Back to Tech."
Despite many uncertainties facing higher education, the MIT students, families, friends, and community members present reveled in a festive moment, celebrating the achievements of the graduates. A total of 1,158 undergraduate and 2,593 graduate students received MIT diplomas this academic year.
"There's only one way to get through MIT," Kornbluth quipped. "The hard way."
