'Build the future with idealism, humility, and kindness' — DOST-SEI Director

by Andrea Ross Sedero and John Vincent Balustre

A prominent social scientist and well-established academician at the helm of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, Director IV, appealed to graduates and colleagues in the academe to embrace idealism, humility, and kindness in building the future during his commencement speech at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology’s 55th Commencement Ceremonies on Friday, February 21.

Dr. Cornelio opened his speech by reflecting on the promise and peril of the future—how technology gives us reasons to hope for a better and more advanced future, yet environmental challenges hover over tomorrow, threatening catastrophe.

“Today, climate change has already disrupted communities around the world and will continue to do so. We Filipinos are among the most at-risk populations in the world. And to make things worse, inequality exacerbates our vulnerability,” he pointed out.

The DOST-SEI Director spoke about the tug-of-war felt between a hopeful and uncertain future, something sociologists call precarity in which people are forced to survive on their own. “Dito sa IIT, we often say, influencing the future. But what if the future is precarious? What if we are precarious?” he questioned.

To this, Dr. Cornelio appealed to graduates and academicians alike, “Mangarap tayo. I’m going to challenge you to dream with me—to dream of a different kind of future, a more realistically hopeful future.”

He draws the audience in by presenting three key points in his speech. The first is to build the future with a sense of idealism, ensuring that no one is left behind. While meritocracy and competition can be beneficial, he argues that they often deepen inequality by favoring those who are privileged, leaving others further behind.

“I propose to you that it is far more desirable, far more noble, to dream of a future where everyone, regardless of your status in life, can seize the future. Hindi lang tayo kundi mas marami pa,” encouraged Dr. Cornelio.

Quoting Zygmunt Bauman, he expressed that a society’s strength isn’t measured by its wealth or GNP but by the condition of its worst off. He asserted that the Philippines cannot truly be considered great as long as there are people left behind.

“My second appeal to you might be a little different: build the future with humility. With humility, you and I can admit our limitations. The future cannot be elitist,” Dr. Cornelio emphasized.

The DOST-SEI Director painted a future where elitism should no longer define success, where titles, status, privileges, and money no longer set the standard. He noted that humility and solidarity are instrumental to this vision, and that one must be humble enough to understand one another even in the face of disagreements.

“My last appeal to all of you, and para sa akin, ito po ang pinakamalapit sa puso ko: Let us build the future with kindness,” Dr. Cornelio made his third and final point.

He stressed that the future we should strive for is one built on mercy, patience, and generosity toward one another. Like idealism and humility, kindness is an essential part of our humanity.

Remembering Michael McCullough’s The Kindness of Strangers, the Director shared how kindness has been ingrained in human nature over the past 10,000 years as a survival mechanism. Through different eras of mass suffering, human nature has evolved to be kind, not just out of goodwill, but with the hope that when one is in need, kindness will be returned.

“The reality, however, is that while kindness is part of our humanity, so is brutality. This is why injustice abounds in our society. As one accumulates power—either through meritocracy, elitism, or politics—kindness becomes a liability,” he pointed out.

With this, Dr. Cornelio called his audience to reject a future shaped by unkindness, but to connect with people, to share in each other’s struggles, and stand with one another during hardships. In a world that often feels unkind, he emphasized that kindness is not a weakness but an act of courage—a defiant stand against injustice and inequality.


“May IIT graduates become known for their kindness, and may you become people who also inspire other people to become kind themselves, in the name of protecting the weak and upholding the dignity of all. Be kind to one another and the ones who are left behind,” the Director expressed.


He reiterated the three key points he wanted the graduates to carry forward: idealism—to ensure no one is left behind, humility—to recognize that no one knows everything, and kindness—because the world needs more of it.


“Time will come, in closing, when these values will be tested. Magiging malakas yung temptation to be unbothered, to be nonchalant, to be unkind. When that time comes, I appeal to you, my dear graduates, my dear friends—do not give up. The future is always, always worth fighting for. Not just for yourself, not just for your dreams, but for the least among us, this nation, and the next generation,” Dr. Cornelio echoed, closing his speech.


MSU-IIT conferred 305 graduates in this year’s first-semester graduation, equipped with its brand of quality education.


This is the first commencement speaker engagement of Dr. Cornelio after being appointed director of DOST-SEI. Notably, he was once a visiting professor at the Department of Sociology of the College of Arts and Social Sciences way back in 2017.