Dr. Ilhi Synn, a Kent Graduate of the class of 1958, is President Emeritus of Keimyung University and currently Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. He delivered the Cyrus R. Vance ’35 Lecture on Monday evening, October 29 in Mattison Auditorium.
The Vance Lecture series was established in 2003 to address the topic of the prevention and resolution of violent conflict in our world today and is named after the late Cyrus Vance ’35, who served as Secretary of State in the Carter Administration and was one of the leading American statesmen and peacemakers of our time.
After graduating from Kent, Ilhi “Ted” Synn attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, earning a B.S. degree (cum laude) in 1962. He was a Fellow at Heidelburg University in 1965. In 1966, he was awarded a Ph.D. in German Literature from Princeton University and from 1988-2004 he served as President of Keimyung University in Daegu, Korea. A very accomplished man, Dr. Synn is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and numerous other honors in Korea, Poland, Sweden, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and the United States. From 1995-97 he was president of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia. Notably, in 2007 Dr. Synn was awarded the National Award of Korea for Lifetime Achievement.
Despite his enormous successes and achievements, Synn said he was “deeply humbled” when asked to return to Kent and give a lecture to the students. Upon his return, he had feelings of anxiety and uneasiness, but did not know where these emotions came from. Nothing was different; the ambience and scent were still the same and there was an “inescapable presence of the past.” Synn said that his nerves disappeared when he saw the audience. He felt at home at his beloved alma mater.
When Father Schell visited Dr. Synn in Korea, he mentioned the Vance lecture. Synn already intended to come back to Kent this year as it was his jubilee year (50th anniversary), so he decided to combine a visit to Kent with the Vance lecture. He decided that he would speak on the history of the awareness of human intellect.
The lecture, entitled “Pilgrim’s Progress” traced the evolution of human consciousness over 20,000 years. According to Synn, there are five stages to man’s awareness of his own existence, which can each be summed up in a simple expression. First: “I fear; therefore I am.” Second: “I conquer; therefore I exist.” Third: “I believe; therefore, I exist.” Fourth: “I think; therefore I am.” Fifth: “I rebel; therefore, I exist.”
This fifth stage is the most relevant to present day. Synn discussed suicide-terrorism and how in present day, the expression “I rebel; therefore, I exist” is a contradiction. He said, “Here lies the paradox…suicide terrorism means: ‘I rebel in order to exist. But my rebellion destroys existence, including my own. Therefore, I do not exist.’” He also suggested that “man has tirelessly struggled to become more humane and more ideal…the human will to strive to retain humanity, to seek peace and freedom, to find a new utopia, and not yield to violence, war and terrorism is eminently present.”
Synn stated that his lecture was more of an extended question addressed to the Kent community: “You are the pillars of the future, what is your conviction? What do you think?” Some students shouted love, peace, change, and understanding. There is no right answer; you must create a new value system that will both sustain you personally and humanity as a whole.
When asked if he had any inspiring words to the students at Kent, Synn responded, “Make use of everything that surrounds you: the environment, community, and friends. Don’t get lost simply in quizzes. This is a rare and valuable experience.
