SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - KAIST has launched a national campaign inviting people to share their everyday mistakes to mark the International Day of Failure on October 13, highlighting the idea that failure is the starting point of innovation and challenge.
"Failure should not be feared. A culture that accepts it is the basis of creativity and progress," said KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung. "Even for just one day, I hope everyone will recall a small failure they experienced and share it with others. That moment can become the starting point for a new challenge."
The International Day of Failure began in 2010 when students at Finland's Aalto University started a movement built on the message, "Failure is part of challenge. Let's respect it." The idea gained wide support during Finland's economic slump following Nokia's decline and later spread to Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Since establishing the Institute for Failure Studies in 2021, KAIST has seen a visible shift in how its members view setbacks. A survey conducted in December 2024 showed that 73.9 percent of KAIST members said the university encourages new challenges, more than double the national average of 35.6 percent. Fifty-two percent said KAIST is tolerant toward failure, compared with 20.5 percent in South Korean society. More than 80 percent of respondents said the institute's programs had helped improve resilience and flexibility.
To encourage participation, Lee shared a personal story on social media about being turned down while seeking donations. "One of the key duties of a university president is fundraising. I often meet potential donors, but most of them say no. Each time I walk away, the back of my head burns with embarrassment," he wrote. "Still, I take a break, then meet someone new the next day. My job is a series of failures, but I have decided not to feel ashamed of them. I believe it might give courage to those who hesitate to try something themselves."
The Institute for Failure Studies also released simple ideas for people to join the campaign, such as sharing "today's failure" with family or friends, posting short stories online, or turning mistakes into memes. Director Cho Sung-ho said even small acts of openness can shift people's views about failure. "Just talking lightly about failure can change the way people see it. KAIST members show twice the level of acceptance toward failure compared with the general public because of this culture," he said.
Since its founding, the institute has organized programs such as the Failed Project Showcase, failure essay contests, and the Failure Photovoice exhibition to encourage open discussion about mistakes. It has conducted a biennial survey since 2022 to track changes in awareness.
This year, the institute plans to expand its activities nationwide. One new initiative, the AI×Failure Idea Contest, invites university students to present creative ways to learn from mistakes. The top ten teams will present their ideas at the Failure Conference to be held at KAIST on November 7.
Lee said KAIST will continue to promote a culture that reflects on and shares failure as a part of everyday life.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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