Andrea Goldsmith Visits SUNY Korea, Alumni on First Trip to Asia as Stony Brook’s President

Andrea Goldsmith recently made her first trip to Asia as Stony Brook University's president, meeting with alumni in Seoul, South Korea and attending the commencement ceremony for the SUNY Korea campus.

Goldsmith attended a June reception at the Grand Hyatt in Seoul along with about 80 Stony Brook alumni and other distinguished guests, a reunion that brought together a multigenerational network of graduates in an atmosphere infused with joy and gratitude.

"I was inspired by the stories these alumni shared about how their time at Stony Brook sparked their professional trajectories as well as lasting connections with peers, professors and mentors," Goldsmith said. "It was remarkable how the stories of these alumni living thousands of miles away from our Stony Brook campus echoed those of local alumni I've met over the past year of my presidency. The event also provided an opportunity for our graduates from decades ago to meet with our recent alumni, creating new connections through their shared experiences as Seawolves."

Goldsmith capped her first commencement season as Stony Brook's seventh president by celebrating SUNY Korea's Class of 2026, in her first visit to the South Korean campus in Songdo International City. She said she was deeply moved by the kindness and warm welcome she received.

"My visit showcased that Stony Brook's excellence and impact stretch far beyond our great state, and that we must do more to cultivate global collaborations around every dimension of our mission," Goldsmith said.

Korea was Goldsmith's first stop to visit universities across the Asian continent, where she discussed how partnerships around joint degree programs, student and faculty exchanges, and research collaborations would elevate both Stony Brook and other institutions, creating new opportunities for academic and scholarly engagement. "I returned from this trip energized and excited by the partnership possibilities with the ambitious universities we visited," she said.