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Matt Damon tells MIT graduates to face the world’s problems

Actor Matt Damon has weighed into the United Kingdom referendum debate by calling Brexit an “insane idea” during his commencement speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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The 45-year-old actor spoke on a variety of different topics during his 25-minute speech and urged the graduates to embrace the failures they encounter. “How about the refugee crisis, massive global insecurity, climate change, pandemics, institutional racism and add to that an American political system that’s failing”.

Damon was also self deprecating, telling the audience that he didn’t deserve to be standing in front of such brilliant minds since he dropped out of Harvard University to pursue acting. He questioned why we have to be living in the one where Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president.

The Martian actor later shared advice former president Bill Clinton gave him. Then he told graduates: “Turn toward the problems you see”.

“Let me say this to the bankers – specifically the ones that brought you the biggest heist in history. We used to call it ‘Okay, thanks, ‘ and those experiences became our honor”, he explained. Damon’s philanthropic work – most notably as a founder of the non-profit Water.org, which provides access to clean drinking water in developing countries – was a key consideration.

Matt Damon had his own parents, his wife Luciana Barroso, and their four daughters (three of whom were sporting adorable matching dresses) present during his commencement address to the class of 2016.

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“I was scared to death because I wanted to get it right for the students who have worked for years to be there”, Seacrest told ET exclusively. “You have to engage”.

Matt Damon said he wondered what Europe would look like in 25 years