Yonsei, the First and the Best “Dignity” “Change” “Cooperation” Professor Kim Han-joong of the College of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, was elected as the 16th President of Yonsei University. The Board of Directors unanimously elected Professor Kim on January 18. The three candidates selected by the University Presidential Candidate Selection Committee were Professor Kim, Professor Lee Sungho of the Department of Education, and Professor Joo In-ki of the College of Business. Prior to the election by the Board of Directors, Professor Kim had led the six candidates in the preliminary election of the Faculty Council with 540 votes out of 1,200. After his election was confirmed, Professor Kim thanked his supporters, saying, “I will change the course of history for our university in the next four years, achieving both change and dignity through a harmonious leadership.” Yonsei Pride Producing a Nobel Laureate by 2020 Ranking in the International Top 100 by 2012 Achieving Inbound Globalization in 2010 with the Opening of the Songdo Complex Raising One Trillion Won in Donations Professor Kim’s slogan is “Yonsei, the First and the Best”, showing his determination to secure the leading position Yonsei deserves as the oldest university in the naiton. He plans to make Yonsei an exemplary institution in terms of its education, research, and donations. In implementing such plan, Professor Kim promises to exercise a firm but considerate leadership, based on trust and communication between the different units of the university community--the headquarters and faculty, faculty and administrative staff, and faculty and students. While encouraging genuine competition among the members of the university, he nonetheless promises to grant necessary support to the less affluent departments and to respect minority groups such as women, the disabled, and the ever-increasing international members of Yonsei. Professor Kim’s specific strategies include reforming administrative and personnel management systems, creating a solid research infrastructure, and stabilizing university funds through fund-raising. Changes in the system will go hand in hand with devolution of power, creating an atmosphere of accountability and autonomy of each college, department, and office. Building a strong infrastructure for research will be made possible by efficiently maintaining research facilities, instituting a research funding system that effectively supports new professors, restoring the major-based recruiting of new students, enlarging graduate student scholarships, and recruiting top international and domestic graduate students. Fund-raising will focus on encouraging donations from various sources, as well as seeking profit-making strategies at the level of university governing body. In addition to these three goals, Professor Kim also revealed plans to create a more active university publicity through aggressive PR and marketing strategies. Alumni network is also high up in his list of priorities, as he vows to actively support Yonsei graduates in their public careers. Specific strategies include budget increase and organizational reform in the marketing divisions of the university, and supporting public figures with Yonsei background, as well as soliciting donations from them. Professor Kim’s long-term goal is summed up as seeing a Yonsei faculty member win a Nobel Prize by the year 2020, which would be symbolic event embodying “Yonsei Pride”. With this view in mind, he plans on increasing the number of Underwood and Chair Professors to seek out and support potential Nobel Laureates, while reinforcing a positive incentive system encouraging outstanding members of the faculty. Short-term goals include joining the International Top 100 universities by balancing the university budget, recruiting top researchers and students, achieving customer satisfaction through administrative reform, and completing inbound globalization through the opening of the Songdo Complex. Professor Kim’s term will last from February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2012. Profile Born in 1948, Seoul -Academic Background 1967 Graduated from Daekwang High School, Seoul 1974 Graduated from Yonsei University School of Medicine (Undergraduate) 1977 Graduated from Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health (Master’s) 1984 Graduated from Seoul National University Graduate School (Doctorate) 1988 Completed the Doctorate Program of the Department of Health Policy & Administration at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -Career Highlights 1982-Present: Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor at the Yonsei University College of Medicine Department of Preventive Medicine 1997-2000 Vice-President of the Korean Public Health Association 1998-2002 Dean of the Yonsei Graduate School of Public Health 1999-2004 Director of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) 2000-2002 President of the Korea Society of Health Policy and Administration 2006-Present: Chairman of the Korean Society for Preventive Medicine