Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Impressed by Yonsei-Samsung Library Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Yonsei University on August 11. This was his first visit to Korea since he took office in December, 2007. In addition to various official duties including a summit conference with President Lee Myung-bak of Korea, Prime Minister Rudd included a visit to Yonsei in his agenda. Further Hopes of Exchange Through Yonsei’s Australian Studies Center Prime Minister Rudd gave a congratulatory speech at the online lecture demonstration held in the Yonsei-Samsung Library International Conference Hall with Australian National University (ANU) President and Vice Chancellor Ian Chubb. After recognizing Yonsei as a great university with a history reaching back for over 100 years, Prime Minister Rudd emphasized the importance of high-quality education in the global era and networking with universities worldwide. He showed intentions to further academic research and exchange efforts between Korea and Australia. Prime Minister Rudd also expressed hopes for the Korean Studies Center scheduled to open at ANU on August 15 and the Yonsei Australian Studies Center, which is being planned for opening in the near future. To aid such exchange efforts, Prime Minister Rudd explained that the Australian government gives out scholarships to facilitate the studies of students in both countries and has also implemented language education programs in Asian languages. The Future of the Korea-Australia Partnership: Expanding Academic and Cultural Exchange ANU President Ian Chubb gave a lecture on the future of the Korea-Australia partnership as a part of the online video lecture from Australia. In his lecture, President Chubb expressed high hopes for the role of the Korean Studies Center at ANU in resolving issues not only between the two countries, but between all the nations of Asia. Yonsei University President Kim Han-Joong, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to Korea Peter Rowe, and 200 international and domestic scholars were present for the lecture demonstration. Prime Minister Rudd visited the UN Memorial in Busan on August 10 and on August 11, met with the children who had overcome hearing problems through artificial cochlea transplants at the Asan Medical Center in Seoul. His schedule continued with the visit to Yonsei and the summit conference with President Lee Myung-bak of Korea at the Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential residence.