“2015 will be a monumental year as we share the joy of the 130th anniversary of Yonsei’s founding, while celebrating the 100th anniversary of modern higher education in Korea, which began at Yonsei.”
Respected Yonsei Family,
A new year has dawned. 2015 will be a monumental year as we share the joy of the 130th anniversary of Yonsei’s founding, while celebrating the 100th anniversary of modern higher education in Korea, which began at Yonsei. It is my sincere wish that Yonsei, which also introduced modern medicine to this nation, will continue its march towards becoming one of the world’s leading universities.
2014 Established New Paradigm for Higher Education
At the end of each year, professors like to use an old saying to evaluate the past year. If I were given that same opportunity, I would wrap up 2014 with the saying Guemseokjigam (今昔之感), which refers to a sentiment caused by the contrast between the past and the present. I choose this saying because much has changed since 2012 when I assumed the presidency of Yonsei University.
At that time, I made a bold promise to transform the International Campus, which had incurred significant debt for the university, into a valuable asset, one that would lead our school into the future. Over the past three years, the Yonsei International Campus has established a new paradigm in Asian higher education, becoming an educational hub visited by more than 5000 people each year.
Yonsei Moves toward Becoming One of the World’s Top 20 Universities
In 2014, for the first time Yonsei was ranked among the top eighty universities in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings. These rankings also named Yonsei one of the top twenty private universities in the world, as well as the best private university in Asia. At the same time, the well-respected QS World University Rankings rated Yonsei 106th in the world, up from 129th in 2011. Yonsei is now on the verge of joining the world’s top 100 universities.
Furthermore, our university has joined the Association of East Asian Research Universities (AEARU) to strengthen multilateral cooperation with other top research universities in the region. Yonsei also established the G10 Consortium with Princeton University, Cornell University, King’s College London, and the University of Geneva to advance teaching, increase student exchanges, and enhance international research cooperation, particularly in the field of East Asian studies.
Yonsei’s status as a leading global university is being realized through the diversity of international students enrolling here. In 2014, international students from 103 different countries were registered at Yonsei, marking the first time that more than 100 nations have been represented in our student body. The next step is reaching 120 different countries, which is the level of most Ivy League institutions. Moving forward, Yonsei will continue to foster global talent and demonstrate its commitment to providing a truly international education.
New Changes in 2015: Strengthening Leadership in Research
Yonsei’s “Third Founding” will continue to move forward in 2015 with a number of new projects and initiatives. Since last year, Yonsei has been supporting future-oriented and cooperative international research projects by investing 25 billion KRW in funding for Yonsei scholars and researchers, and this initiative will continue for the next five years. Additionally, joint research projects have been launched with other prestigious institutions, such as Seoul National University and the University of Geneva, in order to address impending social issues. Starting this year, the university will place more emphasis upon writing books in the evaluation of humanities and social sciences faculty, while proactively supporting strategic research institutions. We will also expand our research space, develop better infrastructure, and improve the research administration support system.
In the coming year, Yonsei will host six Nobel Prize winners in order to bolster our educational and research mission. Personally, I will be intensifying efforts to invite prominent scholars to our campus, establish a high level of research ethics, and ensure a safe research environment, while also promoting creative university-industry partnerships and international research leadership.
With financial support from the Eugene Group, we will be establishing the Institute for Sinology at the International Campus to conduct multidisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences related to Chinese politics, economics, and society and culture. Moreover, Yonsei will be founding the Global Institute of Sustainability Studies (GISS) to methodically research sustainability, a critical issue for the future of the Earth.
Expanding World-Class Teaching: Establishment of the Global Leadership Division and Global Institute of Theology
In the New Year, Yonsei will be launching the Global Leadership Division (GLD) and the Global Institute of Theology (GIT) in order to help realize our aspirations of becoming Asia’s World University. The GLD is Korea’s first specialized educational program designed to cultivate Korea-related specialists from around the world; specifically, GLD will be targeting outstanding international students and overseas Koreans. Partnering with Underwood International College (UIC), the GLD will develop international specialists with a deep understanding of the Korean language, culture, society, and economics, ones who can bring Korean values and perspectives to bear on the global stage.
The GIT, which opens this March in Songdo, will be the country’s first theological graduate school for international students. We have partnered with the religious community to provide full scholarships to each of the thirty students making up GIT’s inaugural class. These students, who hail from isolated regions of Asia and Africa, would otherwise not have access to advanced theological training. Through GIT, Yonsei hopes to cultivate the next generation of Underwoods, sending the graduates to parts of the world where Christian missionaries are scarce.
Yonsei’s Educational Infrastructure to Undergo Groundbreaking Transformation
In 2015, space for learning, medical services, and culture will be transformed on all our campuses. The highly-publicized Baekyang-ro renovation will be unveiled in the second semester of this year, with the center of the Sinchon Campus transformed into an ecofriendly, green space. A green park suitable for use in all four seasons will be built, while Yonsei’s long-beloved landmarks, such as the gingko tree trail, Eagle Statue, and azalea garden, will remain in place. Underground, cutting-edge academic and cultural spaces, such as the Kumho Art Hall and Eagle Plaza, will be opened for the Yonsei community.
This year, we will also complete the establishment of the Smart Campus Network to improve the educational environment and infrastructure. The new platform Open Campus eXperience (OCX) will be launched to share academic, cultural, and artistic activities, enabling Yonseians to access academic and cultural materials anywhere and anytime. We will also introduce a new academic information system and reform the outdated course registration system. Furthermore, Yonsei will be the first university in Korea to simultaneously join the massive open online course (MOOC) platforms Coursera and FutureLearn, allowing us to offer classroom lectures alongside those of other leading schools from around the world. This will mark a new chapter in the internationalization of Yonsei education.
Creating a New Campus Culture
Another facet of joining the world’s leading universities is providing social contributions and creating a culture of community. When I proposed the “Third Founding,” I insisted that for Yonsei to become one of the world’s leading universities, the most important value we should affirm is “Excellentia cum Dignitate,” or “Excellence with Dignity.” For us to continue the march towards becoming the best University in Asia, the pursuit of academic excellence is paramount. At the same time, it is essential to foster a culture of academic community that cherishes and actualizes this aim.
In terms of decision-making and codes of conduct, the pursuit of academic excellence must be the core value. As such, we need to make conscious efforts to create a thoughtful, encouraging, and healthy academic and research community. We will proactively strive to foster such a campus culture, while affirming the values of excellence and dignity in administration, human resources, and compensation.
Respected Yonsei Family,
For the past 130 years, Yonsei has been steadily walking the long path of truth and freedom. In 2015, the Year of the Sheep, we will continue to make history. However, making history is not an easy task. Our pioneers who founded Jejungwon and Yonhi College sacrificed everything for our nation during periods of great tribulation by implementing Western knowledge and ideas and the Gospel.
The legend of Aeneas, who left behind the fallen Troy and became a progenitor of Rome, is a widely known epic of challenges and perseverance. Despite massive injuries, he returned to the battlefield and told his son, “Learn fortitude and toil from me, my son, Ache of true toil. Good fortune learn from others.” He helped give birth to Rome as a giant embodying courage and distinction.
To create history through the Third Founding, we shall all have to overcome challenges, as our Yonsei forefathers did, with intelligence, courage, and the spirit of sacrifice. As illustrated by Aeneas, we shall resolve the challenges laid out before us with courage and distinction, instead of relying on fortune. May 2015 be the “Year of Yonsei Giants,” in which history will be made for the next generations, those that will lead Yonsei to its 150th and 200th anniversaries. As I wish for the cooperation of the entire community in embodying the virtue that will propel Yonsei into the future, I send my New Year’s greetings to all of Yonsei’s beloved family members. May your New Year be filled with joy and happiness.
January 1, 2015
President Jeong Kap-young