New Year’s Address from the President Dear Yonsei Family, The year of the tiger has dawned. I wish all of the Yonsei family endless blessing of God. Two years ago, the effort to renovate Yonsei under the vision, “Yonsei, The First and the Best” had be launched. We produced fruitful results for the last two years, though we had many difficulties. We did our best to enhance the condition of education and research for our members to learn and study in a better environment, and we stabilized our fragile budget structure through efficient expenses management and fundraisings. We are also improving our administrative organization by introducing team system to address weaknesses in our administrative staff service, and overcome many problems we faced in preparing for the opening of international campus. These efforts finally bore result of our rising in the world universities’ ranking to 151st place. Yonsei has now gained a global recognition. For the last two years, we tried to maintain continuity from the former university presidents by carrying out development strategies that were already started; at the same time we put our effort to meet the new challenges that Yonsei faces at present. I am thankful that Yonsei built the foundation to leap forward despite the global financial crisis. It was solely thanks to the dedication of and contribution from every member of Yonsei family. One particularly meaningful accomplishment would be our having raised 2.2 billion for students in economic difficulties, thus helping many students continue their studies during last year’s economic hardships. Through our attempts to overcome critical situations, we have reconfirmed a value that is more important than the money we have raised. The spirit of communal sharing embraced by students, professors, alumni, and local community, matched with our decision to follow the teachings of Our Lord, was demonstrated through the process of fundraising. It was more precious than anything else to see that Yonsei could become one during hard times. I extend my boundless appreciation and respect to all of Yonsei family. Based on what we already have achieved, we are now ready to start to renew Yonsei. This year is the 125th anniversary of Yonsei’s birth and the year of the opening of our international campus. By opening an international campus at Songdo, we do not merely increase the number of campuses but seek to reborn as a new Yonsei. Our future lies in our international campus. Research and education that will form the backbone of knowledge industry of future will be commenced at the new campus. Yonsei will produce leading researches through the newly established College of Pharmacy and MD Anderson-Yonsei Joint Pre-clinical Center, and build education and research infrastructure for energy, environment, and nano technology. These fields are those that will lead Yonsei’s future and the global issues in the coming days. Yonsei will thus reflect these disciplines and make all Yonsei students acquire knowledge of the pioneer academic fields. By doing so, I believe Yonsei can contribute to Korean society, since the global competitiveness of our country can also be obtained by those disciplines. Yonsei will also establish a college for Asian regional studies and pursue academic research and education with universities in other countries such as the United States, China, and Japan. It will make the new Yonsei the center of Asian regional studies leading the upcoming era of Asia-Pacific ascendancy. The international campus will be a site of premier international education for globalization housing UIC, College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, and education programs collaborating with international universities. Furthermore, Yonsei will start a CTY (Center for Talented Youth) program with Johns-Hopkins University to foster future leaders. Inchon, the habor where Missionary Allen and Underwood landed 125 years ago, is now a land of promise and opportunities. There, we will bring Our Lord’s will a step further towards realization; we shall spread the love of God. Through international campus at Songdo, the world will come to Yonsei and Yonsei will move forward to the world. The campus will be open for everyone who wants us. The new campus will become an open campus, forming consortiums with renowned international universities on the one hand, and planning policies that enable every talented person to come to the international campus on the other hand. We already delivered our goodwill to other renowned domestic universities, and will expand such endeavor to build academic friendship. We will make a global campus that goes beyond the boundary of Yonsei. At our campuses in Sinchon and Wonju, we will also continue our effort for new development. We have accumulated excellent research results via our active and devoted professors. We will now attain global-level research and education that can lead the world’s change with more effort for improving the quality of researches on top of the fruitful results we already have achieved. For the last 2 years, we have been placing our every effort and support to improve our research capacity. This policy will be continued at a higher level. The synergy effect of inter-campus exchange and cooperation will be maximized. A system that does not leave any campus behind and makes it possible to transfer the result of the development to other campuses will be developed. To achieve this goal, Yonsei will evolve into a unified-campus university that has multiple campuses. Dear Yonsei Family, This year is the 125th anniversary of Yonsei’s foundation. At the same time, this year will be the first year of the new Yonsei. We will let the world know our capacity to lead the coming knowledge society with a wide variety of events to celebrate Yonsei’s 125th anniversary. We will actively develop education and research programs related to global issues such as biotechnology, environment, and energy to develop opportunities to lead the future. A forum of university presidents and renowned scholars from around the globe will be held to celebrate the new era of Yonsei. Leading professionals and academics in Asian regional studies will also be invited to the event to establish a firm ground for Yonsei’s becoming the leader in the Asia-Pacific era. In every development that Yonsei is now trying to achieve would be found our clear sense of our social responsibility and our commitment to contribute to our society. Now we need to reflect on what responsibility Yonsei does have in Korean society and how we can contribute to the global community. By clearly stating the goal and direction of research and education upon such principles, Yonsei shall confirm its unique academic identity. With all these efforts, we would not be idle in educating the future leaders who will contribute to our society and the global community. We will keep Yonsei’s promise for the future, and will take our responsibility for the future generations. This is the way to practice God’s love and spread the spirit of Yonsei to our society and the global community. Dear Yonsei family, A road that is a mere passage becomes a historic mark if we walk together. Yonsei will now take a step forward to become a new and different Yonsei. A new stage in history begins. It is a history that all of us take part in together, and I strongly believe that everyone from Yonsei family will go together. Let’s bring our strength and wisdom to build a new Yonsei. Dear Yonseians, I wish all of you a happy new year of the tiger. Thank you. January 4, 2010 Yonsei University President Kim Han-joong