- 건국대학교

	Konkuk University’s 70th Anniversary: Innovation and Growth
	관리자		2607		2016.01.20

In 2016, Konkuk University (KU) will celebrate its 70th anniversary. While KU traces its roots to the People’s Hospital, which Dr. Seok-chang Yoo opened to provide medical care to the general public in 1931, KU’s predecessor, the Chosun School of Politics, was established 15 years later to raise the next generation of leaders after Korea gained independence from Japanese colonial rule. During the past seven decades, KU has invested heavily in education and research, and significantly expanded its global initiatives. Today, KU continues to improve its international reputation through innovation and dynamic growth. In particular, KU is focusing on the following areas to enhance the quality of education it provides: recruiting outstanding faculty members and building cutting-edge educational facilities; promoting innovation in education and strengthening research capacity; expanding international programs; supporting entrepreneurship and career development of students; providing generous scholarships; and contributing to the community through volunteer programs. <img alt="" src="ArticleFile.do?id=11648604" /> KU Alumni Active in Politics, Finance, and the Arts 
KU’s close to 200,000 alumni, including more than 34,000 from the master’s program and nearly 4,000 Ph.D.’s, have extended their influence into various professional communities. Faithful to the spirit of the Chosun School of Politics, KU has many notable alumni in politics, law, as well as civil and foreign service. KU has also been traditionally competitive in the field of agriculture and is becoming the “mecca for bioscience.” In terms of alumni holding senior executive positions at the country’s top 10 financial firms, KU ranked fourth after Korea University, Yonsei University, and Seoul National University. Recently, KU alumni are becoming more prominent in the arts as well.
Educational Facilities
KU has made unprecedented investments to improve the educational and research environment for students. Since 2003, KU has added or renovated 22 buildings on campus. In February 2015, a new building for the Graduate School of Real Estate Studies was opened with a 3 billion won donation from Mr. Jung-hwan Sohn. The New Engineering Building furnished with cutting-edge research labs is also expected to open next July. Meanwhile, KU is in the process of removing bleachers in the stadium and replacing them with a lawn to encourage students to play sports and become more involved in extracurricular activities.
International Programs
So far, KU has entered into 457 agreements with universities in 59 countries. KU’s international programs consist of language studies and internship programs as well as dual degree programs with 11 overseas universities, such as SUNY Stony Brook and Nanjing University. The number of students who benefited from the international programs increased from 578 in 2011 to 984 in 2015. More international and exchange students are coming to KU too. During the second semester of 2015, a total of 1,162 students from abroad were registered at the university. <img alt="" src="ArticleFile.do?id=11648601" /> 
Distinguished Professors 
As of the second semester of 2015, four renowned scholars held the position of distinguished professor at KU. Stanford University’s Professor Roger Kornberg, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006 for his research on genetic information from DNA being copied to RNA, has been a distinguished professor since the following year. In 2009, Professor William Miller, also of Stanford University, has been appointed a distinguished professor and became the honorary dean of the newly opened School of Management of Technology within KU’s business school. Distinguished Professor Yongmin Cho, a leading scholar in particle physics and astrophysics, is conducting joint research with the Institute of Modern Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2014, Dr. Hans R. Schöler, a highly acclaimed stem cell researcher and the director of Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, was appointed to the rank of distinguished professor, and is currently involved in a research project with Professors Hyung Min Chun and Dong Wook Han of KU’s School of Medicine. <img alt="" src="ArticleFile.do?id=11648600" /> 
PRIDE Leading Group 
KU has selected academic fields with the potential to become globally competitive and formed the “PRIDE Leading Group.” During the first two years, five departments—physics, real estate, mechanical engineering, veterinary medicine, and media & communication—as well as the Division of Specialized Studies within the College of Bioscience & Biotechnology have been selected as part of the group. The chemical engineering and environmental engineering departments will be added for the third year. Members of the group are expected to receive an additional 200 million won in research funding annually and be given priority in terms of faculty recruitment.  
Scholarship Programs 
Each year, KU provides 38 billion won in scholarships, or an average of 2 million won per student. KU students are eligible for up to 125 types of scholarships from the school and external organizations. KU also drastically increased need-based scholarships to bridge the financial gap for students who already receive government financial aid or are excluded from such aid because of their academic performance.
In 2015, KU introduced the “KU Global Leader Scholarship” and the “KU Entrepreneur Scholarship.” The former pledges full-tuition towards masters and doctorate programs in addition to four years of undergraduate tuition. The recipients are also eligible for free on-campus housing and a 5 million won scholarship to participate in overseas exchange programs. To encourage entrepreneurship, KU established the latter, which awards 1 million won to students opening new businesses or meeting equivalent requirements.
Community Service
KU remains actively engaged in community service. Starting from 2010, KU invited high school students to take classes and attend on-campus events to introduce them to different majors and careers as well as campus life. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, KU’s overseas volunteer group “Sincerity, Fidelity, and Righteousness” has been building homes in developing countries for more than a decade. KUmbrella, a volunteer group of KU students and staff, joins in relief efforts during floods or typhoons.
Moreover, KU students and staff use their talent and expertise to make a difference in their community. From 2011, students of KU’s Department of Fashion Design have refashioned used clothes and donated them to the less fortunate. KU’s Space Exploration Group visits rural middle schools near the truce line and holds astronomy classes. KU Museum continues to provide cultural lectures for local residents. 
* This is a translated and edited version of a Chosun Ilbo article published on December 22, 2015. The original article in Korean is available at <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/12/21/2015122102427.html">http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/12/21/2015122102427.html</a>.

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