Ewha Holds Its 136th Anniversary Ceremony
Ewha Womans University hosted its 136th anniversary ceremony at the Welch-Ryang Auditorium on May 31 (Tue.), 2022 at 10 a.m. This ceremony was held as a face-to-face event for the first time in three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and was attended by about 500 guests including distinguished figures such as Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees Chairperson Chang Myong-sue, President Eun Mee Kim, President of the Ewha Alumnae Association Nam Sang-taek and a former Ewha President, ambassadors from about 30 countries across the world, former and incumbent lawmakers and long-term employees including faculty members to celebrate Ewha’s foundation and growth from Korea’s first institute of education for women into a top-tier institution of higher education.
In her commemorative speech, President Eun Mee Kim presented Ewha’s efforts and achievements toward accomplishing the five objectives of establishing an environment conducive to world-class research, creating an innovative education platform, enhancing support for students, streamlining administrative efficiency and enhancing financial stability, and expanding Ewha’s culture under the vision of “A Creative and Innovative Platform Leading to a Sustainable Society.” She then emphasized the meaning of Ewha’s history of 136 years, adding, “Having grown from a single student into a top institution for women’s education worldwide, Ewha’s history has extended beyond its campus and become a part of the history of Korean women, driving changes of the times through its education and guiding its growth into a research-oriented university like no other in the entire world.”
After the commemorative speech, a conferment ceremony was held for employees including faculty members in their 30th, 20th and 10th years of employment at Ewha. Moreover, Whang Youn Dai, the first female doctor with a disability in Korea (Medicine, graduated in 1963), and Professor Emeritus Hai-Won Chang, Korea’s first-generation pianist (Instrumental Music, graduated in 1970), won the “20th Pride of Ewha Award.” The “Pride of Ewha Award” is a prize granted to Ewha alumnae who aptly embodied Ewha’s spirit by achieving outstanding accomplishments in various fields of society.
This was followed by the ceremony for the “18th Ewha Academic Achievement Award,” which Professor Emeritus Ki-Jeong Song of the Department of French Language & Literature, Korea’s top French literature expert, and Professor Goo Taeg Oh of the Department of Life Sciences, a world-renowned authority on molecular developmental genetics. The “Ewha Academic Achievement Award” is a lifetime award given to faculty members for their contributions to the development of academia and the school through outstanding research achievements. The award recipients are selected through the recommendation of the head of the prizewinning faculty member’s affiliated organization and the evaluation of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award Committee.
Meanwhile, after the commemoration ceremony, a luncheon was hosted by President Kim at the Wichita House for the distinguished guests who were invited to the ceremony and sponsors of Ewha, and the “Alumnae Day” event organized by the Ewha Alumnae Association was held at the Welch-Ryang Auditorium from 2 p.m. on the same day.
