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Inaugural Address of the 14th President Kim Sun-Uk

Honorable Chung Ii-Sook, former Chairperson of the Ewha Foundation, Chairperson Yoon Hoo-Jung and Members of the Board, Former Presidents Shin In-Ryung and Lee Bae-Yong, Kim Soon-Young, President of Ewha Alumna Association, Alumna of Ewha, Students and Faculty, Honored Guests, and Ladies and Gentlemen, let me first express my deepest appreciation to all of you for attending this ceremony. Today, I stand here before you with a great sense of responsibility. Ewha is an institution that was founded with a single student but grew into the largest and foremost women’s university in the world in 124 years. Looking at its history, I am reminded of all the past students and faculty of Ewha, because it is to their great accomplishments and undaunting spirit to which we owe the status and prestige Ewha enjoys today. With great pride, we inherit from them Ewha’s greatest wealth - the vision and wisdom that preserved and nurtured the Ewha community throughout the years. The responsibility to succeed this great tradition is a heavy responsibility that I will never forget throughout my term. As a member of and together with the whole Ewha community, I will do my best to fulfill this responsibility. We can be proud of Ewha’s past accomplishments. The 124 years of Ewha history is a history of improving the human condition for oppressed women, or what we call the ‘humanization of women.’ Ewha always swiftly responded to challenges imposed by the times. Instead of letting history be written, Ewha chose to write her own story. The raison-d’tre of a university should not stop at passively meeting the social demand for higher education. Universities must raise questions even if these are questions society ‘has not raised’ or ‘does not want to raise.’ I believe it is the responsibility of universities to present visions and ideals for the future, along with the way in which we can arrive there. In this respect, despite great accomplishments in terms of improving the status of women and the inequitable structure of our society, Ewha’s mission as the premier institution of higher education for women is far from complete. Many social indicators prove better educational and social opportunities for women and lead us to believe that gender inequality has been addressed. Equal opportunity, however, is only the basic foundation for humanization of women. We now need to build upon that foundation to create new value while maintaining our academic excellence and distinction. Ewha’s effort toward humanization of women must encompass women in other countries who still suffer from discrimination and oppression. We are called upon to succeed what Mary Scranton envisioned and taught 124 years ago. We must now engage the world in practicing Ewha’s values which are anchored by the Christian spirit of sharing and serving. While the world awaits the emergence of new alternative values to guide us through the times, it is also engaged in intense competition unfettered by national boundaries. As an institute of higher education for women, Ewha needs to look beyond quantitative growth and competition, and look to the ‘guidepost that lies before us,’ as our beloved and revered teacher Kim Okgil used to emphasize. Instead of focusing only on immediate tasks that we face at the moment, we need to lift our eyes toward the distant horizon. Korea now needs, more than anything, social capital formation. Social capital refers to intangible assets such as trust, norms, and networks among individual members of society promoting cooperation. Establishing social capital is integral to consolidating mature democracy and economic growth Korea has pursued so far. This is precisely where Ewha can make a contribution and fulfill its social responsibility as a university. The traditional values of Ewha emphasizing devotion, honesty, caring and love are all closely linked to the essential aspects of social capital. The academic community of Ewha must engage with the outside world with openness so that its ideals based on cooperation over competition, community orientation over individualism, and Christian and feminine/feminist values can become the new spirit of the times (zeitgeist). As we face new challenges in a rapidly changing world, I envision the future of Ewha education as follows. Firstly, we must nurture creative talents equipped with ‘multi-cultural and multi-lingual capacities’ and a commitment toward humanization of women at the global level. Now, Ewha is called upon to broaden its perspective and engage globally to cooperate, compete, and grow together. Higher education should not focus only on the qualities required by today’s society: it must also focus on the qualities required by the future society. Ewhaians of tomorrow will be thinking and acting globally. They must be able to understand and easily adapt to different cultures. Meanwhile, the Ewha campus must be more open, diverse, and multi-cultural in order to embrace and educate women from around the world. Secondly, we need to enable students to play a pivotal role in the formation of social capital. Ewha-educated women will ensure that feminine/feminist values based on cooperation, compassion, and togetherness can be a counterforce to fierce global competition. Ewha’s education is not just about making individual students more competent. It is about fostering empathy and caring consciousness for others, the powerless and the marginalized. It is about cultivating capacity to relate and communicate with others. It is about building up leadership to mediate conflicts and initiate cooperation as an active member of society. Thirdly, we need to cultivate true intellectuals who are creative, sensitive, and embody the Christian spirit. Future talents are not defined by pure professional and technical skills without spirit and heart. Future talents need to be equipped with intellect, cultural sensitivity, appreciation for nature and life, and the Christian spirit of caring for others. Because these will be the characteristics of people who will be needed in society and lead tomorrow’s world. At the same time wherever there are women who are still subject to discrimination and oppression, we should be ready to share our experience and efforts with them no matter where they might be. I believe this is the way we can practice Ewha’s values in the global community. For over a century, Ewha has faithfully followed the path God had prepared for us. Now it is time to envisage the next century. In order to build a solid point of take-off for the next 100 years, I have set a few areas of focus to pursue during my term. Firstly, I will work to enhance the collective capacity of the Ewha community by building a new governance structure. When undertaking projects, I will value the process as much as the end-result. More than anything, the procedure of openness, disclosure, and decentralization will be implemented to ensure that all decisions are made fairly on principle. The capacity of Ewha as a community will only be maximized when people, projects, and all internal workings rely on democratic communication. As part of the new governance structure in Ewha, I will listen to various views of members of Ewha communities through various fora and platforms. And the interests and voices of the 180,000 Ewha alumnae around the world will be heard and reflected as well. Secondly, we will strive for academic excellence through an educational setting that is women-friendly. The administration of the school will aim to provide an enabling environment for all students so that they can maximize their potential. In order to produce open-minded, innovative, and compassionate female leaders of the future, we need to encourage then to take risks and challenge themselves without having to be afraid of failure. Here at Ewha, mistakes and errors will be recognized as precious experiences and lessons where students are encouraged not to give up easily. Ewha has to be a center in which a creative pioneering spirit is fostered so that all potentiality can be actualized. The future of Ewha leading women’s global networks depends on this. Furthermore, we will introduce various educational programs tailored to women’s different stages of life. This means that women no longer have to suspend or give up education and self-realization because of external factors. Various programs will be introduced to allow, not only students, but also faculty and administrative staff to combine learning, research, and work with their home life, thereby presenting a new model for ‘work-life balance.’ Thirdly, I will work hard to enhance our research capacity and quality. We can only achieve our goal of academic excellence when the outcome of research is fed back into education loop. The quality of higher education is ultimately decided by the quality and performance of the faculty. We will invite the leading scholars irrespective of gender, age, and educational affiliation, and create an environment to attract the best of best from around the world. More administrative and financial support as well as other support systems relevant to various disciplines need to be extended to incumbent faculty, so that they can focus their energy on research and teaching. Particular support shall be provided for interdisciplinary research involving our areas of specialization. And throughout this process, qualitative enhancement will always have priority over quantitative expansion. If Ewha is to consolidate its position as a true research university, we need to establish a support system to nurture next generation scholars. This means more scholarships and expanded childcare facilities to support our younger researchers. Fourthly, I will do my best to create an environment conducive to academic achievements, including an efficient administrative system, and support programs for various constituencies of Ewha. We need to enhance the personal capacity of individual staff members, and introduce a more rational personnel management system by reclassifying job titles and responsibilities, and reassigning people to appropriate positions. A better HR system will motivate and energize the administrative staff, and in the end, strengthen the research and education capacity of Ewha as a whole. All of these tasks, however, cannot be achieved without the aspiration, support, and cooperation of all Ewhaians. And I plan to pursue these plans one by one based on horizontal and open dialogue and communication. ‘Non nobis solum.’ As the Latin phrase ‘Non nobis solum’ says we are ‘not for ourselves alone.’ As such, our university does not exist for us alone but for the society as a whole. As no one can live alone in society, universities cannot fulfill its due role as an ivory tower when they are distanced from reality. We need to become a Ewha that meets its social and historic calling. Ewha’s extraordinary growth over the past 124 years was possible because we always had great vision based on the Christian ideals of equality, peace, love, and justice, and because we had ‘guideposts’ to follow. I will do my part to uphold that vision and continue to move forward. Because of the great service and sacrifice of our forerunners, our teachers, and all Ewhaians, I am confident in the God’s blessing in the first steps taken toward a new future. Once again, I thank our guests and everyone from the Ewha community for being here. May God bless you all. Thank you. July 23, 2010 Ewha Womans University President Kim Sun-Uk
- No.91
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.08.04
- Views5835
90
Kim Sun-Uk, the 14th Ewha President Takes Office

Kim Sun-Uk, the 14th Ewha President Takes Office The Farewell and Inauguration Ceremony for Ewha Womans University’s 13th president Lee Bae-Yong and 14th President Kim Sun-Uk took place on July 23 at Kim Young Yi Hall. Some 900 attendees participated in the ceremony to celebrate the new start of Korea’s most prestigious women’s institution of higher education. The participants included major university presidents and other prominent figures of Korea. Dr. Yoon Hoo-Jung, Chairperson of Board of Trustees gave opening remarks. The former president Lee Bae-Yong gave the farewell address speech. The ceremony went on and held the investiture of the new president that included the oath of office and the presentation of the university key. The 14th president Kim Sun-Uk, who will be starting her four-year term from August 1st, said in her inauguration speech that Ewha should become an academic community that is socially responsible for making a cooperative environment, not competition, and community spirit, rather than individualism. She added that Ewha would continue producing female leaders who resolve social conflicts based on collaboration, which the university has traditionally emphasized. Kim also said, “Ewha needs to look beyond quantitative growth and competition. The capacity of Ewha as a community will only be maximized when people, projects and all internal workings rely on democratic communication. The procedure of openness, disclosure, and decentralization will be implemented to ensure that all decisions are made fairly on principles.” Kim underscored the importance of “new governance” within the school to “enhance the collective capacity of the Ewha community” and vowed to introduce more programs tailored to accommodate women’s difficulties. The 14th president Kim Sun-Uk studied law in the undergraduate and graduate schools at Ewha and earned her doctoral degree in administrative law at the University of Constance in Germany. Kim has been teaching at Ewha since 1995 and has served as the Legislation Minister and head of the National Human Rights Commission's advisory committee.
- No.89
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.07.30
- Views6334
88
The Farewell and Inauguration Ceremony for Ewha Womans University Presidents

The Farewell and Inauguration Ceremony for Ewha Womans University’s 13th president Lee Bae-Yong and 14th President Kim Sun-Uk The Farewell and Inauguration Ceremony for Ewha Womans University’s 13th president Lee Bae-Yong and the 14th President Kim Sun-Uk will be held at the Kim Young-Yi Hall at 10 a.m. on July 23rd, Friday. Dr. Yoon Hoo-Jung, Chairperson of Board of Trustees will give opening remarks. The farewell address of president Lee Bae-Yong and the investiture of the president that includes oath of office, presentation of the university key, and the inaugural speech to Kim Sun-Uk will be proceeded. Some 900 attendees will participate in the ceremony to celebrate the new start of Korea’s most prestigious women’s institution of higher education. The participants include presidents of major universities in Korea, such as Korea University President and the current chairperson of Korean Council for University Education Lee Ki-Su, Yonsei University President Kim Han-Jung, and Sogang University President Lee Jong-Wook, and other prominent figures, such as Korea Broadcasting System Chairperson Sohn Byung-Doo and Education Broadcasting System Chairperson Lee Chun-Ho. The 14th President Kim Sun-Uk will lead Ewha over the next four years starting August 1st.
- No.87
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.07.21
- Views5506
86
The Groundbreaking Ceremony for Science Building D and International Dormitory Held

The Groundbreaking Ceremony for Science Building D and International Dormitory Held On June 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the site for the new Science Building, Ewha Womans University held a groundbreaking ceremony for new facilities, Science Building D, the research facility and International Dormitory for housing future international talents of the 21st century. Science Building D and International Dormitory The Science Building D have five floors above ground and two underground with a total floor area of 10,074 square meters. The building is equipped with high-technology based facilities including laboratories, research rooms, lecture halls and rooms for professors. It is unique that it will be located right between the Science A and B and connect the two buildings. The New International Dormitory will have ten floors above ground and one underground with a total floor area of 3,570 square meters. The Dormitory is built to accommodate the increasing number of foreign professors and students. It will be built in the global zone where the Ewha-Samsung International Dormitory and the Graduate Dormitory are located and will accommodate 149 people in 75 rooms. President Lee Bae-Yong said, "The 21st century is a global society led by the newest science technology and professional knowledge. I hope all members of the university will use the new environment that is truly conducive to work and study. Building new science building will contribute to nurturing leading women scientists and the new dormitories will help excellent talents from Korea and overseas to dedicate themselves to study in a more comfortable environment".
- No.85
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.06.28
- Views7666
84
Ewha Ranked 5th Among Korean Universities from Asian University Evaluation

Ewha Ranked 5th Among Korean Universities from Asian University Evaluation Ewha was ranked 5th among universities in Korea from Asia's university evaluation compiled by Chosun Ilbo and the global university evaluation institute QS of the U.K. The evaluation was conducted among 448 universities in 11 Asian countries, and Ewha was ranked 7th in Korea when including advanced institutes, KAIST and POSTECH and 48th in Asia when ranked in the group of colleges and universities. The excellent research quality and globalization of Ewha Womans University contributed to such performance. Ewha was ranked 1st place among universities in Korea for citation counts from research papers. It is an indicator that shows the direct impact of the university's research capacity. Ewha had been ranked 1st in 'SCI Journals Quality Assessment' among universities from Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning last February. Ewha's has been the best university for globalization in Korea. Ewha ranks third in the category of total ratio of the in-bound international students who come to Ewha to study from all over the world. Moreover, Ewha ranks 1st in the ratio of out-bound students, the percentage of Ewha students who study aborad through exchange programs. The ratio of foreign professors teaching at Ewha showed steep increase and its ranking in the category rose to 57th this year from 134 last year. The University of Hong Kong topped the list for two consecutive years including this year from Asia's university evaluation and among Korean universities, Seoul National University ranked 6th, followed by KAIST at 13th. The top 100 Asian universities include 17 Korean universities, 33 Japanese, 11 Chinese, seven Indian, six in Hong Kong this year. KOREAN Rankings University Rankings Univ. Asian University Rankings Grade 1 Seoul National Univ. 6 97.0 2 KAIST 13 93.2 3 Postech 14 92.2 4 Yonsei Univ. 19 87.2 5 Korea Univ. 29 79.9 6 SungKyunKwan Univ. 43 73.5 7 Ewha Womans Univ. 48 69.7 8 Hanyang Univ. 49 69.5 9 Sogang Univ. 52 67.5 10 Kyunghee Univ. 62 65.1
- No.83
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.05.24
- Views15070
82
2010 Ewha Global Festival Held to Celebrate the Successful Establishment of 21 Global Campus Networks

'2010 Ewha Global Festival' Held to Celebrate the Successful Establishment of 21 Global Campus Networks Ewha Womans University holds the '2010 Ewha Global Festival' from May 19 to 20 to celebrate the successful establishment of 21 Ewha global campus networks around the world. The '2010 Ewha Global Festival' will be consisted of various fun and special events such as a mini olympic for foreign students, 'International Cultural Excursion Booth', special lectures of foreign ambassadors of G20 member countries, Food Fiesta, and cultural performances during the opening ceremony, 'Celebration of Ewha Global 2010'. 'International Cultural Excursion Booth', hosted by foreign embassies and councils, will install 12 booths from 18 countries including the U.S., Japan, China, and France and provide presentation about studying abroad and information about their cultures. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Seidt, the German ambassador to Korea, and Toshinori Shigeie, the Japanese ambassador to Korea will hold special lectures on 'International Studies' as a part of special lectures of foreign ambassadors of G20 member countries. President Lee Bae-Yong said, "I could feel that the status of Ewha abroad has become higher and higher year by year as I visited the prestigious universities around the world to make partnerships with them. I hope the students of Ewha pride themselves by experiencing 'the world in Ewha' and 'Ewha in the world' through this Global Festival." The '2010 Ewha Global Festival' was planned to promote Ewha's global status and celebrate the successful establishment of 21 global campus networks in the major cities of the world. 'The global campus network' refers to clusters of universities overseas that have formed partnerships with Ewha for student exchange programs. For example, New York, Columbia, Rutgers and Long Island universities belong to Ewha’s New York base campus, where Ewha not only sends its students but also its professors. It is a part of 'Global Ewha 2010 Project', which is building Ewha's exclusive knowledge networks with universities in major cities of the world. It has been planned to provide Ewha students with chances to study abroad and nurture them to become the global women leader equipped with competency in the international level.
- No.81
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.05.12
- Views5376
80
Historic Site Exploration with the President at the Changdeok Palace Held

Historic Site Exploration with the President at the Changdeok Palace Held The 'Historic Site Exploration with the President' led by president Lee Bae-Yong was held with 100 Ewha students including 10 foreign students at the Changdeok Palace on April 9th. The students listened attentively as the president explained about the importance of our historic sites. Lee said, "One character of our historic sites is that they seek harmony with the nature" as she started the tour. The 'Historic Site Exploration with the President' is one of the programs of 'Ewha Renaissance Project'. The visit to Changdeok Palace is the fourth event since it first started in October 2008. “Learning about the hidden stories of each buildings in the palace and hearing the wisdom of our ancestors, I fell in love with our culture and became very proud of our heritage", said Song Min-Ji(International Studies, sophomore). The tour has become more popular every time it was held through word-of-mouth from the students who participated. Lee Bae-Yong, the historian and the member of the National History Compilation Committee has planned and run this program. Lee said, "It is a very pleasant time for me to meet students through the tour. I hope the students realize the importance of our heritage and grow up to be the true global leader equipped with pride in our culture." In addition, 20 foreign students participated. Brull Jing, a student from Mongol (Business Administration) said, "I myself have had a lot of interest in various cultures including Asian culture but lacked opportunities to experience them. After the tour, I could truly agree to the unique cultural value and the historicity of Korea."
- No.79
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.04.16
- Views5090
78
The Unveiling Ceremony of the Art Wall Held at the Main Gate

The Unveiling Ceremony of the 'Art Wall' Held at the Main Gate The new 'art wall' exposed itself at the unveiling ceremony at the Main Gate on April 5. The motif of the 'art wall' is the actual pear blossom that bloomed in front of the Welch-Ryang Auditorium last year. The pear blossom is the symbol of Ewha Womans University for "Ewha" means "Pear Blossoms." It was King Kojong who gave the school its name in 1887. Many historians speculate that a grove of pear trees near the campus site inspired the name. Yoon Hoo-Jung, the chairperson of Ewha Hakdang participated in the unveiling ceremony. She said at the ceremony, "I hope the spirit and the tradition of Ewha will be transmitted through the art wall filled with pear blossoms that symbolize Ewha." Kang Suk-Young the professor who designed and produced the 'art wall' said, "It has been a year since I started working on the pear blossoms in white porcelain. The outcome is more meaningful because students in doctoral and graduate program in the department of ceramic arts participated altogether." 100 VIPs and students including the chairperson, the president of Ewha Womans University, and the president of Ewha Alumni Association participated at the ceremony.
- No.77
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.04.14
- Views5265
76
The Ewha-Harvard College in Asia Program Held

The Ewha-Harvard College in Asia Program Held The Ewha-HCAP(Harvard College in Asia Program) 2010 was held at Ewha. The conference was provided as a part of HCAP(Harvard College in Asia Program) that is an exchange program between Harvard and selected prestigious universities in Asia. The program consists of two conferences; one held at Harvard and the other held at each Asian partner universities. Ewha has been the first and the only partner university selected from Korea for the three consecutive years. The interest among the Harvard students about the HCAP program with Ewha has been increased. Anne Foreman(Latin Literature major) said, "The students who had participated HCAP Ewha last year recommended Ewha as the most impressive program." Lindsey Ross(Sociology major) said, "It was natural for me to be interested in Korea, as my interest in Asia grew. Korea is geographically small yet has so much impact to the world in the aspects of culture and economy. I wanted to find out what made Korea so special and I am glad to be here." Jae-Won Chae(Politics and Diplomacy•08) said, "I could notice that a lot of students from Harvard were interested in Asia and Korea. I was glad to introduce Korea not only through the academic and cultural exchange but also through sharing the daily life as a Ewha student." The Ewha student representative Seung-Yeon Chung(International Studies•06) said, "This event will be a meaningful time making future global networks through understanding the culture and cooperating with each other." The conference in Korea was organized by 20 Ewha undergraduate students and 14 Harvard student delegates. The main subject of the conference was 'Social Entrepreneurship-Service, Innovation & Empowerment'. The program included special lectures from the professor Il-Hwan Bae, the chairman of the culture charity organization, 'Beautiful Mind' and Chul-Young Lee, the president of Arc Investment Consulting that hosts Korea Social Venture Conference taht were followed by passionate debates among the Ewha and Harvard students. Other than the lectures and the debate sessions, the delegates visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, JeonJu Korean Tradition Village, DMZ and had a meeting with the university students who are North Korean defectors and took a closer look at the demilitarized zone between of North and South Korea. Eight nights and nine days were filled with various activities to explore the tradition, the present, and the future of Korea. HCAP started 6 years ago with the intention of raising Harvard leaders in Asia-Pacific area by bringing out greater interest and enhancing understanding of Asia. HCAP has been the most popular and the largest Asia exchange program in Harvard because it provides participants opportunities to extend their network on an international level through exchanges with students from prestigious universities in Asia as well as many cultural experiences. The five other selected universities of HCAP this year are Tokyo University from Japan, Hong Kong University from China, Singapore National University from Singapore, Boazici University from Turkey, and St. Xaviar College from India.
- No.75
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.03.24
- Views5963
74
Ewha Begins the Free Shuttle Bus Service

Ewha Begins the Free Shuttle Bus Service Ewha began free-of-charge shuttle bus services this semester. Two routes start from Ewha Womans University Station (Subway Line No. 2, Exit 3) and Gyeongbokgung Station (Subway Line No.3, Exit 1) stopping at major buildings in the campus. The shuttle buses are 26 seaters and run from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. in 10~30 minute intervals and is expected to help students to reach inside and outside of the campus easily and comfortably. The bus stops mainly at the landmarks of the campus such as the New-Engineering Building, Ewha-POSCO Building, Student Union Building, the Main Hall and so on. Buses starting from Ewha Womans University Station will run in 10 minute intervals from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. stopping at the main gate and the Engineering Building. Buses starting from Gyeongbokgung Station will run in 30 minute intervals, stopping at the Engineering Building, the Ewha-POSCO Building, and then the Student Union Building. They will run from 8 AM to 10AM and 4PM to 7PM mainly for commuters. "Ewha wants the students to find their campus life satisfactory in various ways. We hope that the establishment of the shuttle bus service will help the students concentrate on their studies", President Bae-Yong Lee said, explaining the intention of the service. "It used to take more than 20 minutes to walk from Ewha Womans University Station to Engineering Building. Now it only takes 7 minutes including the waiting time taking the shuttle bus. This would be the best news during new semester for the students in the College of Engineering", said Min-Kyung Bae(sophomore, Food Science & Engineering). "Ewha campus is very big and hilly and difficult to walk around in high heels. It has become very convenient now that we have the shuttle bus", said Yeo-Eun Kim(sophomore, Statistics). Kyung-Sook Kim, the Dean of the Office of General Administration said, "The shuttle bus will not only enhance the convenience and the welfare of the students but also reduce the vehicles in the campus thus making the campus environment more safe and pleasant."
- No.73
- Writer홍보실
- Date2010.03.15
- Views6776

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