Farewell and Inauguration Ceremony for Ewha Presidents
- 작성처
- Date2021.03.02
- 11182
Held on campus at Kim Young-ui Hall and livestreamed via YouTube on Friday, February 26 at 2 p.m.
At 2 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2021, Ewha Womans University held a ceremony to bid farewell to its 16th President Kim Heisook and formally inaugurate President Eun Mee Kim as the 17th President at Kim Young-ui Hall.
The event was attended in person by a limited number of guests in compliance with social distancing guidelines and quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and aired live on the Ewha Womans University YouTube channel for viewers on and off campus. The farewell and inauguration ceremony opened with the Korean pledge of allegiance and national anthem, a prayer led by Rev. Ahn Sunhee (University Chaplain), and a scripture reading by President Nam Sang-taek of the Ewha Alumnae Association. Subsequently, the ceremony proceeded in the following order: a farewell speech by President Kim Heisook, whose term was completed on February 28, and the dedication of a commemorative plaque in her honor by Chairperson Chang Myong-Sue of the Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees, followed by the conferment of a Letter of Appointment to President Eun Mee Kim, who is scheduled to begin her term on March 1. The incoming president administered her oath of office, accepted the “Key to Ewha” and delivered her inaugural address.
In her inaugural address, the 17th Ewha President Eun Mee Kim remarked, “Throughout history, Ewha has proudly contributed to women’s education in Korea and around the world. Today, we are facing a transitional phase in the history of civilization with the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” and added, “Carrying forward the spirit of ‘beop-go-chang-shin (法古創新),’ meaning ‘learning from the old to create something new,’ Ewha will foster talented individuals to open a new chapter in Ewha’s history of change and innovation, while seeking solutions to the crises confronting human civilization.” She also emphasized, “Ewha will develop future-oriented educational programs and content designed to lead the coming era of the digital society, invest in achieving recognition as an outstanding research university, establish the Ewha Leading-Edge MediHealthcare Cluster (ELEC), and create a culture of mutual respect among all members of the Ewha community, under the goal of creating ‘New Prestigious Ewha in the New Era’ as Ewha’s contribution to the society and the entire world.”
President Kim graduated from Ewha in 1981 with a B.A. in Sociology and has been serving as a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies since 1997. She has served in various leadership positions at Ewha, including the Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. She also served as the President of the Korea Association of International Development and Cooperation, a civilian member on the Committee for International Development Cooperation under the Prime Minister’s Office, a member of the Policy Advisory Committees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and an outside director of Samsung Electronics. In November 2020, she was elected in a direct popular vote open to faculty, staff, students, and alumnae, and was formally appointed as the 17th President of Ewha by the Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees.
The presidential farewell and inauguration ceremony provided an opportunity for the Ewha community to reaffirm the school’s spirit of taking on new challenges and innovations, based on its history of ceaseless growth and development since heralding the beginning of women’s education 135 years ago.
[Full transcript of the 17th President Eun Mee Kim’s inauguration address]