Kyungnam University promotes regional harmony through strategic partnerships
Hanma - a legendary horse with great endurance - is the symbol of Kyungnam University (KU), an institution that harnesses its strong heritage to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Founded on a tradition of excellence, the university was established in 1946 on the grounds of Kookmin College, set up by independence leaders including Syngman Rhee, South Korea's first president.
Hanma - a legendary horse with great endurance - is the symbol of Kyungnam University (KU), an institution that harnesses its strong heritage to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Founded on a tradition of excellence, the university was established in 1946 on the grounds of Kookmin College, set up by independence leaders including Syngman Rhee, South Korea's first president.
One of South Korea's leading universities, KU comprises 900 faculty and staff, and 15,000 students. KU sees itself as a model regional university focused on globalisation and localisation. "We maintain our lead in regional and global education by keeping abreast of global trends and local needs and by offering specialised knowledge and training programmes," says president Dr Park Jae-kyu.
KU's three major specialisations - North Korean studies, defence industry and marine/oceanic well-being facilities - put the university in a competitive positioning as it pursues its Hanma Vision 2030 development plan.
The university is reputed worldwide as a leader in North Korean studies and Korean reunification issues. It actively advances the programme through its research think-tank, the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES), and KU's co-operative University of North Korean Studies. IFES promotes regional peace and prosperity and Korea's unification through scholarly contributions. It fosters international exchanges and dialogues through partnerships with elite global institutions such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, The Fondation Chirac and Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. "We conduct important bilateral talks through seminars, lectures and workshops to discuss issues pertaining to the Korean peninsula and northeast Asian affairs," Park says.
As its regional industrial specialisation project, KU seeks to cultivate the specialised manpower with technological expertise to develop South Korea's next-generation growth engines in the defence industry.
Under marine/oceanic well-being facilities, KU takes an active stance to preserve South Korea's rich natural resources and promote the health and well-being of the elderly by offering training programmes to equip qualified professionals in spearheading related projects.
A global university, KU has academic partnerships with 65 universities in 19 different countries, including China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. Through its Global Hanma Program, KU invites participants from sister universities worldwide to take part in its Korean language and culture immersion courses.
KU seeks to further develop mutually beneficial relationships with regional academic institutions. "We take pride in our world-class research institutes for scholars and students specialising in Asian and international affairs," Park says.
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