SKY/스카이
Three most prestigious universities in South Korea:
– Seoul National University (서울대학교)
Korean people have always maintained their faith in the power of education, even through colonial occupation and war during the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. Thus in 1946, just months after Korea regained its independence, Seoul National University was established as the first piece of the educational foundation for the new nation. Thanks to this ‘education fever’, Seoul National University has grown remarkably in the past six decades. Now comprising 16 colleges and associated graduate schools, 6 professional graduate schools, and 65 research institutes, the SNU community has expanded to nearly 23,000 students and 2,500 faculty members.
The founders’ vision of the role of an educated public has come to fruition. The half of the lawmakers in current National Assembly of Korea are SNU alumni. Judges in the high court and Supreme court are mostly from SNU, which is 88% of all. More than half of cabinet members in the present ministry are also SNU alumni. 55% of CEOs of top 500 companies in Korea are SNU graduates.
Korea University embraces the challenges of the 21st Century by building new bridges across old boundaries. These bridges include new educational programs that stress multiple majors and interdisciplinary studies; strategic partnerships with private and public R&D centers that pool resources and promote innovative research; and new international relationships that bring Korea University students together with students, faculty and programs of other leading universities around the world. Aggressive investments in new research facilities, information systems and infrastructure give these bridges the strength and flexibility to extend far into the next century.
All of these bridges point to a single destination – achieving the University mission of educating “intellectuals in action.” By “intellectuals in action” I mean men and women imbued with superior knowledge and the moral courage to put their intellectual skills to work in the search for lasting solutions to real problems. In a world of constant change, no institution can thrive by simply maintaining the status-quo. Our efforts to move beyond the already strong reputation of our University reflects a 95-year tradition of ceaseless endeavor and reinvention.
Yonsei University is a center of learning based on the principles of Christian teaching, one which strives to educate leaders who will contribute to society in the spirit of truth and freedom.
Yonsei people embrace the culture of the nation and of humanity and foster creative and critical thinking in the pursuit of scholarship. Yonsei people also nurture the sense and spirit of justice, work with an open mind in service to their neighbors, and contribute to the growth of humanity.