PRESIDENT MESSAGE

Sookmyung Women’s University is Korea’s first national private women’s school. It was founded in 1906 during the latter stages of the Korean empire, one of the most difficult periods in the nation’s history. We have worked tirelessly to meet our motto ‘save our nation through women’s education’ and today, we boast over 100,000 alumni and 13,000 students and have grown to become Korea’s leading women’s university. Throughout its 107 year history, Sookmyung has accumulated invaluable educational experience, research capabilities, and community service experience. We plan to build on this tradition and become a global leader in women’s education. To achieve this mission, we will put forth every ounce of effort into the following.

First, Sookmyung will do its best to elicit passion from our faculty and students and lead them to voluntarily participate in a rapidly changing university environment. True participation comes by encouraging autonomy in Sookmyung’s women. This is an important factor in meeting Sookmyung’s mission of creating and applying intellectual assets.

Second, Sookmyung will endeavor to expand its finances for the continuing development of the University. We will enhance transparency and efficiency of our financial operations and attract women’s education funding from international organizations. Sookmyung established the nation’s first Research Institute for Asian Women and the Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC) and is currently receiving attention as a leading women’s education institution. This financial expansion aims to show Sookmyung’s level of class and grace, while helping students to realize their potential.

Third, Sookmyung will continue to set up sisterhood relationships with prestigious universities around the world. We will reinforce cooperation with our sister schools and achieve internal stability and advancement in our international exchange programs. In addition to the students, professors will also take part in multilateral scholarly exchanges that will lead to Sookmyung becoming the ‘Global Best.’

As its name indicates, Sookmyung is a clear and bright university that has endless potential. We will become a place where our faculty and students respect humanity and achieve their dreams. We will grow to become a university where its members are happy. We will become a university that values social justice. Finally, we will become a university that brings the world happiness. I would like to ask all of you to continually show your love and interest for Sookmyung.

Thank you.

Sookmyung Women’s University President Sunhye Hwang