Alumna Mrs. Gemma Hwang Receives Honorary Doctorate Degree
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2023-05-03
Alumna Mrs. Gemma Hwang (Class of 1959) received an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Sookmyung Women＇s University. Mrs. Hwang has made great contributions to the development of the university by donating a large sum of money to the development fund and leading the establishment of the Sookmyung Alumnae International Foundation (SMAIF).
Sookmyung Women＇s University held an honorary doctorate degree ceremony for Mrs. Hwang on Monday, April 24th, at the Snowflake Square Hall of the Second Campus. Mrs. Hwang attended the ceremony with her husband, Dr. Hwang Kyu-bin.
After the welcome reception and national anthem, a thank-you video prepared for Mrs. Hwang was screened. The video captured the scenes of Sookmyung Ambassadors, Nivis (cheerleading team), and students of various nationalities expressing their gratitude towards Mrs. Hwang. President Jang Yun-keum personally presented the degree certificate to Mrs. Hwang. The student body president, Shim Chae-yeon, presented her with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the students.
In her congratulatory speech, President Jang stated that “it is the mission of our school to give faith to our students that they can blossom at Sookmyung Women＇s University through this donation,” and expressed that “today＇s conferral of an honorary doctorate is an unprecedented honor.”
Mrs. Hwang responded, “It is such an honor for me to receive this overwhelming degree and to be welcomed today.” She added, “If I can contribute to the development of the school by encouraging all graduates and everyone to donate, I could not ask for more.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hwang has donated a large sum of money to the development fund for Sookmyung Women＇s University since 1996, when the university accelerated the development of the second campus ahead of the 100th anniversary of its founding.
In 2002, Mrs. Hwang led the establishment of the non-profit fundraising foundation SMAIF and made significant contributions to the activation of overseas fundraising. In addition, to support international students from developing countries, Mrs. Hwang established the Yang Chun-yeol Global Fund, which has provided scholarships to 109 students abroad so far.
To honor her love for her alma mater, Sookmyung Women＇s University built the “Gemma Hall” in the College of Pharmacy. Starting with the Proud Global Sookmyung Person Award in 2015, Sookmyung Women＇s University has also awarded Mrs. Hwang the Special Achievement Award in 2016 as well as the Sookmyung Development Contribution Award in 2022.