Konkuk University
Human beings are free to pursue their own interests and knowledge and get the benefits from the glorious culture developed by preceding generations, but they also have the responsibility to develop human civilization further. The primary purpose of college education is to help people fulfill this responsibility by educating the younger generation for the future.
The philosophy of the late Dr. Yoo, Suk-Chang, the founder of Konkuk University, states that "sincerity, fidelity and righteousness" should act as rules of conduct to serve as the basis of morality and citizenship. Besides this moral goal, Konkuk university has been concentrating its efforts on offering a scientific and technological education, through which the students can become able leaders in contemporary society, while performing their historical tasks.
An advanced industrial society needs more and more intelligent citizens. Korea, as a developing country, urgently demands more and better intelligent citizens with technological knowledge and skills. To meet this demand, Konkuk university has been making efforts to improve its educational system, equipment, and facilities.
During the Japanese colonial rule, the late Dr. Yoo, Suk-Chang, in cooperation with 45 other patriots, established the "Minjung Hospital"(The People's Hospital) and published a medical paper entitled "The Doctors' News." These 45 patriots were representatives of various newspapers, religions, and other anti-Japanese groups. They supported Dr. Yoo's national independence campaign through medical services. They were also closely related with the 33 signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1919.
In May, 1946, Dr. Yoo established the "Chosun Political Science School," the early predecessor of Konkuk University. In May, 1948, the "Chosun Political Science Institute" was established under the school. In September, 1949, a Political Science Foundation and the Political Science College were authorized as a formal higher education institution. In 1955, the foundation procured over 2.3 km of land in Changan-Dong, Seoul, where the college moved in October 1955, leaving the evening school in Nakwon-Dong. In February, 1959, the institution was renamed as the Konkuk University Foundation and Konkuk University. In 1980, Chungju Campus was established in the city of Chungju, the center of Korea. This new campus is expected to expand on a larger scale.
At present, the foundation has two campuses with an area of 1 km2, the experimental farms and forests with an area of 5.3 km2, and 5 business enterprises to support academically and financially the university and the related educational organizations. Konkuk University celebrated its 54th anniversary in May 2000, yielding 86,792 bachelor's degrees, 13,846 master's degrees, and 1,216 doctoral degrees so far. The university has also strengthened the international aspects of education, fostering exchanges of students and faculty with some twenty top-class universities worldwide through sister relationships. Approximately 20,000 students are now registered at the university, including 2,000 graduate students. There are 589 full-time faculty members and about 864 part-time instructors. The foundation runs Konkuk University and a junior and a senior high school. The University(the main campus in Seoul and a branch campus in Chungju) consists of 12 graduate schools and 16 colleges, including 86 departments and 33 research institutes. The University takes pride in offering a number of scholarships to qualified students, the amount of which has been increasing every year.
