Handong Global University has been selected as the recipient of the 34th Inchon Award in the Field of Education.

On September 4, 2020, the Inchon Memorial Foundation and Dong-A Ilbo News presented the winner of the Inchon Awards. With this year marking the 34^th time the Inchon Awards have been presented, winners were considered out of institutions and/or persons that have shown tremendous achievement in the following three fields of education, media/literature, and science/technology. Judging was done over July and August, a course of two months, by having four independent, authoritative experts per field participate in the evaluation. The following presents the opinions and achievements of the award winners.

Education – Handong Global University

 ‘A well-teaching university.’

This is a virtue that can never be excluded when considering what makes a good university and is as relevant today as it has been in the past. Particularly, it is a factor regarded as being more necessary today than ever before given the increasing sense of crisis universities face due to the decreasing school-age population and changes in the industrial structure. However, defining what a well-teaching university is and understanding such a reality is no easy task. When asked such a question, expects in higher education point to Handong Global University.

Handong Global University situated in the city of Pohang (Gyeongsangbuk-do) has despite its relatively short history of 25 years boldly introduced an innovative education method that even the leading universities in the metropolitan area could not have implemented. In recognition of this achievement, the judges unanimously selected Handong Global University for the Inchon Prize in education. President Soon-Heung Chang stated on the 1^st of September, “Amidst the difficulties faced by local universities due to decreasing student populations and increasing concentration of students in the metropolitan area, this news of the Inchon Award is very welcoming to hear.” Handong Global University expresses the talented students and the education method it seeks with the “工” educational framework of Handong. The three straight lines that makeup the “工” stand for △personality and basic education △professional education and △internationalization education from the bottom up. It is a visualization of the philosophy for fostering international leaders with character and competence.

A representative example of character education is the 'Unsupervised Honorary Test Taking' system. The tradition of the school is for students to take exams only after signing the phrase “I will take the test honestly before God and man” on the answer sheet. In terms of professional education, it emphasizes consumer-centered education. All freshmen are selected without majors or departments, allowing them an opportunity to explore various majors for one year. Addition, Handong Global University introduced in 2015 the “Independent Self-Guided Study Semester system,” in which credits are recognized after working at a company during the semester, the first university in South Korea to introduce such a system. Handong Global University has also shown excellence in terms of internationalization, with approximately 40% of major-related lectures being held in English and having a foreign faculty ratio of 22.7%. In 2002, an American-style International Law School was established at Handong Global University, and about 70% (458) of its graduates went on to successfully become qualified American lawyers. Yonsei University Emeritus Professor Kyung-chan Min explained, “A university that teaches well is a school that has the unique talented students and a systematic education method to support them.” “Handong University is an exemplary case”.

The term of office of the president of Handong Global University is four years, but there are no restrictions on consecutive terms. Thanks to this, experts analyzed that such a system allowed for an atmosphere in which a university president can boldly pursue innovation, like in the United States, to be established. From 1995 to 2014, the first president, the late Dr. Young-gil Kim, led the school, followed by Dr. Chang. In as much as the school teaching well, the responses from students are also just as good, and students from all over the country gather to study at Handong. Of the freshmen last year, 27.5% were from the metropolitan area and 15.8% were from overseas.

▼Achievements▼

A private Christian college established in 1995 with the goal of higher education for intelligence, character and spirituality. Since the first president, the late Dr. Young-gil Kim, opened its doors with 400 freshmen, it has since produced 11,153 graduates to date. It is evaluated as a leading innovation in the higher education world by introducing the “independent self-guided study semester system” and an “International Law School” for the first time among Korean universities. It has a high reputation as a “well-teaching university” and as such has been selected every time for the Ministry of Education's Leading Undergraduate Education (ACE) Promotion Project (implemented in 2010-2019). The university obtained the highest grade (A grade) in the university structural reform evaluation in 2015 and also received the highest grade (A grade) in the university innovation support project this year.

Pohang = Reporter Suyeon Kim sykim@donga.com

(Picture 1) Hyundong Hall, the Main Building of Handong Global University

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