Regional Universities Get Makeovers

Linton Memorial Park on the grounds of Hannam University will be open to the public starting April 17. Linton is the American missionary who founded Hannam University.

Built to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary by the school itself, the park will be open for use by locals. Facilities to display and view artwork will also be installed around the park.

The president of Hannam University, Lee Sang-yoon, says, “The situations of regional universities are not good, so we are trying to take the 50th anniversary of our school as a chance for renovation. We made the park to show our thanks to the locals who have supported our school for 50 years.”

Daegu University, called “a heaven for handicapped students,” plans to build an ecological park and rehabilitation center on campus to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It also plans to increase the number of foreign exchange students from 450 at present to 2,000 in 3 years.

President Lee Yong-doo says, “The most pressing task for regional universities is campus globalization if they are to overcome the current crisis.”

Regional universities of long tradition are taking their 50th, or 60th anniversaries as a time for change.

Students, faculty staff, alumni, and locals are showing unusually strong commitment to overcome the crisis and make a new start by obtaining global competitiveness.

This year is the 60th anniversary for Kyungnam University, Kyungpook University, Donga University, Pusan University, Wonkwang University, and Chosun University, and the 50th for Daegu University and Hannam University.

Kyungpook University tore down the North Gate, which is used most often by its students, in 26 years. The gate will be replaced next month, on its anniversary day, by a symbol to match its anniversary slogan.

A “60th anniversary speech contest” for students, teaching staff, and foreigners is also being planned for May 23.

President Kim Dal-woong says, “Our goal is to make Kyungpook University one of Asia’s top universities by the year 2010,” and added that he wished to make this year a year for “university revival.”

Moonchang Tower, in front of Pusan University’s College of Pharmacy, is a famous location of the school. Here, a 60 step stairs is under construction for the school’s anniversary to come next month.

From next month until the end of this year, thirty events such as designating “The people of Pusan University” at the commemoration ceremony on the 12th of next month will be held to propel Pusan University towards “Northeast Asia’s core university.”

Kim Yu-geun, chairman of the 60th anniversary memorial project says, “This is a year when we will connect the Pusan, Yangsan, and Miryang campuses to form a campus belt,” and, “The 60th anniversary will become an opportunity to unify all the members of our school, and become a model for development for other regional universities.

Wonkwang University’s unveiling ceremony of its 60th anniversary tower will take place on the 14th of next month.

Alumni director of affairs Eun Jung-hyun says, “We have put in our hopes that the students will study hard, and bring glory to the school.”