Kookmin University Explained

Kookmin Daehaggyo
Native Name:Korean: 국민대학교
Motto:이교위가(以校爲家)

사필귀정(事必歸正)

Mottoeng:C3 (Change, Chance, Challenge)
Type:Private
Chairman:Chaegyeom Kim
President:Lim Hong-Jae
City:Seongbuk-gu
State:Seoul
Faculty:647 (2017)[1]
Undergrad:14,944 (2017)
Postgrad:2,989 (2014)
Mascot:Two Dragons
Campus:Urban
Website:english.kookmin.ac.kr (English)
www.kookmin.ac.kr (Korean)

Kookmin University is a private research university established in 1946 in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It has historic significance, as it was founded during by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and is the first private university founded after the liberation of the Republic of Korea from Japan.

Prominent Korean independence activists Kim Gu, Jo So-ang and Shin Ik-hui are strongly associated with the university.

In 1959, the SsangYong Group acquired the university. It has around 22,000 students and 350 administrative staff are working at the university's 800 faculties. Since its establishment in 1946, approximately 60,000 students have graduated.

The KMU consists of 14 undergraduate colleges, several postgraduate schools, and 10 professional-technical schools. The university provides degree programs, scholarships, and conferences. The international rank and reputation has been improving.[2] [3]

History

Kookmin University was established by the Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Shin Ik-hui became the first president of the university. He went on to serve the country as the first House Speaker of the National Assembly.[4]

In 1959, Sunggon "Sungkok" Kim, the founder of the SsangYong Group, took over the university and now produces research.[5]

Academics

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Kookmin University's academic programs are organized into undergraduate colleges, graduate schools, professional, and special schools. It is the first school that created the Department of Automotive Engineering among four-year universities in Korea.

Graduate school

The Kookmin University Graduate School consists of departments within five main areas of study: Humanities & Social Studies, Natural Science, Engineering, Arts & Physical Education and Interdisciplinary Programs.[6]

Campus

Academic & Administrative Buildings

Sungkok library was founded at the opening of Kookmin University in December 1946. It moved to its current location in the Jeongneung-dong building in 1971. A new space was built with the support of the SsangYong Group, and was named after its founder Kim Sunggon, also known as Sungkok. The library has a database and 7 million books, multimedia data, 2000 kinds of internal and external scholarly journals, 50000 kinds of foreign journals (21 DBs), 1300 online journals, 52000 e-Books, and 2700 seats in cubicles.

Myungwon house is affiliated with Kookmin University and has been designated as Seoul National Treasure No.7. The house was the residence of Han Kyu-seol, who was the Mayor of Seoul and the Minister of Political Affairs during the late Joseon dynasty. In 1980, on the verge of demolition due to the urban redevelopment of central Seoul, it was donated by the family of the former owner, the late Joon Hyuk Park and his eldest son Hyo Jong Henry Park to the late Kim Myoungwon, Mee Hee, and then reconstructed at the present site adjacent to Kookmin University.

Affiliated Research institutes

Notable people

Alumni

Korean Language Center

Korean Language Education Center was founded to help foreign students learn Korean Language and culture. About 1,800 students from more than 15 countries are currently studying at the Korean Language Center.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Facts & Figures. kookmin.ac.kr. September 12, 2017.
  2. News: Korean Universities Move Up in Asian Rankings. The Chosun Ilbo. May 24, 2011.
  3. News: Kookmin University, ranked no. 42 in the THE Asia University Rankings 2014. kookmin.ac.kr. August 6, 2014.
  4. Web site: History & Major Accomplishments. kookmin.ac.kr. 2017-09-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20170819075303/http://english.kookmin.ac.kr/site/about_kmu/history.htm. 2017-08-19. dead.
  5. News: [화제人] 政·財·언론·교육계 넘나든 '소탈한' 한국 현대사 巨木]. The Chosun Ilbo. July 4, 2013.
  6. Web site: Graduate School of Kookmin University. kookmin.ac.kr.