Yonsei University

Yonsei University (연세대학교; 延世大學校) (Korean pronunciation: [jənseː]) is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive universities in the country. In 2009 the university was ranked 151st in the world by the British university evaluation agency Times and Quacquarelli Symonds.


The university was formally established in January, 1957 through the union of Yonhi College (연희전문학교; 延禧專門學校) and Severance Union Medical College (세브란스 의과대학; 세브란스 醫課大學). This was a result of a lasting bilateral cooperation between the two colleges which had begun in the 1920s. The institutions were new to Korea at the time of their inception — Yonhi College was one of the first modern colleges, founded originally as Chosun Christian College (조선기독교대학; 朝鮮基督教大學) in March, 1915, and Severance has its roots in the first modern medical center in Korea, Gwanghyewon (광혜원 廣惠院, House of Extended Grace), founded in April, 1885. As a tribute, the name 'Yonsei' was derived from the first syllables of the names of its two parent institutions, 'Yon; 연; 延' from Yonhi College and 'Sei; 세; 世' from Severance Union Medical College.

As of April 1, 2009, Yonsei University has a main campus in Seoul, a secondary campus in Wonju, South Korea, 26,530 undergraduate students, 11,437 graduate students, and 4,178 faculty members.

History

In 1885, King Gojong of the Chosun Dynasty requested Dr. H. N. Allen, an American Northern Presbyterian missionary who volunteered as a royal family doctor, to set up a hospital named Jejungwon in Gurigae. On March 29, 1886, sixteen students were selected and the school was opened. This marked not only the birth of Yonsei University, but also the starting point of modern medical education in Korea and among the first in Asia. Later, Dr. O. R. Avison, a Professor at the University of Toronto Medical School, became the head of Jejungwon, and through a donation from Mr. L. H. Severance, the hospital was reconstructed and the medical education institution was finalized. They respectively became Severance Hospital and Severance Medical School. The first seven graduates in 1908 received the first doctors’ licenses issued by the Korean government.

In 1917, the school developed into Severance Union Medical College, but, in 1942, under pressure from Japan the school name was changed to Asahi Medical College until Korea’s independence in August 1945

In 1947, the school obtained permission from the Ministry of Culture and Education to establish a 6-year long course program at Severance Medical College. During the Korean War, a humanitarian aid hospital was established to provide medical services for refugees and the injured.

Meanwhile, in September 1906, Miss Esther L. Shields established a nursing school within Severance Hospital as a professional institute to train outstanding nurses. The school produced the first nurses in Korea in 1910. In 1968, the school was elevated to College of Nursing.

Academics and Faculties

Colleges
o Seoul Campus
+ University College
+ College of Liberal Arts
+ College of Business and Economics
+ School of Business
+ College of Science
+ College of Engineering
+ College of Theology
+ College of Social Sciences
+ College of Law
+ College of Music
+ College of Human Ecology
+ College of Education Science
+ College of Christianity
+ College of Medicine
+ College of Dentistry
+ College of Nursing
+ Underwood International College

o Wonju Campus
+ College of Humanities and Arts
+ College of Sciences and Technologies
+ College of Government and Business
+ College of Health Sciences
+ Wonju College of Medicine
+ East Asia International College

* Graduate Schools
o Graduate School
o United Graduate School of Theology
o Graduate School of International Studies
o Graduate School of Information
o Graduate School of Communication and Arts
o Graduate School of Social Welfare
o Graduate School of Business Administration
o Graduate School of Education
o Graduate School of Public Administration
o Graduate School of Engineering
o Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication
o Graduate School of Law
o Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences
o Graduate School of Economics
o Law School

* Medical Center
o Severance Hospital


Yonsei University ranked 151st in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
Yonsei University ranked 142nd in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Yonsei University ranked 129th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Pohang University of Science and Technology

Pohang University of Science and Technology or POSTECH is a private university, based in Pohang, South Korea, which is dedicated to research and education in science and technology. In 1998, it was ranked by Asiaweek as the best science and technology university in Asia. Furthermore, from 2002 - 2006, one of Korea's most circulated daily newspapers, Joongangilbo ranked POSTECH as the leading university in Korea.

History

The official history of POSTECH begins on November 9, 1986. However, the school's opening is actually celebrated on December 3 (concatenating 12 from the month and 3 from the day gives 123). The full name of POSTECH at the beginning was Pohang Institute of Science and Technology.

The first students matriculated on March 2, 1987, all of whom lived in 4 dormitories in their first year.

Academics and Schools

The university has ten undergraduate departments and 15 graduate departments which includes five professional schools.

Academic departments
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Life Science
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial and Management Engineering
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Computer Science & Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Division of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional Graduate Schools
School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-BIO)
School of Environmental Science and Engineering (SEE)
Graduate School for Information Technology (GIST)
Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT)
Technology Innovation & Management Graduate Program (TIM)

Pohang University of Science and Technology ranked 188th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

Pohang University of Science and Technology ranked 134th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

Pohang University of Science and Technology ranked 112nd in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Pohang University of Science and Technology ranked 98th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea

KAIST (formerly known as Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) is a research university located in Daedeok Science Town, Daejeon, South Korea. KAIST was established in 1971 as the nation’s first graduate school specializing in science and engineering education and research. It is one of the top science and technology universities in South Korea along with Seoul National University and POSTECH.

KAIST is located in the Daedeok Research Complex in the city of Daejeon, 150 kilometers south of the capital city, Seoul. Daedeok complex is the nation’s R&D capital and home to some 50 public and private research institutes, universities and high-tech and venture capital companies. KAIST’s Daedeok and Seoul campuses house four colleges (natural science, engineering, business and cultural science with 16 departments), eight research institutes and five affiliate schools. There are at present a total of 7,736 students enrolled; 3,223 in the bachelor’s, 2,213 in the master’s, and 2,300 in the doctorate program. International students number 220 and account for 3 percent of all students, with 55 in the bachelor’s, 76 in the master’s, and 89 in the doctoral program. KAIST has 442 professors and 323 staff as of Feb. 1, 2008.

KAIST was founded with government funding and was initially staffed with a number of Korean engineering and science talents educated in the United States. From the onset, the emphasis has been in theoretical as well as applied research. KAIST continues to be Korea’s foremost center of strategic R&D projects. The University helped pioneer the establishment of competitive graduate school programs in Korea.

The University’s some 400 faculty conducts research in cooperation with academics and industries all over the world. KAIST offers grants and fellowships to international students.

The University has for many decades, recruited faculty from overseas. The current KAIST President Nam Pyo Suh, an authority in axiomatic design technology, comes from MIT. His predecessor, Robert Laughlin, a Nobel Prize laureate and a physics professor from Stanford University, was the first foreigner to head a Korean university. Professor Emeritus Cho Jang Hee, was a dual professor at both Columbia, New York, and KAIS, and played major role in the development of the PET scanning technology.

The vast majority of professors come from US higher education institutions. The school engages in many international programs with leading European and Asian universities. The university is a member of LAOTSE, an international network of universities in Europe and Asia. It is also a member of the Association of East Asian Research Universities.

Academic Programmes

4 colleges, 7 School, 21 departments and 11 interdisciplinary programs

Governed by a special law, KAIST has an autonomous and flexible academic system. Other South Korean colleges and universities are required to abide by the government-directed admissions and curriculum requirements. Undergraduate students can join the school through an “open major system” that allows students to take classes for three terms and choose a discipline that suits their aptitude. In addition, undergraduate students are free to change their major anytime.

With Korea’s first test-free admissions system, the overall grades, the math and science grades, recommendation letters from the teachers, study plan, personal statements, and other data that show the excellence of potential students are evaluated for admission.

KAIST has produced many doctors through the Integrated Master’s and Doctoral program and Early Completion System. Students must publish their papers in globally renowned academic journals.

Scholarships are given to all students in the bachelor, master and doctorate courses, and doctoral students are given military-exemption benefits. On campus dormitories are provided to all those who wish to use them.

College of Natural Science

The College of Natural Sciences consists of 5 departments: Physics, Biological Sciences, Mathematics (Division of Mathematics and Division of Applied Mathematics), and Chemistry. The College of Natural Sciences also holds the Natural Science Research Institute as an annexed research institute.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering consists of two schools, seven departments and four divisions

College of Cultural Science

The College of Culture and Science is composed of two Departments: School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Graduate School of Culture Technology. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences has about 75 faculty members (3 professors emeriti, 18 full-time faculties, 13 visiting professors, 1 research professor, 40 lecturers), the Graduate School of Culture Technology also has 4 full-time faculties, 5 visiting professors, 7 adjunct professors, and 89 master students and 36 doctoral students. The Graduate School established the Humanities and Social Science Research Center and the Culture Technology Research Center.

College of Interdisciplinary Studies

The interdisciplinary major program at KAIST was founded on September 1, 2003. With the subsequent establishment of auxiliary organizations, the program was launched in earnest in April 2004.

Business School

KAIST established the Graduate School of Management in March, 1996. In 2006, The Graduate School of Management joined with the Graduate School of Finance and the Graduate School of Information & Media Management to form KAIST Business School.


KAIST ranked 132th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

KAIST ranked 95th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
KAIST ranked 69th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
KAIST ranked 79th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

KAIST ranked 90th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Seoul National University

Seoul National University (SNU) is a national research university in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in August 1946, the university is the first national university of South Korea. SNU has been recognized for its leading role in South Korean academia and served as a model for the many other national and public universities established later in this country.

Throughout its 60-year history, SNU has been regarded as the most eminent of all post-secondary educational institutions in South Korea. It is regarded as the most renowned university by the general public and recruits top-notch high school students.

Today SNU comprises 16 colleges and 6 professional schools, with a student body of about 30,000. It has two campuses in Seoul: the main campus in Gwanak, and the medical campus (named Yeongeon Campus after its neighbourhood) in Jongno. SNU is notable for its "fleet-style" system, offering diplomas for virtually every academic field, from the liberal arts to nursing.

Seoul National University honors the ideals of liberal education and aims to teach students a lifelong love of learning that will form the basis for continuous personal growth. At the same time it is committed to preparing students to work and live in an increasingly competitive global environment.

As South Korea's first national university, Seoul National University has a tradition of standing up for democracy and peace on the Korean peninsula.

Graduates have long served as public servants in key positions of the Korean government. In teaching, research, and public service, Seoul National University continues to set the standard of excellence.

The mission of Seoul National University in the twenty-first century is to create a vibrant intellectual community where students and scholars join together in building the future.

As Korea's leading research university, Seoul National University is committed to diversifying its student body and faculty, fostering global exchange, and promoting path-breaking research in all fields of knowledge.

History

Seoul National University was founded on August 22, 1946 by merging ten institutions of higher education around the Seoul area, pursuant to "The Law Concerning the Foundation of Seoul National University." The schools merged were: Kyŏngsŏng University, Kyŏngsŏng Colleges of Law, Industrial Engineering, Mining, Medicine, Economics, Dentistry, the Normal School, the Women's Normal School, and Suwon Agricultural College. The first president was Harry B. Ansted. For over a year and a half, there was a large protest movement by students and professors against the law of the US military government in Korea merging colleges. Finally, 320 professors were fired and more than 4950 students left the school.

The university's second president was Lee Chunho (이춘호; 李春昊), who served beginning in October, 1947.

The college of law was founded by merging the law department of Kyŏngsŏng University with Kyŏngsŏng Law College. The university absorbed Seoul College of Pharmacy in September, 1950, as the College of Pharmacy. This had previously been a private institution.

During the Korean War, the university was temporarily merged with other universities in South Korea, located in Busan.

College of Medicine

Seoul National University Hospital and the College of Medicine trace their history to Gwanghyewon, also known as Jejungwon, which has been claimed as the first western medical institution in Korea, founded by royal support in 1885. This assertion has however been disputed by medical historians, as lacking any tangible evidence.It is widely accepted that Gwanhyewon is instead a direct predecessor to Severance Hospital and Yonsei University's College of Medicine.It is suggested that Seoul National University Hospital and the College of Medicine are related, rather, to Daehan Hospital founded in 1907, which was supported by Japanese Resident-General Itō Hirobumi.


Relocation

Originally, the main campus (which embraced the College of Humanities and Sciences and College of Law was located on Daehangno (University Street) in Jongno. Most parts of the university relocated to a new campus in Gwanak in the period between 1975 and 1979. Part of the former main campus in Jongno is still used by the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry and the College of Nursing and is now called Yeongeon Campus.

In 1975 the main campus of the university moved to the newly constructed Gwanak Campus.

2006 was the sixtieth anniversary of the university. In January, the university ambitiously announced a twenty-year vision to make Seoul National University a world-leading research based university.

Academics

Undergraduate colleges
College of Humanities
College of Social Sciences
College of Natural Sciences
College of Nursing
College of Business Administration
College of Engineering
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Fine Arts
College of Law (until 2008)
College of Education
College of Human Ecology
College of Veterinary Medicine
College of Pharmacy (until 2008)
College of Music
College of Medicine
College of Dentistry
College of Liberal Studies (started in 2008)

Graduate schools

General programs
Graduate School of Humanities
Graduate School of Social Sciences
Graduate School of Natural Sciences
Graduate School of Engineering
Graduate School of Arts
Graduate School of Medicine
Interdisciplinary Programs

Professional schools
Graduate School of Convergence Science Technology
Graduate School of Public Health
Graduate School of Public Administration
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
Graduate School of International Studies
Graduate School of Dentistry
Graduate School of Business

Seoul National University ranked 51st in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Seoul National University ranked 50th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

Seoul National University ranked 47th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

Seoul National University ranked 50th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Seoul National University ranked 42nd in the 2011 QS World University Ranking