On August 16, the leaving ceremony for former CNU President Chung Seok-jong was held. The 16th President Chung Seok-jong's term came to an end, but there will no end to the success that Chung's accomplishments have brought to the University.
The ceremony was attended by over four hundred people. The essay collection was contributed to former President Chung and Professor Emeritus Sohn Gwang-eun read his dedicated poem in celebration of Chung's leaving ceremony. Chung gave an address to express his heartfelt thanks to CNU faculty, staff, students, and citizens.
Chung took office as the 16th President on August 17, 2000. Since his inauguration, he has encountered a dynamic period of university competition. Under his watch, CNU pursued initiatives to enhance its international competitiveness and to consolidate the foundation as 'a knowledge-based society towards the world.'The CNU community also has endeavored to develop a global perspective and vision, through which eastern and western civilizations can coexist in harmony transcending cultural differences.
It was Chung who successfully laid the foundation for local university development. He not only guided the university as President, but led many organizations and committees established to enhance the competitiveness of local universities. He also helped shape the future of the University with the enhancement of research and education standards. Research activities among faculty members have been particularly brisk in recent years. Specifically, the grants and publications have increased almost three-fold in the past five years.
CNU has been bringing in about 233 billion won ($US 198 million) in competitive research grants during his four-year term from August 2000 through July this year. Other areas that improved significantly over the past years were new research centers, which were designated as government-support research centers. These centers include Agricultural Plant Stress Research Center, Linux Security Research Center, Regional Research Center, Science Research Center, and National Research Lab. This year so far, the number of faculty members reaches 933, which stood at 837 in 2000.
Under the goal to enhance the international competitiveness of CNU, Chung has decided to actively push ahead with its globalization project, called the "Global Campus Project." CNU dispatches 500 students to foreign universities every year in a bid to help them improve their ability to communicate in the international society smoothly and adapt themselves to foreign cultures easily. For the implementation of this project, one billion won is invested ever year. During his term, Chung concluded academic exchange pacts with 23 universities in 11 countries. The number of sister universities increased up to 71 universities in 19 nations. CNU has actively pushed ahead with the activation of globalization through expanded exchanges with prestigious foreign universities.
Under his strong leadership, the University has grown substantially in both stature and size. Especially notable are his achievements in building a university fund of 34.3 billion won, establishing new and renovated buildings on campus (including Dental Building II, Educational Technology Center, Engineering Building VII, and the new building of Language Education Center, etc), department merging, college assessments, providing notebook computers to all of the faculty members, and establishing an e-Campus system.
CNU has cooperated with four national universities in Gwangju and Jeonnam for a cooperative system among the five universities. Since 2003, Mokpo National University, Mokpo National Maritime University, Sunchon National University, and Yosu National University agreed to cooperate with CNU to start a cooperative university consortium project in line with the government's regional innovation system.
At the 2003 national university self-development program assessment, performed by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, CNU was ranked first among nine national universities in nation. In accordance with the assessment results, CNU received 3.13 billion won from the Ministry for the enhancement of the university self-development program. CNU has been focusing on a new phase of development for the university specialization in biotechnology. A project proposal for "Dasan Bio-Regulon Valley Formation" was chosen as one of the '2003 Local University Development Projects' by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and provided 1.8 billion won.
"Today, I look back over the years of dramatic change. I am gratified by the progress we have made. I am grateful for the support of the faculty members, staff, and students. The progress has been made because all of you pulled together to overcome some serious obstacles in the quest for quality," Chung said.
Address Made by Dr. Chung Seok-jong, 16th President of CNU August 16, 2004
Honored guests and Yongbong family! I am standing here to give thanks to everyone on campus.
My new departure gives me an opportunity to reflect back on my days at CNU and think about how I have changed and grown because of my experiences here. I can think about how the university has prepared me for whatever lies ahead in my lives. Here, I look back over the years of dramatic change. I am so gratified by the progress we have made. I am grateful for the support of the faculty members, staff, and students. The progress has been made because all of you pulled together to overcome some serious obstacles in the quest for quality.
In 1952 when the devastation of the Korean War left behind, Chonnam National University was established with a great ambition to light the torch of truth and of salvation. Successfully overcoming the various ordeals for the fifty long years with the whole members' wisdom, enthusiasm, and strong will, CNU has established its successful history with the academic traditions of splendor and originality as an educational institution that led Korea's democratization. CNU has become a leading university in Korea, while building the modern history with 'Gwangju', the Sacred Place of Democratization. In 1552 when CNU was founded, the university was composed of five colleges: agriculture, engineering, humanities, business, and medicine. Currently in 2004, CNU has expanded into a large-scale disciplinary university with fourteen colleges, six graduate schools, six research centers, forty-six research institutes, and eighteen affiliated facilities. The university currently has approximately 800 faculty members, 600 staff members, and 25,000 students.
To lead the advanced knowledge-based society and to survive at the competitions of universities, CNU has placed great importance on the developments of four research areas: information technology (IT), biotechnology (BT), arts & culture (A&C), and chemical technology (ChT). In tandem with the focused efforts to develop emerging technologies, it will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of basic science areas. Celebrating CNU's 50th anniversary, it established the long-term developmental plan for achieving a new vision of 'knowledge-based community opening toward the world' under the slogan of 'a half-century for the nation and the new millennium toward the world'. CNU is preparing a flight into a new vision of 'knowledge-based community opening towards the world'. We pay honor to all of the people who have given assistance for the development of CNU for the last fifty years. I have a firm determination to come to grips with the needs of the times on the basis of the splendid tradition that our seniors have established. CNU is now ready to take a flight into the world on the basis of economic growth and democratization, given in return for the past suffering. For the flight we believe you will make every possible effort to create pioneering knowledge that is essential to lead the future. I can say it is your important responsibility to foster future generations, who will be able to present new values to contribute to the future of the nation, to the peace and prosperity of mankind.
I am so pleased CNU has Dr. Kang Jung Chaee as the next President. His vast talents and outstanding leadership abilities speak well for the many continued successes CNU can expect under his presidency.
CNU staff members who always helped me!
I do remember what you did for me and what you did for the university development. Your abundant experiences and various ideas have been of great help to our research achievements. I give my heartfelt thanks to all of you and I cordially ask you to contribute for the university as you have done before. Thank you for your good works and steadfast support. I wish all of you be filled with happiness. Thank you.
