Sookmyung’s 21st Presidential Inauguration: Dr. Moon Si-yeun
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2024-09-02
The inauguration and investiture of Dr. Moon Si-yeun as the 21st President of Sookmyung Women’s University took place on Monday, September 2 at Samsung Convention Center's Centennial Hall. President Moon’s tenure will last four years and end in August 2028.
500 people attended the inauguration, including former Presidents Lee Gyeong-suk, Han Young-sil, Hwang Sun-hye, and Chang Yun-keum, Sookmyung Academy President Park In-kuk, and Sookmyung Alumni Association President Kim Kyung-hee, as well as faculty and students. Many other notable figures were also in attendance, including ambassadors from various countries, such as Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Lebanon, and Luxembourg, as well as Seoul Deputy Mayor Kim Byung-min, LS Group Board Chairman Koo Ja-yeol, Taejae University President Yeom Jae-ho, Korean Red Cross President Kim Cheol-soo, and Senegal’s Groupe ISM President Amadou Diaw.
In her inaugural address, President Moon declared that she will work with all faculty to leap forward as a prestigious global university ahead of Sookmyung’s 120th anniversary in 2026. President Moon said, “Our 120th anniversary is the perfect opportunity for Sookmyung to ride the budding momentum of splendid possibilities and potential.”
As new president, Moon proposed three key topics to make Sookmyung an internationally-recognized global women’s university. First, President Moon declared that she would create a global university centered on Korean culture, where technology and the humanities can converge together.
“Under the motto of ‘Sookmyung For The World And To The World,’ we will create specialized policies to make Sookmyung the mecca of industrial technology education and research as well as Korean culture (“hallyu”). We plan to strengthen international exchange and cooperation with top universities around the world through various means, such as hosting Sookmyung Hallyu Summer School to attract international and exchange students, and fully expanding global travel opportunities for currently enrolled students,” she stated.
Second, President Moon revealed plans to set up Sookmyung AI Education Center (tentative name) to creatively combine AI functions into the educational process. “The key to future education is concept-oriented and problem solving-centered education that can develop and nurture uniquely human creativity, critical thinking skills, communication skills, and cooperative skills. To cultivate future talents who think, ask, and consider all possibilities, we will use the power of ‘outthinking,’ which can open a path to the future through a consumer-centered educational curriculum,” she said.
Lastly, President Moon emphasized the importance of collaboration and cooperation between industry and academia, and vowed to greatly strengthen support for start-ups of Sookmyung members. “We will pioneer a variety of industry-academia education and platforms that are connected to real life applicable fields to turn Sookmyung into a driving force for the development of Korean society and university education. With the help of the Sookmyung Women's University Research & Business Development Foundation's Industry-coupled Cooperation Center (ICC), we will work with not only large conglomerates, but also companies with large growth potential,” she promised.
President Moon graduated from Sookmyung with a degree in French Language and Culture, and received a Master’s and Doctorate from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in France.
After becoming a professor at Sookmyung Women’s University Department of French Language and Culture in 1997, Moon served as Director of Sookmyung Women’s University Library, Director of Sookmyung Women’s University Korean Cultural Institute, and Editor-in-chief of The Sookmyung Times. She also served as President of the Association for the Study of French Culture and Arts (AECAF), and is currently serving as President of the World Association for Hallyu Studies (WAHS) and the Senior Vice President of the Korean Federation of Women Professors.