Selected Speeches
Dr. Chungserved as the President of SNU from 2002 to 2006. These are selected speeches during his presidency.
Congratulatory Address for the Official Opening of GSIS-SNU (May 30, 2003)
HIT: 7102
On the occasion of the official opening of GSIS-SNU
Congratulatory Address
President Un-Chan Chung
May 30, 2003
Distinguished guests, fellow professors and students,
It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you to the official opening of the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Yoon Duk Hong, Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr. Donald J. Johnston, Secretary-General of the OECD, for joining us today. Together we congratulate and honor all those whose efforts have made today?s celebration possible.
The Graduate School of International Studies is a new addition to Seoul National University and a clear sign of our commitment to teaching and learning in a globalized, international environment. It is our hope that the Graduate School of International Studies will become a center for international studies--renowned not only here in Korea but also in East Asia and in the world at large.
Today in Korea we are more in need than ever of global players who can perform on the world stage with competence and confidence. As a professional school, the Graduate School for International Studies faces the educational challenge of producing professional global leaders for our future generation. The Graduate School of International Studies has identified four main educational objectives:
1. broad, inter-disciplinary knowledge of the field of international studies
2. rigorous professional training
3. superior foreign language skills
4. international, global sensibility
There is no question in my mind that the distinguished faculty and the promising students who are gathered at the Graduate School of International Studies will more than rise to this educational challenge.
The Graduate School faces a special regional challenge: Asia, especially East Asia, is playing a pivotal role in international politics and world economy today. Indeed, North America, Europe and East Asia are the leaders of today?s world. Within East Asia, Korea, Japan and China have become the key players. In this context, the field of East Asian Studies is rising in importance. I trust that the Graduate School of International Studies will meet its regional challenge well and become a global center for East Asian studies and regional studies in particular. In order to accomplish this goal, the Graduate School will be actively building connections with other research institutes and professors in the East Asian region.
Besides these educational and regional challenges, the Graduate School faces special political challenges: Korea today faces the challenge of formulating foreign policies and strategies that will promote peace in the East Asian region and in the world at large. Today, when peace in East Asia and indeed in the world in general is so directly linked with peace on the Korean peninsula, we are in more need than ever of discerning experts who can help Korea carve out its political destiny and promote cooperation and peace in the international arena. We must remember that the Korean peninsula today harbors possibly the most potential for conflict than any other place in the world. This is an uncomfortable thought?but I believe it gives us a special opportunity for meaningful intervention in world affairs. I do not doubt that, in rising to its educational and regional challenges, the Graduate School of International Studies will enable more effective engagement with, and action in, international relations as played out on the global stage.
The distinguished professors who teach at the Graduate School, the stellar students who study here, the committed administrative personnel--will receive all the support the university can give to make the Graduate School of International Studies an excellent professional school and research institute, a key regional center for international studies, and a central institution for Korean policy-making and strategizing.
The first step, the most crucial and difficult step, has already been made. Today?s gathering proves this. I wish great success and great luck to all those involved in the Graduate School of International Studies. May you grow and prosper, and bring new honors to Seoul National University.
Thank you.
Congratulatory Address
President Un-Chan Chung
May 30, 2003
Distinguished guests, fellow professors and students,
It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you to the official opening of the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Yoon Duk Hong, Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr. Donald J. Johnston, Secretary-General of the OECD, for joining us today. Together we congratulate and honor all those whose efforts have made today?s celebration possible.
The Graduate School of International Studies is a new addition to Seoul National University and a clear sign of our commitment to teaching and learning in a globalized, international environment. It is our hope that the Graduate School of International Studies will become a center for international studies--renowned not only here in Korea but also in East Asia and in the world at large.
Today in Korea we are more in need than ever of global players who can perform on the world stage with competence and confidence. As a professional school, the Graduate School for International Studies faces the educational challenge of producing professional global leaders for our future generation. The Graduate School of International Studies has identified four main educational objectives:
1. broad, inter-disciplinary knowledge of the field of international studies
2. rigorous professional training
3. superior foreign language skills
4. international, global sensibility
There is no question in my mind that the distinguished faculty and the promising students who are gathered at the Graduate School of International Studies will more than rise to this educational challenge.
The Graduate School faces a special regional challenge: Asia, especially East Asia, is playing a pivotal role in international politics and world economy today. Indeed, North America, Europe and East Asia are the leaders of today?s world. Within East Asia, Korea, Japan and China have become the key players. In this context, the field of East Asian Studies is rising in importance. I trust that the Graduate School of International Studies will meet its regional challenge well and become a global center for East Asian studies and regional studies in particular. In order to accomplish this goal, the Graduate School will be actively building connections with other research institutes and professors in the East Asian region.
Besides these educational and regional challenges, the Graduate School faces special political challenges: Korea today faces the challenge of formulating foreign policies and strategies that will promote peace in the East Asian region and in the world at large. Today, when peace in East Asia and indeed in the world in general is so directly linked with peace on the Korean peninsula, we are in more need than ever of discerning experts who can help Korea carve out its political destiny and promote cooperation and peace in the international arena. We must remember that the Korean peninsula today harbors possibly the most potential for conflict than any other place in the world. This is an uncomfortable thought?but I believe it gives us a special opportunity for meaningful intervention in world affairs. I do not doubt that, in rising to its educational and regional challenges, the Graduate School of International Studies will enable more effective engagement with, and action in, international relations as played out on the global stage.
The distinguished professors who teach at the Graduate School, the stellar students who study here, the committed administrative personnel--will receive all the support the university can give to make the Graduate School of International Studies an excellent professional school and research institute, a key regional center for international studies, and a central institution for Korean policy-making and strategizing.
The first step, the most crucial and difficult step, has already been made. Today?s gathering proves this. I wish great success and great luck to all those involved in the Graduate School of International Studies. May you grow and prosper, and bring new honors to Seoul National University.
Thank you.