Selected Speeches
Dr. Leeserved as the President of SNU from 2006 to 2010. These are selected speeches during his presidency.
10th SNU-Hokkaido Joint Symposium (Jan. 24, 2008)
HIT: 11638
Welcome Address
President Jang-Moo Lee
10th Seoul National University-Hokkaido University Joint Symposium
Faculty Club, Seoul National University
January 24, 2008
President Saeki, Distinguished Participants from Hokkaido University, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honor for me, as the president of Seoul National University, to be giving a welcome address to the symposium held jointly by Hokkaido University and Seoul National University. In particular, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to President Hiroshi Saeki and other distinguished members of Hokkaido University, who have made today’s event possible. For the last ten years, these two institutions of higher learning have maintained a mutually beneficial and stimulating strategic partnership. As the president of Seoul National University, I strongly hope that this relationship will continue, and pledge to do my utmost to foster this partnership, which has endured over the past decade.
This year’s joint symposium is especially meaningful because it marks the tenth anniversary of the event. In Korea, we have a proverb that reads, “In ten years, the hills and rivers will change.” However, created in an era when the world changed very slowly indeed, this proverb no longer rings true today. On the contrary, this age is seeing cataclysmic changes due to the continued extension of globalization and the rapid development of science and technology. This is true also of the environment surrounding universities. Universities are facing an urgent need for internationalization and the consequent opening and merger of academic disciplines. Accordingly, Seoul National University has actively sought to transform itself in step with such a trend. No doubt, renowned universities around the world that have the mission of producing creative knowledge in this era of internationalization including Hokkaido University are faced with similar challenges.
The theme of the tenth joint symposium held by Seoul National University and Hokkaido University is “Energy, Environment and Sustainability.” In this rapidly changing world, the issue of the environment has increasingly come under the spotlight. Despite minor differences in the actual figures, experts predict that fossil fuel will be depleted within 40-50 years. Also critical is the problem of global warming, which has occurred with the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. All of these signs warn us that from a certain point in future, rapid development will no longer be feasible in the manner to which we are accustomed.
As demonstrated in the Seoul Declaration adopted during the Global University Presidents’ Summit held in October 2007 at Seoul National University, sustainability demands a revolutionary change in our views of development and the environment. It requires development that is nature-friendly. In addition, it means that we must consider not only our own generation but also as yet unborn future generations and reconsider now the direction and rate of development. As such, sustainable development demands not only diverse alternative energy sources but also innovations such as sustainable science and technology and sustainable design. Without a doubt, universities must be the leaders of all of these fields.
Recently, Korea witnessed its worst environmental pollution accident ever, in which a tanker ran aground, leading to the spillage of 10,000 tons of oil near Taean, on the west coast. Indeed, although the entire nation has come together to clean up the oil, some speculate that it may take two decades for the local ecosystem to be fully restored. The incident has demonstrated how devastating for the environment slight incaution can be. Of course, members of our university community have volunteered for relief work, and environmental experts at various universities are endeavoring to study the possible restoration of the local ecosystem. I, for my part, am proceeding with a plan to create a comprehensive research center that will conduct research on energy, the environment, and sustainability including the ecosystem of Taean under the leadership of Seoul National University. Such a research institute will set a good example of the use of global knowledge available to universities for the resolution of urgent local problems.
Distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen.
It is timely indeed that environmental experts, scientists, and engineers from both universities will be examining and discussing together the issues of the environment and sustainability at this year’s joint symposium. Once again, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for everyone who made the event possible and all distinguished guests who have come to Korea to attend the symposium including President Hiroshi Saeki. There is no doubt in my mind that, through this symposium, we will bear many fruits regarding the urgent issues of the environment and sustainability. Thank you.
President Jang-Moo Lee
10th Seoul National University-Hokkaido University Joint Symposium
Faculty Club, Seoul National University
January 24, 2008
President Saeki, Distinguished Participants from Hokkaido University, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honor for me, as the president of Seoul National University, to be giving a welcome address to the symposium held jointly by Hokkaido University and Seoul National University. In particular, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to President Hiroshi Saeki and other distinguished members of Hokkaido University, who have made today’s event possible. For the last ten years, these two institutions of higher learning have maintained a mutually beneficial and stimulating strategic partnership. As the president of Seoul National University, I strongly hope that this relationship will continue, and pledge to do my utmost to foster this partnership, which has endured over the past decade.
This year’s joint symposium is especially meaningful because it marks the tenth anniversary of the event. In Korea, we have a proverb that reads, “In ten years, the hills and rivers will change.” However, created in an era when the world changed very slowly indeed, this proverb no longer rings true today. On the contrary, this age is seeing cataclysmic changes due to the continued extension of globalization and the rapid development of science and technology. This is true also of the environment surrounding universities. Universities are facing an urgent need for internationalization and the consequent opening and merger of academic disciplines. Accordingly, Seoul National University has actively sought to transform itself in step with such a trend. No doubt, renowned universities around the world that have the mission of producing creative knowledge in this era of internationalization including Hokkaido University are faced with similar challenges.
The theme of the tenth joint symposium held by Seoul National University and Hokkaido University is “Energy, Environment and Sustainability.” In this rapidly changing world, the issue of the environment has increasingly come under the spotlight. Despite minor differences in the actual figures, experts predict that fossil fuel will be depleted within 40-50 years. Also critical is the problem of global warming, which has occurred with the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. All of these signs warn us that from a certain point in future, rapid development will no longer be feasible in the manner to which we are accustomed.
As demonstrated in the Seoul Declaration adopted during the Global University Presidents’ Summit held in October 2007 at Seoul National University, sustainability demands a revolutionary change in our views of development and the environment. It requires development that is nature-friendly. In addition, it means that we must consider not only our own generation but also as yet unborn future generations and reconsider now the direction and rate of development. As such, sustainable development demands not only diverse alternative energy sources but also innovations such as sustainable science and technology and sustainable design. Without a doubt, universities must be the leaders of all of these fields.
Recently, Korea witnessed its worst environmental pollution accident ever, in which a tanker ran aground, leading to the spillage of 10,000 tons of oil near Taean, on the west coast. Indeed, although the entire nation has come together to clean up the oil, some speculate that it may take two decades for the local ecosystem to be fully restored. The incident has demonstrated how devastating for the environment slight incaution can be. Of course, members of our university community have volunteered for relief work, and environmental experts at various universities are endeavoring to study the possible restoration of the local ecosystem. I, for my part, am proceeding with a plan to create a comprehensive research center that will conduct research on energy, the environment, and sustainability including the ecosystem of Taean under the leadership of Seoul National University. Such a research institute will set a good example of the use of global knowledge available to universities for the resolution of urgent local problems.
Distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen.
It is timely indeed that environmental experts, scientists, and engineers from both universities will be examining and discussing together the issues of the environment and sustainability at this year’s joint symposium. Once again, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for everyone who made the event possible and all distinguished guests who have come to Korea to attend the symposium including President Hiroshi Saeki. There is no doubt in my mind that, through this symposium, we will bear many fruits regarding the urgent issues of the environment and sustainability. Thank you.