Selected Speeches
Dr. Leeserved as the President of SNU from 2006 to 2010. These are selected speeches during his presidency.
Welcoming Address at the International Symposium for Active Learning and Independent Study (Oct. 8, 2009)
HIT: 54662
Welcoming Address
International Symposium for Active Learning and Independent Study
Dr. Jang-Moo Lee
President, Seoul National University
October 8, 2009
Good morning, eminent scholars, honored guests, and ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure indeed for me to welcome you to the International Symposium for Active Learning and Independent Study, organized by the College of Liberal Studies, Seoul National University (to initiate genuine change in higher education in Korea.)
I am very happy and grateful that (so) many distinguished scholars and teachers have come from both home and abroad to share their knowledge and experience and to explore better ways of educating our future leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for Professor James Wright, President Emeritus of Dartmouth College, for honoring us a keynote speech for this symposium. I also wish to give special thanks to Dr. James Finlay from Cornell University, Dr. Heesok Chang from Vassar College, Dr. Matthew C�t� from Bates College, and Dr. David Moore from the Gallatin School of Individualized Studies, New York University, for taking the time to fly to Korea for this occasion. Last but not least, I must also mention and thank Dr. Sung Bok Kim, Distinguished Service Professor at the State University of New York at Albany, for his invaluable help and advice ever since the birth of College of Liberal Studies of SNU.
The College of Liberal Studies has been established together with the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology in the hope that such new institutions would help young Koreans to overcome the perennial problem of rigid boundaries between disciplines and departments. Unlike most of their peers, students in this college are admitted without having to choose their respective majors at the time of application for admissions. Once admitted, they are given up to two years to explore diverse academic fields and approaches to discover and cultivate their aptitude and potential. They benefit from newly developed curricula and courses, which focus on developing critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills as well as a strong background in the humanities and natural and social sciences. They are given an opportunity to develop their character and sensitivity through various activities and extracurricular programs. In addition, they are free either to choose their respective majors from existing departments and programs within the university or to design their own fields of concentration.
However, we know very well that we have only made a beginning. Though we are very proud of what we have achieved during the last seven months, we are aware, too, that we cannot realize our vision simply by trying to provide the best teachers or by providing the best courses unless our students become active learners and pursue their studies independently. We know only too well that the realization of our vision depends on active learning. We therefore strongly hope that our students will become active learners, choosing their own themes and developing their own questions, and grow into global leaders with creative and independent minds who will be able to cross national as well as disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, we sincerely expect them to become men and women of character who are genuinely concerned with social justice and human rights. Our students are now very happy and proud to be freshmen in this new College, and I firmly believe that this small international symposium will be a big step into the future of higher education in Korea.
International conferences on liberal education have been held several times on this campus, but this is the first conference specifically devoted to active learning and independent study. I would like to thank Dean Kyung-hoh Suh and all faculty and staff members of the College of Liberal Studies for their efforts to make this happen, and many others who have generously given help in the process.
I hope you will have two most productive days of interesting and stimulating discussions. I sincerely wish that this symposium will be a great success not only as a chance to share knowledge and experience in higher education but also as the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation and friendship among fellow educators devoted to the most meaningful and worthwhile task of teaching and training our youths, who will shape our future.
Thank you very much.
International Symposium for Active Learning and Independent Study
Dr. Jang-Moo Lee
President, Seoul National University
October 8, 2009
Good morning, eminent scholars, honored guests, and ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure indeed for me to welcome you to the International Symposium for Active Learning and Independent Study, organized by the College of Liberal Studies, Seoul National University (to initiate genuine change in higher education in Korea.)
I am very happy and grateful that (so) many distinguished scholars and teachers have come from both home and abroad to share their knowledge and experience and to explore better ways of educating our future leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for Professor James Wright, President Emeritus of Dartmouth College, for honoring us a keynote speech for this symposium. I also wish to give special thanks to Dr. James Finlay from Cornell University, Dr. Heesok Chang from Vassar College, Dr. Matthew C�t� from Bates College, and Dr. David Moore from the Gallatin School of Individualized Studies, New York University, for taking the time to fly to Korea for this occasion. Last but not least, I must also mention and thank Dr. Sung Bok Kim, Distinguished Service Professor at the State University of New York at Albany, for his invaluable help and advice ever since the birth of College of Liberal Studies of SNU.
The College of Liberal Studies has been established together with the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology in the hope that such new institutions would help young Koreans to overcome the perennial problem of rigid boundaries between disciplines and departments. Unlike most of their peers, students in this college are admitted without having to choose their respective majors at the time of application for admissions. Once admitted, they are given up to two years to explore diverse academic fields and approaches to discover and cultivate their aptitude and potential. They benefit from newly developed curricula and courses, which focus on developing critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills as well as a strong background in the humanities and natural and social sciences. They are given an opportunity to develop their character and sensitivity through various activities and extracurricular programs. In addition, they are free either to choose their respective majors from existing departments and programs within the university or to design their own fields of concentration.
However, we know very well that we have only made a beginning. Though we are very proud of what we have achieved during the last seven months, we are aware, too, that we cannot realize our vision simply by trying to provide the best teachers or by providing the best courses unless our students become active learners and pursue their studies independently. We know only too well that the realization of our vision depends on active learning. We therefore strongly hope that our students will become active learners, choosing their own themes and developing their own questions, and grow into global leaders with creative and independent minds who will be able to cross national as well as disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, we sincerely expect them to become men and women of character who are genuinely concerned with social justice and human rights. Our students are now very happy and proud to be freshmen in this new College, and I firmly believe that this small international symposium will be a big step into the future of higher education in Korea.
International conferences on liberal education have been held several times on this campus, but this is the first conference specifically devoted to active learning and independent study. I would like to thank Dean Kyung-hoh Suh and all faculty and staff members of the College of Liberal Studies for their efforts to make this happen, and many others who have generously given help in the process.
I hope you will have two most productive days of interesting and stimulating discussions. I sincerely wish that this symposium will be a great success not only as a chance to share knowledge and experience in higher education but also as the beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation and friendship among fellow educators devoted to the most meaningful and worthwhile task of teaching and training our youths, who will shape our future.
Thank you very much.