Dear new students of 2025, welcome to Seoul National University. I am delighted to congratulate you on becoming part of our community.
We approach the end of a longwinter, for which the words turbulence and upheaval cannot fully convey the magnitude of the challenges faced both within and beyond our country. As this moment marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, I am filled with profound joy and honor in welcoming each of you, our new students, to Seoul National University.
I must commend you for your effort. You have all dedicated yourselves toward the goal of getting here, and you made it. Now, with the start of your journey at the university, you will found yourselves at a crossroads. Just as we cannot visit every city in the world or read every book in the library, we cannot take every path that lies ahead. You will need to decide with care which areas to focus on, which courses to take, and what extracurricular activities to pursue. These moments of reflection and decision will accumulate into invaluable experiences, and, over time, they will nourish your growth.
The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Seoul National University's integration. In 1975, fifty years ago, the 13 colleges that had been scattered around Seoul began to gather here, at the Gwanak campus. The university started with 15 colleges and 88 departments, and has since undergone remarkable growth. As of 2025, the number of colleges, departments, majors, and courses at SNU exceeds 430. It would not be an exaggeration to call SNU a micro-universe that studies, teaches, and practices almost everything in the world. This universe is continuously expanding and becoming more interconnected. As the world rapidly changes and becomes more complex, there is more and more knowledge to learn, more questions to ponder and answer, and problems to solve.
Today, the Gwanak campus is filled with more than 220 buildings, but in the early days of the "Gwanak Era,” there were only 24 buildings. Those buildings, which were scattered across the barren land on the western foothills of Gwanak Mountain, have multiplied into hundreds, and have evolved into the grand campus we see today.
According to complex systems theorist Stuart Kauffman, the development of small, simple elements into large, complex structures and systems happens gradually through the exploration of adjacent possibilities. The concept of the "adjacent possible” that he proposed provides new insights into the innovations occurring in material, life, science, technology, culture, and society. Science writer Steven Johnson also explains "the adjacent possible" like this. "Imagine a small room. When you open the door and step inside, you find doors leading in all directions. As you open one of these doors, another room appears, filled with more doors.” Through this repetitive process, a single room evolves into a vast building that approaches infinity. The development of science, technology, and civilization is the result of humanity's persistent efforts to creatively combine the available resources in a limited reality.
As you take your first steps on the Gwanak campus, I hope you won’t find yourself aimlessly wandering the halls, unsure of which room to choose, and ultimately giving up on opening a door. Without a small, simple beginning, adjacent possibilities could not even exist. Innovation, which expands remarkably through a network of connections, also starts in just one room. Choosing which room to enter first, and which door to open once inside, is not like choosing an answer in a balance game. With each moment of choice, branches of possibility may stem out in various directions, but over the course of the long journey, those paths might reconnect. The ways to connect one room to another are nearly infinite, and I hope your university life will be filled with such exciting discoveries.
Your journey begins with the “SNU Common Curriculum.” The goal of this curriculum is not merely to prepare you for major courses or to acquire fragmented knowledge. Through this experience, you will develop the ability to think deeply, make independent judgments, express yourself with individuality, and cultivate the capacity to empathize with others and put your thoughts into action. The newly launched SNU College will play a pivotal role in this educational innovation. It serves as an innovative platform that provides "common core competency education,” "convergence education,” and "global education” to all SNU students, regardless of their department or major. As freshmen, you will be the first generation to personally experience the groundbreaking changes in the educational system at Seoul National University.
"Intellectuals who open the future with challenge and empathy.” This is the vision of SNU college. Which room will you enter, and which door will you open in this micro-universe? Be bold in exploring the unknown. We will support and encourage all the struggles and decisions you make to navigate new possibilities and discover new wisdom through convergence. The most certain "adjacent possibility” today are the classmates sitting next to you. Though they may seem strange and unfamiliar now, your cohort will soon become companions, helping each other to broaden your world in ways you cannot yet imagine. So, let’s begin this journey together—greet each other and start your first day at Gwanak with pride. Once again, congratulations on your matriculation!
February 27, 2025
RYU Honglim
President of Seoul National University