Jeong Kap-young Yonsei president

By Na Jeong-ju

Yonsei University President Jeong Kap-young will announce a plan to make the school one of the top universities in Asia in a speech today to mark its 127th anniversary.

The centerpiece of the plan is the “residential college” system it has adopted at the Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon. Under the plan, professors and students will live together in the dormitory so that they can interact at a deeper level after school.

It’s to integrate living and learning, thus helping students build their character, according to Jeong, an economics professor.

“The system will help students of all social and cultural backgrounds learn to appreciate diversity, and foster the ability to cooperate and communication skills,” Jeong said.

After becoming the school’s president on Feb. 1, Jeong called for the third founding of Yonsei to make it one of the best schools in the world. Under the vision, he aims to nurture global leaders and enhance distinctive characteristics of campuses in Sinchon in Seoul, Wonju in Gangwon Province and Songdo to generate cross-campus synergy in education and research.

The first founding represents the establishment of Jejungwon, a medical institution, in 1885. The following year, the Underwood School was founded by Horace G. Underwood, a Presbyterian missionary, to give learning opportunities to orphans.

The second founding came with the merger of Yonhi College and Severance Medical School under the name of Yonsei University in 1957.

“Based on the achievements made since 1885, we must exceed today’s standards of a world-class university,” Jeong said.

Jeong has invited a group of decedents of Horace G. Underwood to the school to share his vision and ideas. The Underwood family will visit Korea in late May, he said.

The school plans to initiate a reconstruction project soon to turn the Sinchon campus into an eco-friendly learning environment by 2015.

Jeong said he has invited a group of decedents of Horace G. Underwood to the school to share his vision and ideas. The Underwood family will visit Korea in late May, he said.