Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
INTERVIEW Handong Global University seeks to build worldwide Christian academic network
Handong Global University President Park Seong-jin speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the president's office at the university campus in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, May 21. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Jung Da-hyun
Pohang school plans joint degrees with Christian institutions in US
Handong Global University in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, is pursuing a globalization strategy that goes well beyond conventional student exchanges — aiming to become a hub connecting Christian universities, professionals and organizations across the globe.
“We envision the university becoming a hub that opens a new chapter in global Christian higher education by expanding partnerships not only with institutions in advanced countries, but also with universities across developing regions, including Africa and South America,” Park Seong-jin, the university's president, told The Korea Times in a recent interview.
Park said the school plans to establish joint-degree programs with leading Christian institutions in the United States, including Liberty University and Wheaton College, to deepen academic collaboration and global connectivity.
"Our goal is to create a campus where Handong students can venture out into the world while talented students from across the globe come to study at Handong," he said.
Park said his vision is for Handong to become a platform where students can connect with Christian institutions and professionals from around the world.
"I believe the university's mission in this era is to build the world's largest Christian network platform — one that connects churches, mission centers, Christian alternative schools, retired missionaries, Christian professionals across various fields and Christian startups, both in Korea and abroad, through Handong University," he said.
Park emphasized that the initiative is rooted in a bottom-up approach rather than a university-led model.
"The key is not for the university to dictate the direction, but to ask students, faculty members, businesses and mission organizations how they want to utilize this platform, and then allow them to develop programs and ideas organically," he said.
He added that his ultimate goal is to turn Handong into a global playground powered by interconnected Christian networks, where students can pursue their aspirations — whether in entrepreneurship, missions or other fields — and find the people, resources and opportunities needed to bring their visions to life.
Students at Handong Global University attend a special lecture delivered by a professor from Calvin University in Michigan, May 19. Courtesy of Handong Global University
Multidisciplinary education for AI era
The university's globalization strategy is also closely tied to its vision for higher education in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Park argued that universities should move beyond simply delivering knowledge and focus on helping students develop the ability to identify problems and design solutions.
“In the AI era, execution will increasingly be automated, but the ability to conceive ideas and design systems will become even more important,” he said. “What society will need are people who can understand technology while also understanding humanity.”
The university has sought to prepare students for that future through its longstanding emphasis on multidisciplinary education. Unlike many universities where double majors are optional, most Handong students are required to pursue more than one field of study, a system Park said helps cultivate the broad, cross-disciplinary thinking increasingly demanded in the AI era.
Park believes this approach positions the university well for an era in which the boundaries between science, engineering, humanities and social sciences are becoming increasingly blurred.
“Future leaders will need the ability to move across different domains of knowledge, much like Leonardo da Vinci,” he said. “The people who thrive in the future will not be those who simply possess information, but those who can connect ideas and create new possibilities.”
An industry-academia cooperation forum is held at Handong Global University following the introduction of an Nvidia artificial intelligence accelerator system, the first of its kind at a Korean university, May 7. Courtesy of Handong Global University
Knowledge and spirituality
Beyond academics, Park stressed that higher education must continue to cultivate qualities that cannot easily be replicated by machines.
The university's humanity and intelligence education model combines academic learning with character and spiritual development. Under the framework, students take faith-based courses, attend chapel services and participate in mentoring programs that bring together students from different academic disciplines and grade levels.
“Technology must ultimately serve people,” Park said. “Knowledge, character and spirituality should not be separated. Universities should help students develop all three.”
He also expressed concern that many young people enter university after years of intense academic competition without having sufficient opportunities to reflect on their purpose and aspirations.
“Too many students arrive believing that exam scores determine their value,” he said. “Universities should help them rediscover their dreams, understand their calling and gain the confidence to pursue it.”
Park added that global experiences play an important role in that process. He hopes students will increasingly engage with different cultures and societies through the university's global partnerships, broadening their perspectives beyond the highly competitive environment often associated with Korean education.
Students, faculty and staff from diverse national backgrounds participate in the Festival of Nations, a multicultural celebration held at Handong Global University, Nov. 15, 2025. Courtesy of Handong Global University
Looking ahead, Park sees the university's diverse international student body as another key asset. The university attracts students from a wide range of countries, including many children of missionaries and students from developing regions.
As Korea becomes a more multicultural society, he believes universities will play an important role in shaping new forms of social cohesion.
“In the future, community identity cannot rely solely on shared ethnicity or bloodlines,” he said. “We will need new values that bring people together across different backgrounds.”
Park said Christian values can serve as a unifying foundation in an increasingly multicultural society. He hopes the university will become a place where students from diverse national, cultural and personal backgrounds learn to live and work together while building a shared identity rooted in common values and purpose.
“Universities should prepare students not only for careers, but also for citizenship and leadership in a global society,” he said. “If Handong can help connect people, ideas and opportunities across borders while remaining rooted in its Christian mission, I believe it can make a meaningful contribution to both Korea and the world.”
Graphic by Bae So-young