Hanyang University stakes claim as Korea’s most global campus

Hanyang University President Lee Ki-jeong presents the university's vision during a press briefing at the university's main campus in Seongdong District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Hanyang University

Hanyang University is highlighting its global reach by launching an overseas alumni network — a first among Korean universities — while also hosting the country’s largest international student body.

“Globalization has long been our strongest asset — we’ve been debating our strategy since as early as 1999,” said Hanyang University President Lee Ki-jeong during a press briefing Tuesday.

More than 18,000 international students are enrolled per year in degree programs, short-term courses, summer and winter schools, and exchange programs at Hanyang’s Seoul and ERICA campuses. Of those, 6,634 are degree-seeking students while 4,411 join as seasonal or visiting students, supported by a global partnership network spanning 725 institutions in 82 countries.

The ERICA campus, one of Hanyang University’s two main campuses, is located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, outside Seoul.

Rather than simply boosting enrollment, the launch of the overseas alumni network is part of what Lee describes as “Globalization 3.0” — a phase in which universities move beyond recruiting international students to actively supporting their postgraduation careers and fostering global leadership.

“Under our Globalization 3.0 initiative, we are now focused on supporting and maintaining ties with our graduates overseas,” Lee said.

After establishing overseas associations in Shanghai and Beijing in recent years, the university is set to launch its first Malaysia chapter this week, bringing together some 350 Hanyang alumni.

The university also underscored its identity as a research-driven institution, having won two of Korea’s highly competitive Innovative Research Center projects — one in semiconductors and another in next-generation communications.

But its scientific accomplishments are not judged by publications alone. Hanyang has built a reputation for turning research into real-world impact, leading the nation in technology transfer and posting record numbers of corporate licensing deals. Its entrepreneurial ecosystem, fueled by both faculty and student startups, continues to expand well beyond campus.

That research performance is also reflected in international rankings. Hanyang placed 18 academic fields within the top 100 in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, and secured 44th in Times Higher Education’s (THE) Impact Rankings this year.

“I personally value the THE Impact Ranking because it evaluates how universities contribute to society,” Lee said.

That principle — ensuring that research extends beyond the laboratory and produces practical benefits — has become central to the university’s identity.

“We are truly proud when research translates into real social value,” Lee said, adding that this philosophy connects every part of the university’s agenda, from its global alumni networks and interdisciplinary education to commercialization and social innovation. He emphasized that Hanyang aims to operate not only as a research institution, but as a global community developing solutions for the real world.

Amid ongoing debates over artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education — intensified by a string of cheating scandals at top Korean universities — Hanyang is taking the stance that the technology should be integrated meaningfully, not superficially.

Lee said the school began preparing for AI adoption earlier than most competitors and is working to embed it across curriculum, research and administrative systems.

“We do not see AI as just a search tool or a shortcut to answers,” Lee said. “We see it as a tool to expand human thinking.”