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Overview History

The early years of Seoul National University was marked by trials and tribulations during a time of turmoil. After gaining independence from Japan in 1945, a hundred dignitaries of the Korean Education Council proposed opening a national university by making use of the Seoul Imperial College buildings.

Gaining support of the Korean officials working at the Education Department of the United States Army Military Government, a proposal to establish “Seoul National University” was formally announced on July 13, 1946, and was formalized in an Act to establish Seoul National University on August 27, 1946.

Following the Act, Seoul National University opened in October of 1946 with nine colleges and one graduate school. The Colleges included were those of the Humanities, Engineering, Agriculture, Law, Education, Commerce, Medicine, Arts, and Dentistry

Overview History

However, a lot of students and professors objected to the idea of opening a national university, leading to a campaign to oppose establishment of the national university. This demonstration spread throughout the country, involving 57 universities and more than 40,000 students. However a counter-campaign supporting the establishment of a national university arose as well, demanding that classes continue. As a result, 4,956 students who started the demonstration were expelled in May of 1947, 3,158 of whom were readmitted to the university on Independence Day of the same year.

The University was finally able to resume classes in September of 1947, after a year of chaos. On Independence Day of 1948, Seoul National University changed its official Korean name to “Seoul University” signifying a brand new start. Unfortunately, the challenge to establish a national university continued. Due to the Korean War in 1950, the University had to evacuate and relocate to Busan. Along with other private universities that had evacuated to Busan, the University formed a “War-time United University System” which lasted from February of 1951 to May of 1952. With the disassembly of the system in June of 1952, the University established its main campus in Busan

Overview History

Even during this time of evacuation, the faculty and students worked hard to expand the spectrum of learning for students: the College of Pharmacy was established in September of 1950; the College of Art was divided into the College of Fine Arts and College of Music in April of 1953; the Department of Veterinary Medicine in the College of Agriculture was made into the College of Veterinary Medicine. As a result, the university became an integrated educational institute with 12 colleges and a graduate school.

Overview The SNU spirit

Seoul National University honors the ideals of liberal education and aims to teach studentsa lifelong love of learning that will form the basis for continuous personal growth.

Overview The SNU spirit

At the same time it is committed to preparing students to work and live

in an increasingly competitive global environment. As South Korea's first

national university, Seoul National University has a tradition of standing

up for democracy and peace on the Korean peninsula.

Graduates have long served as public servants in key positions of the

Korean government. In teaching, research,

and public service, Seoul National University continues to set the

standard of excellence.

Overview The SNU spirit

The mission of Seoul National University in the twenty-first century is to

create a vibrant intellectual community where students and scholars join

together in building the future. As Korea's leading research university,

Seoul National University is committed to diversifying its student body

and faculty, fostering global exchange, and promoting path-breaking

research in all fields of knowledge.

Colleges

College of Humanities

The College of Humanities at SNU is dedicated to teaching and fostering advanced research in all areas of the humanities. The College of Humanities is divided info fifteen departments ranging from language and literature to history and philosophy. The study of the humanities provides an intellectual and moral foundation for a human-centered information society. The College of Humanities was officially inaugurated in 1975, when the existing College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was divided into the College of Humanities, the College of Social Sciences, and the College of Natural Sciences with the creation of the new Gwanak campus

It has served as a rich foundation on which other academic disciplines can flourish. The College of Humanities operates the Institute of Humanities, Institute of American Studies and three other specialized research centers. Each department has state-of-the-art language laboratories and libraries to support students' pursuit of knowledge. Alumni include prominent scholars and leaders in the fields of journalism, culture, civil service and politics. Recently, many students have been expanding their scope and exploring other new areas such as regional studies and cross-cultural research.

College of Social Sciences

The College of Social Sciences at SNU was the first social sciences college to be founded in Korea. The College offers courses on political science, international relations, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, geography, social welfare and communications. Its aim is to train its students to provide leadership in such diverse fields. The College of Social Sciences has nurtured many leaders in public, political, media, and cultural arenas. It boasts distinguished alumni, including UN Secretary-General Ki-moon Ban.

Graduate Programs at the School of Social Sciences foster talent through courses taught in English, workshops, academic exchange and sponsorship programs. Research institutes affiliated with the College of Social Sciences include the following: the Center for Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Research, Institute of Communications Research, Center for International Studies, Institute of Psychological Sciences, Institute for Social Development and Policy Research, Institute for Korean Regional Studies, and the Institute for Gender Research..

College of Natural Sciences

The College of Natural Sciences is not only responsible for educating natural science majors but also provides the fundamental scientific knowledge involved in science education for the College of Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Education, and College of Pharmacy. The graduate program has received strong support from the Ministry of Education, which has generously subsidized student tuitions and provided a better environment for research under the so-called Brain Korea Project (BK21).Currently more than 200 faculty members and 1,500 graduate students are working hard to produce research results of very high caliber. In 2005, prominent scholars evaluated the College of Natural Sciences at SNU and concluded that it ranks among the top twenty to thirty colleges internationally. Alumni of the College of Natural Sciences continue to blaze new trails in their ongoing research in academic settings and state-run as well as private research institutes. They are contributing to Korean society not only in the innovative fields of industry, as technicians and executive officers, but also in the fields of civil service, journalism and law

College of Nursing

The College of Nursing originated as the

Department of Nursing within the educational

division of Daehan Medical Center (1907). It was

incorporated into Gyeongseong Imperial

University under Japanese colonial rule, and was

finally re-established as a three-year nursing

school within the College of Medicine at SNU. It

became the Department of Nursing with a four-

year curriculum within the College of Medicine in

1959, and was finally established as a full-fledged

college of nursing in 1992 as a national educational

institution for the further development of nursing

science.

College of Business Administration

The objective of the College of Business

Administration is to educate students to

become competent and professional business

administrators with the ability to make

efficient decisions. The College focuses on the

systematic study of management principles

and practical techniques that are applicable to

real-life business. Moreover, students are

encouraged to think innovatively and to

develop insight into the social role of business,

as such capabilities are essential to become

competent exe

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering seeks to nurture leaders

and engineers talented in the areas of science and

technology. In the undergraduate program, the

emphasis is on training engineers who will be

instrumental in introducing new technologies and in

improving productivity to fulfill the needs of high-tech

industries. The graduate program, on the other hand,

focuses primarily on training the next generation of

engineering professors and researchers in pursuit of

maintaining academic excellence and making

contributions to society.

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

As the cradle of Korean agricultural science,

the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

boasts a century-long tradition. The College

carries the important mission of training elite

professionals and developing academic

excellence through research on the latest

theories and techniques, and 22,886 alumni

(17,354 undergraduate, 4,201 graduate, and

1,331 doctoral) are now serving society in

various areas. They are playing a leadership

role in fields closely related to life sciences,

such as bioengineering, environmental

sciences, economics, sociology and education.

Famous Graduates

An famous actress

Famous Graduates

ZhongYi Luo

Famous Graduates

JiWen Pan

Scenery of SNU