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2015년 총장 신년사
New Year's Presidential Greetings 2015

Dear Members of JNU Family!

At this time of year 2014 we challenged our peer universities to proclaim for Jeju National University to strive for Asia's prestige and global leadership. This proclamation went beyond the regional bound of our university to lead the development of Jeju International Free City toward a center of global importance.

We also worked hard to establish a long term creative infrastructure in strategically responding to the rapid changes in university extramural environment and societal demand last year.

Our efforts successfully resulted in some tangible reforms including a rational reduction of personnel necessitated by the infrastructual change. The reduction of faculty and staff positions was particularly painful, but I personally appreciate it was a decision we all felt necessary.

Jeju National University ranked fourth among nation's universities in educational conditions. Further, we were committed to continue improving the sustainable conditions for education.

We started construction and renovation of the campus buildings to house the College of Veterinary Medicine, Gymnasium, Sustainable Agriculture Research Center, and the College of Applied Life Sciences Hall.

Also, we were greatly successful in luring government sponsored projects. Our Leaders in INdustry-university Cooperation (LINC) project raised the grant fund totaling 5.1 billion won/year and earned an excellence rating two years in a row. JNU's Creative Korea (CK-1) proposal and Regional University Education Development of Core Technology for Performance project attracted 18 and 7 billion won for five years, respectively.

As the sole national university in the region, Jeju National University plays a critical role in education and training of the global leaders for the promotion of Jeju International Free City. Over 300 JNU students went abroad for exchange studies at our sister institutions last year, while more than 700 foreign students are getting education and doing research here at Jeju National University.

One of the crucially important tasks of my office is to raise extramural funds, as they are the nutrients needed for the growth of a university.

Fortunately, we were able to raise 106.7 billion won last year, extremely grateful to the donors.

Budgetary deficit is an annual norm, but the shortfalls have been particularly hurtful at Jeju National University in recent years. Revenues from tuition payments are always insufficient to meet the shortfalls. Yet, we cannot forget about investing in furthering the education and research programs. Consequently, extramural funds are a must, and every faculty and staff member must play a fair share of fund raising role.

We were pleased that emplyment rate of our graduates was high compared to our peer universities in 2014, and JNU students passed teachers' licensing tests at the top ranking percentage of 95.1% nationally. Equally impressive achievements were turned in by both medical and nursing students, again building reputation of JNU as a center of excellence in education and training.

A slight, yet significant increase from 39th in 2013 to 37th in 2014 in Joonang Daily Newspaper's institutional ranking was realized. Evaluative ranking of within 20th is our not far off, achievable goal.

I am grateful that these successes are credit to the members of the JNU family for their enthusiastic and dedicated efforts.

JNU members!

Reform is often an inconvenience.  However, we are bound to feel more pain in the future if we remain status quo without it.

Furthermore, ever keener recruiting for superior students, demand of the regional society for the leading role of a university for growth and development, and the need to reform and changes of the society all entail our cool-headed analysis and imaginative changes in university structure.

University reform policy stipulated by the Park Geun Hye administration, financial limitation imposed by the termination of University Support Foundation accounts, budgetary pressure imposed by the half tuition mandate, and others all require our strategic re-thinking and adjustment.

Now is the time to double our efforts to assess our abilities and rebuild the organizational system to meet the need to respond to the expectations of the society for the role and duty of a univeristy.

We have to abandon the old paradigm of status quo ante and prepare the foundation for a sustainable growth of the university through rationally improving the university structure.

Accordingly, as President of the university I must focus on assessing the capabilities and building the organizational system to develop of a sustainable university based on the following goals of four specific projects in the new year:

First, build a future-oriented and reform-minded organizational system.

We must overhaul the present system to make the JNU projects of striving for Asia's prestige institution successful. We must establish an efficient administrative system for the sustainable growth of the university and the training of creative personnel through organizational re-design and merit-based personnel management.

Second, prepare an institutional structure responsive to the external changes.

We lose the competitiveness if we fail to foresee the extramural environmental changes.

Therefore, rules and regulations necessary to pursue a sustainable structural reform, a strategic system for luring the governmental project grants, and a systematic evaluative system, must be put in place.

Third, strengthen the role of Jeju National University as a regional core national university.

We are committed to play the role of a university as the regional core institution through generation of regional industry and creative economy, personnel training meeting the regional industrial needs and pursuit of region's exemplary university-sponsored business projects.

Fourth, create new university culture.

To develop a sustainable growth of our university, we must create the "happy university community culture" through mutual communication and cooperation among the community constituents.

I propose a worldwide network of alumni through "JNU Community Members' Pride Up" project.

I am also enthusiastic about making the JNU campus the most beautiful one in the country. It includes not only the spatial and environmentald beauty, but also recognizes the harmony of community members with mutual respect and understanding.

Dear Members of the University Community!

We are reminded of the analects of Cponfucius "A mountain can be moved when minds of the people are united." In the same vein, we can realize the dream of achieving "Asia's prestige and a global center of excellence."

I sincerely call for your continued encouragement and cooperation in the new year.

And I wish you and your family the very best for happiness and health.

January 2, 2015 

Huh Hyang Jin, President, Jeju National University