Greetings from the Dean

Greetings. I am Hyun Chul Kim, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, and it is my honor to serve as Dean of the Graduate School.

Each time we pass through Stimson Hall, completed in 1920, there stands a figure we often overlook—the statue of Horace Grant Underwood. Whether on a tranquil autumn day veiled in rain or a crisp winter morning dusted with snow, we pass before him, perhaps without pause to reflect on his legacy.

Since its founding in 1950, Yonsei University Graduate School has graduated over 53,000 master's and 19,000 doctoral students, establishing itself as Korea's leading institution for advanced research and education. Today, we are home to approximately 13,000 students across 121 departments, 25 interdisciplinary programs, and 37 industry-academic collaborative programs—a vibrant community dedicated to the pursuit of truth and freedom.

Throughout our history—even during the trials of Japanese occupation and the Korean War—the Graduate School has persevered, nurturing generations of distinguished scholars who carry forward the Yonsei spirit.

As we navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the age of artificial intelligence, and an increasingly interconnected world, I firmly believe that rigorous academic inquiry remains our compass. The excellence of our faculty, researchers, staff, and students has never been greater. Despite shifting societal values, talented individuals continue to choose Yonsei, drawn by our commitment to meaningful scholarship and our willingness to engage boldly with the challenges of our time.

Our path forward requires both internal rigor and external engagement—deepening our scholarship while actively contributing to the broader society. Academic excellence and public service are not separate pursuits but unified expressions of our mission. In this way, we honor the vision of those who came before us, including the founder whose statue greets us each day.

I am committed to strengthening this path, and I invite you to join me in this endeavor.

Thank you.