단국대학교

MOU with IBM Korea for ‘special cloud-based cognitive computing technology program’ Dankook University and IBM Korea signed an MOU to apply IBM’s cloud development platform, Bluemix, and introduce a special program designed to innovate curriculum and academic systems leveraging cognitive computing. Dankook University and IBM Korea will cooperate with each other and leverage IBM Bluemix to 1) develop courses for cognitive computing education, 2) conduct challenge programs for students, faculty and the SW-Design Convergence Center, and 3) utilize cognitive computing toenhance administrative efficiency for academic programs. IBM Bluemix is a platform that provides cognitive computing technology such as IBM’s own AI system Watson, through modules (API) for students and developers alike to use in developing new applications. Building on the fact that Watson is currently developing and will launch aKorean language version starting next year, Dankook decided to apply the system to education reform tailored to the needs of students. Such cognitive technology will be used for processing basic student information and services with the ultimate goal of later applying more advanced artificial intelligence to support individual students with details on classes by major, designing student schedules and providing career guidance. In particular, voice services will be supported to allow students to access such services beyond traditional language, time and space constraints. The services will go on to be a part of student-oriented educational reform that offers customized majors for individual students.

Global reputation in the field of silk research for biomaterial and tissue regeneration Professor Subhas Kundu, who is a world-renowned scholar in the field of silk research regarding biomaterial and organ regeneration, has been appointed as a visiting professor Dankook University. Professor Kundu will be in charge of global research and education at the DKU Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering. A professor of biotechnology at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), professor Kundu has opened a new horizon over the past 20 years research using silk as a medical material and for tissue regeneration. Professor Kundu was one of the founders of the department of biotechnology at IIT and is considered one of the leading figures in India in biomaterial and tissue regeneration research. In particular, he has helped advance the use of silk not only in pre-clinical basic research, but also as for practical purposes. He has built a global research network over the past three decades that spans the U.S., the UK, Germany, Austria, China and Australia, and is expected to contribute to the globalization of relevant research here at Dankook University.

The President of DKU’s College of Business & Economics Alumni association, Shin Yong-su, and nine other alumni visited the Jukjeon Campus on June 1st to deliver a donation of 220 million KRW to University President Chang Hosung for the university development fund. The development fund is expected to be used to support students selected by the College of Business & Economics alumni association. The College of Business & Economics alumni association made its first donation of 5 million KRW in 2013 followed by 4 million KRW in 2014, and another 5 million KRW in 2015. This year, the association carried out a campaign and came together to collect funds to help current students study in a better environment, significantly increasing the amount of funds donated. President Shin said “Dankook University’s College of Business & Economics has nurtured numerous male and female leaders in our society and in Korea,” and went on to explain the background of the donations as being used “to support various students at the College who are unable to fulfill their dreams due to financial difficulties, so they can focus on their studies and realize their potential to contribute to the future society.” In addition, he shared his hopes for “the donations of the College of Business & Economics to serve as a trigger that can start a donation boom among alumni of other colleges within the university, as well.”

Recognized for his 27 years of contribution to academic and cultural exchanges with Hungary and efforts in promoting the Korean language On Monday, May 9th, Dankook University President Hosung Chang received the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit, which is the highest honor that can be presented to a foreign civilian by the Hungarian government. Dr. Hosung Chang went to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics as a visiting professor in 2010. President Chang signed cooperative agreements with Hungary’s first national university, ELTE, and Semmelweis Medical School in 2011, as well as with the University of Pécs in 2015. He has played a key role in facilitating cultural exchanges between the two countries, for example when he led the Dankook University Traditional Dance team to perform at the Hungarian Palace of Arts in 2014. Dr. Chang has also taken the initiative to spread the Korean language. Some of his endeavors include going to ELTE University as a visiting professor in the department of Korean language in 2013, delivering Korean language textbooks prepared by Dankook University in 2014, and hosting the ‘Dankook University President Korean Language Speaking Contest’ in 2015. Upon receiving the merit, Dr. Chang commented that he “will work even harder in the future for practical exchanges between Korea and Hungary across various fields, including economics, politics, science, sports and culture, etc.”

Eight multinational corporations including GM Korea and Pfizer Korea participated The ‘8th AMCHAM Innovation Camp’ was held at the Cheonan Campus International Conference Hall on April 28th to offer college students mentoring and advice on employment and entrepreneurship. Dignitaries at the event included Dankook University President Chang Hosung, parliamentarian Park Chanwoo, Cheonan City Mayor Koo Bonyoung and representatives of member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (“AMCHAM”). CEOs and executives from eight multinational corporations participated by providing lectures and mentoring sessions. Some notable speakers were AMCHAM Chairman James Kim (President & CEO of GM Korea, and chairman of the board), Chairman Jeffrey Jones of AMCHAM Partners for the Future Foundation, AMCHAM Korea President John Schuldt and Pfizer Korea President & CEO Dave (Dongwook) Oh. In the first session, AMCHAM President John Schuldt, Pfizer Korea CEO Dave Oh and GM Korea CEO James Kim took the stand. Not only did they offer advice to students on how to sharpen global competitiveness, but after the lecture they also held a Q&A session where students and the corporate leaders were able to freely communicate with each other. The following second session consisted of small group mentoring between students and the CEOs where each business leader sat down with around 20 students and shared insight on how to build careers, engaging in intensive discussions. AMCHAM, which was founded in 1953, is a non-profit organization that was established to expand and promote business and trade between Korea and the U.S. The organization plays an advisory role to Korea in devising policies for economic development, providing support for the unemployed and their families, and offering vocational training and internship programs.

More than fifty start-ups developed in two years with eighty patents filed and registered, generating 4.1 billion KRW in revenues Dankook University was selected as a ‘general start-up leading university’ in the Small and Medium Business Administration’s (SMBA) ‘2016 Start-up Leading University Cultivation Project.’ Thus far, Dankook University has received a total 5.7 billion KRW (an average of 1.9 billion KRW annually) in government funds since being first selected for the project in 2014. During the past two years, Dankook University has helped found around fifty start-ups (including prospective start-ups), generating approximately 4.1 billion KRW in revenue. More than eighty patents have been filed and registered, as well as sixty new job opportunities created. Dankook currently offers the most courses related to start-ups in the nation, and has nurtured entrepreneurs through the ‘the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon) Hackathon (start-up training and a start-up competition for prospective entrepreneurs)’ event. Start-ups which have attracted recent attention include interactive smart toy manufacturer Attocube (CEO Han Sangtaek) and fitness software player ‘Fit’ (CEO Hong Seokjae) both of which are businesses that were incubated at the ‘Hall of Worthies Hackathon.’

Korean celebrities Tak Jae-hoon, Jang Dong-min, Park Na-rae and Jang Do-yun become Dankook University freshmen in Spring 2016 to experience college life. The first episode aired at 11pm on Saturday, April 16, and will continue to bring campus life into homes every Saturday. Comprehensive programming channel Channel A’s newest entertainment program, “Back to School” started filming at Dankook University’s Jukjeon Campus on March 23rd. “Back to School” is a reality show where celebrities Tak Jae-hoon, Jang Dong-min, Park Na-rae and Jang Do-yun, who did not have the chance to participate in college life, become college freshmen to experience campus life--attending classes, club activities, and more! Tak Jae-hoon and Jang Dong-min join the College of Arts and Design’s Department of Ceramic Arts for one semester while Park Na-rae and Jang Do-yun join the College of Education’s Department of Physical Education. The cast shared their excitement for taking classes and meeting new friends as they visited Dankook University for the first time. “Back to School” will air every Saturday night starting with its premier on April 16, bringing the passion of college campus life into the homes of its viewers.

Forty-five third-year medical school students put on their doctor coats and pledged their commitments to professionalism before starting clinical practices. Medical school professors and parents attend the ceremony to encourage the future physicians. The White Coat Ceremony was held in the main auditorium of the Cheonan Campus medical school on March 24th, 2016. Forty-five third-year medical school students attended along with the Assistant Director of Dankook University’s hospital, Jaeil Kim, the Dean of Dankook University Medical School, Sahng-june Kwak, as well as medical school professors and students’ parents. The ‘White Coat Ceremony (WCC)’ has become a ritual for third-year medical school students as they put on white doctor coats before starting their clinical practices. The ceremony signifies the students’ commitment to professionalism and their dedication to becoming the best doctors they can, pledging to always place the dignity of human life and the health of patients above all. In addition to the donning of the white coats, the ceremony also included a part where students were presented with stethoscopes. Students then took the Hippocratic Oath as student representative Kyung-won Yoo took the stand to read the ethical code of medical physicians. Sahng-June Kwak, Dean of Dankook University Medical School, encouraged students, saying he “looks forward to students striving to learn medical knowledge and skills while undergoing self-development to grow into capable physicians who will contribute to the advancement of healthcare and medical sciences.”

Dankook University and Yongin Seobu Police Station are cooperating with a joint initiative, a foreign student safety patrol volunteer group called “Woori-pol”, which was launched on March 24th. The joint cooperation will involve night patrolling around colleges in the Yongin area and crime prevention campaigns. Dankook University and Yongin Seobu Police Station are working together join forces and target crime prevention against foreign students. On March 24th, Dankook University held the inauguration ceremony for Woori-pol, the Dankook University Safety Patrol Volunteer Group for Foreign Students’ at the Yongin Seobu Police Station. Woori-pol will start patrolling to prevent crimes and to help foreign students settle into university life in Korea. More than 70 people attended the ceremony including Dankook University’s Vice President of External Affairs, Kang Daeshik, Commissioner Choi Byung-bu of the Yongin Seobu Police Station, Dean of External Affairs, Kim Yongbin, Assistant Vice President for International Affairs, Chang Woohyeok, and head of the security department at Yongin Seobu Police Station, Koh Wonsik. Composed of 51 foreign students from various countries including China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Kazakhstan, Woori-pol plans to regularly carry out night patrols in college neighborhoods around Suji-gu, Yongin where many foreign students reside and to also conduct crime prevention campaigns. The head of the foreign student volunteer group, Feng Wusheng, a 3rd year student in the Dept of Polymer Science & Engineering, commented “we are committed to creating a safer environment for the foreign students, specifically by taking into account misunderstandings which may occur due to cultural and social differences. For example, we are beginning a campaign to prevent drinking in public places, which may be common in some cultures.”

Professor Lan Chung (Department of Architectural Engineering, Head of the Remodeling Research Institute) was selected for the ‘Super Tall Building R&BD Center project’ planned by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA) and sponsored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT). The research team led by Professor Chung will receive 20.2 billion KRW in research funds from December 2015 until June 2020 for 4 years and 6 months to develop domestic engineering technology for ultra-tall skyscrapers that meet world-class standards. Professor Chung’s team will head the ‘Project for the Development of Ultra-tall Building Design and Construction Technology to Lead the Global Market.’ With full support from the government, the project will endeavor to develop advanced technology to lead the world’s ultra-tall skyscraper industry by 2020. The research team will play a central role in developing design and progressive construction technology regarding ultra-tall buildings including ▲ the development of globally cutting-edge technology for ultra-tall buildings, ▲ the development of high value-adding source technology based on ICT convergence·automation, ▲ the development of core technology to support companies regarding ultra-tall buildings, ▲ the development of ultra-tall building core technology for entering overseas markets, and ▲ the development of a global support infrastructure model for ultra-tall buildings. Ultra-tall skyscrapers are a high value-adding industry resulting from the integrations of the most advanced architectural technologies. The Global R&BD Center project is a mid/long-term research project of MOLIT designed to support outstanding research groups with unparalleled competitiveness in the global market through more systematic assistance. The project is composed of two stages and will receive funding for 10 years. The second stage will begin after rigorous evaluation of the first 5 years of stage 1. Professor Chung and his team plan to concentrate on advancing ultra-tall skyscraper design and construction technology through this project, as well as strongly supporting the technology business of SMEs and medium-sized firms to enter overseas markets. In short, the project is tailored to support these smaller companies that have been at a disadvantage in entering overseas markets in the advanced skyscraper businesses. Professor Chung commented that “the Ultra-tall Skyscraper Global R&BD Center project has made it possible to not only enhance the position of Korea’s construction industry in the world, but also to develop the core technology-intensive skills needed for constructing ultra-tall buildings. It will support the technology independence of small and medium-sized firms in Korea while opening doors for them to enter overseas markets.”

Eleven current students and graduates of Dankook University’s College of Law succeeded in enrolling in law school programs in 2016. This is the largest number since the law school system was first introduced to Korea in 2009 and is the first time the number has recorded double digits. The College of Law has continuously produced successful candidates of the National Bar Exam while also striving to increase the number of students accepted by law schools. As law schools become the main route to entering legal professions, the College of Law recently set up a preparatory class to support students’ efforts to continue their studies at law school. As a result, the number of successful candidates which stood at only 2~4 in 2014 increased to more than double in 2015, accomplishing double digit success rates in a relatively short period of time. Following the news about this year’s successful candidates, Dankook’s systematic program, which manages and supports students from the moment they enter Dankook guiding them toward achieving their law school admission goals, is coming into the spotlight. This includes a quality curriculum allows students to graduate only when they have done their utmost in studying their major of law, as well as various mentoring systems that enable close communication between professors and students. In addition, regular networking meetings hosted by the College of Law allow opportunities for alumni currently serving in legal fields, students currently enrolled in law school and current students of the College of Law to meet and exchange knowhow and experiences with each other, a process which helps students with their studies and in establishing a sense of identity.

Dankook University’s College of Pharmacy achieved the remarkable feat of having all of its students who applied for the 2016 67th National Pharmacy Board Exam, pass the test. This marks the second year in a row as last year the School’s first graduates also recorded a 100% pass rate. At the 67th National Pharmacy Board Exam that was held on January 22nd, 1,772 (prospective) graduates of 6-year university pharmacy programs passed the exam, recording a 94.8% success rate. All 31 students enrolled in their 6th year at Dankook University’s pharmacy program were among the successful candidates. The College of Pharmacy, which opened its doors in March 2011, saw its first graduates last year and continues to excel at fostering outstanding and professional talent in the field of pharmacy. The College of Pharmacy along with the College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, University Hospital and Dental Hospital, form a medical bio cluster which creates synergy through convergent research and education programs. Dankook’s College of Pharmacy is growing as a regional mecca in pharmacy education with a focus on nurturing industry and clinical pharmacists.

The fifth air ambulance in Korea hits the field following launching ceremony on January 27th Dankook University Hospital is starting operations of a ‘Doctor Helicopter’ emergency air ambulance service. The air ambulance will be assigned to remote areas using a system where doctors board the helicopter within 5 minutes of calls. The service is being provided by South Chungcheong Province and Dankook University Hospital, supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The launching ceremony was held at the 5th floor auditorium and rooftop of the hospital building at 1pm on January 27th. Members of the local community joined to celebrate the start of services and shared hopes for its safe operations. Doctor Helicopter is a cutting-edge emergency medical system consisting of various emergency medical equipment and carrying an emergency medicine physician and nurse (Level-1 emergency medical technician) to provide immediate emergency treatment to patients upon arriving at scenes until they are moved to an emergency medical institute. The South Chungcheong Province Doctor Helicopter is the 5th of its kind in Korea and will be positioned at Dankook University Hospital which has an emergency medical center and trauma center, as well as a helipad and tarmac to start official operations on January 28th. With Doctor Helicopter, Dankook University Hospital will be able to build a quick transport system for severe emergency patients in areas hard to reach, looking forward to reducing the death rate of patients suffering from the top 3 emergency symptoms; severe trauma, myocardial infarction (MI) and cerebrovascular diseases. In particular, the time needed to transport emergency patients from islands along the Western Sea is expected to be shortened significantly. For example, compared to the 4 hours it previously took from Oeyeondo Island in Boryeong (direct distance 120km) to Dankook University Hospital by sea and land, Doctor Helicopter will shorten the trip to 60 minutes.

Rising star of Korean men’s figure skating, Lee June-hyoung (freshman, Department of International Sports Studies), received the highest score ever in the men’s single free skating program at the ‘70th Korean National Men and Women’s Figure Skating Championship’ held at the Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul from January 8th to 10th. As a result, he took the championship title for two years in a row. Lee stood at first place with 75.10 points during the short program on January 9th and went on to score 148.62 points the following day during the men’s single free skating program. With an overall total of 223.72 points, Lee excelled to grasp the men’s singles championship title, not only renewing his personal best score, but also reaching a record-high for the Korean men’s single free skating program. Ahead of the competition, Lee had difficulty practicing after suffering an injury which left him to receive 8 stitches in his right leg. The stitches were removed on January 4th, and Lee successfully overcame the hardships from his injury with his strong determination. Some points were deducted from his first triple axel jump due to an unstable landing, but all of his other jumps were clean allowing him to retain the championship title.

Evaluated by HIRA as Class 1 in terms of quality of gastric cancer surgeries Also rated highly in terms of use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and treatment of acute strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases etc Dankook University Hospital was rated first-class by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (hereinafter HIRA) in its first ‘evaluation on quality of gastric cancer surgeries.’ On January 6th, HIRA announced the results of its evaluation of 9,969 gastric cancer surgeries that were performed across 201 medical institutions nationwide. Surgeries were screened based on 19 categories including medical talent, surgical process and operative mortality rates etc, grouping the institutions into 5 different classes. Dankook University Hospital achieved a perfect score in 15 categories, resulting in a total 99.77 points which is higher than the average for other similar sized general hospitals (97.25), thus receiving a Class 1 grade. In particular, according to an article in the Joongang Daily based on data from HIRA, Dankook University Hospital was one of the leading ‘laparoscopic partial gastrectomy’ performers in Korea at the third lowest cost. The reason for low costs can be translated into shorter periods of hospitalization for patients and less unnecessary procedures. Prior to this announcement, HIRA’s evaluation on disease treatment also selected Dankook University as Class 1 in various areas. It received the highest level in the ‘evaluation of acute strokes,’ taking the honor as a ‘first-class hospital for acute strokes for 6 years in a row.’ With a total score of 100 points, Dankook not only obtained the highest Class 1 level, but was also selected as the most outstanding institution and received an additional monetary reward. Dankook also received Class 1 in the ‘evaluation on the use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis.’ This assessment is to identify how antibiotics are used during surgeries, as well as evaluate its abuse and misuse. Here, Dankook scored 98.6, exceeding the average of the top 20% of hospitals (97.2). Dankook was first-class in HIRA’s initial ‘evaluation on the quality of treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD)’, as well. It was the only hospital in South Chungcheong Province to obtain Class 1 status and scored 85.29 which was far higher than the overall average of 53.89.