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Dankook’s 73rd Anniversary Ceremony and Joint Memorial Service for DKU Founders
Writer 글로벌전략팀 방민혁
Date 2020.11.20
View Count 1,041
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During the morning on Monday, November 2, 2020, a joint memorial service took place in the Convention Hall of the Dankook History Museum on the Jukjeon campus to commemorate 56 years since the passing of DKU founder Beomjeong Chang Hyong and 73 years since the passing of Hyedang Cho Huijae. The ceremony was held in compliance with COVID-19 social distancing guidelines and disinfecting procedures (e.g. taking temperatures and making sure all participants work masks). Over 100 people attended, including Chairman Choong-sik Chang of the Dankook University Foundation Board, DKU President Soo-bok Kim, university officials, and family members, in remembrance of Dankook’s founders and to relive the motto behind the founding of the university.




“As the achievements of Mr. Beomjeong Chang Hyong and Mrs. Hyedang Cho Huijae offer great lessons to future generations and have virtuous influence, we ask for your blessings,” read Dr. Choong-sik Chang in his oration during the ceremony.


After the memorial service, the 73rd anniversary ceremony for Dankook University was held at the Nanpa Music Hall. Due to the novel coronavirus, this year’s ceremony was held with less than 100 participants including only faculty members, special guests, and recipients of the Dankook University Anniversary Award. Participants looked back on the proud history of the university and shared their wishes for Dankook to march forward toward a brighter future.



“Dankook University was born following Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule while Korea was caught between external powers and undergoing deep sorrow from division of the peninsula. However, the intelligence and strong willingness of our founders to educate are what drove Dankook to take the lead in running the school based on democratic principles,” said Dr. Choong-sik Chang. He also asked for “efforts from our professors, faculty members, 230,000 alumni, and students who are working hard to defend the frontline of education to unite in the name of tradition and innovation to support the university in leaping toward becoming a prestigious global educational institution.”



DKU President Soo-bok Kim also made a speech expressing his “appreciation to all the members of the Dankook community who have been part of the university’s history with honor and glory for the past 73 years,” and also said that “[the university] will make further strives to build a student-centered advanced curriculum and smart education infrastructure to nurture talent to take the lead in the fourth industrial revolution and post-coronavirus world.” “[We] will do all that we can to prepare for an IT-based, student-oriented education system that includes implementing stronger infrastructure for remote learning, expanding open online platforms, and increasing online diploma programs as part of the university’s mid-to-long-term development plan, ‘Dynamic Dankook 2027,” added President Kim.


“As Dankook celebrates its 73rd anniversary, I look forward to my alma mater building an innovative learning environment guided by its founding spirit of national salvation, self-reliance, and independence, which will enable it to take another leap toward becoming a prestigious institution in fostering creative talent fit for the fourth industrial revolution,” said Sang-bae Lee, president of the DKU Alumni Association. He went on to say that “I will also do my utmost to serve as a bridge between Dankook and our alumni to bring together the potential of the 230,000 Dankookites.”



A dedication ceremony also took place with the university’s affiliate organizations and researchers. Professor Moon-sik Kim, head of the Institute of Oriental Studies, presented the largest volume of the ‘Idu Korean dictionary (1 volume)’ in Korea, and Director Hyeon-su Kim of the Toegye Central Library donated a copy of ’70 years of the Dankook University Library (2 volumes)’ that covers the history of the library. In addition, faculty members who have been with the university for 10, 20, or 30 continuous years were recognized at the anniversary ceremony along with professors and administrators who contributed to the advancement of the university.