Kyung Hee University
Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) (Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. Kyung Hee University is part of the Kyung Hee University System, which offers comprehensive education from kindergarten through graduate school. As of 2020, about 33,000 students were enrolled in Kyung Hee University. The university consists of 24 undergraduate colleges, 1 general graduate school, 13 specialty graduate schools and 49 auxiliary research institutions. The university offers a study  abroad program in partnership with 434 sister universities in 69 countries. Kyung Hee University is known for its College of Korean Medicine, which is considered a leading school in traditional Korean medicine and other traditional Asian medical practices. History. Kyung Hee University originated in 1949 as Sin Heung Junior College, a 2-year college. Amid the financial crisis of the Korean War, Young Seek Choue bought the struggling school in 1951 and had it accredited as a 4-year undergraduate college in 1952. In 1954, the graduate school was established. The college was renamed to Kyung Hee University in 1960 . The university hosted the 1968 conference of the International Association of University Presidents, first proposed in 1981 the UN International Day of Peace, organized the 1999 Seoul International Conference of NGOs, held the 2009 World Civic Forum, ran the 2011 UNAI-Kyung Hee International Symposium, and has spearheaded the Global Common Society movement. In 1993 Kyung Hee received the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. In 2006, Kyung Hee and the University of Pennsylvania initiated the Penn-Kyung Hee Collaborative Summer Program and two years later, a formal Global Collaborative with Peking, Ritsumeikan, and Moscow State universities, with the cooperation of  the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Conference of NGOs (CoNGO). Symbols. The university emblem is the Chinese character for "university" (it was changed in 2016 to the symbol of a book) and has a world map in the background. This symbolizes Kyung Hee's vision for globalization as well as an open mind and humanism for the world. The university character mark is visualized through the mane of the Laughing Lion, the torch which sheds light on the truth, and the dove, an international symbol of peace. Sports teams and various university promotional products use  the character mark to proliferate Kyung Hee's brand value throughout the world. Magnolia is the official flower of Kyung Hee University and the magnolia logo embodies the qualities that Kyung Hee stands for such as resilience, beauty, generosity, and unity. Academics. Notable academic programs. Traditional Korean medicine. Founded in 1948 as Dongyang College and reorganized in 1965 into the Kyung Hee College of Korean Medicine (KHKM), KHKM is one of eleven Korean medical colleges in the country, dedicated to the study of traditional medical practice. In 1972 its researchers demonstrated a drug-free acupunctural anesthesia. In 1998 Kyung Hee  established the International Studies of Korean Medicine to broaden its reach to international scholars. The following year it established the Graduate School of East-West Medicine Science (GSM) in order to blend Eastern and Western diagnostic methods. The College of Korean Medicine and the Graduate School of Medicine have integrated the two traditions within the Kyung Hee Medical Center and active collaboration occurs between the college and the biomedical engineering department on acupuncture therapy, chronic medical conditions, palsy, and geriatric diseases. The medical center is divided into the General Hospital, Dental Hospital, Korean Medicine Hospital, East-West Medical Center, and  the Medical Science Research Institute. In a 1999 study, the Kyung Hee Korean medicine curriculum consisted of 60 percent Eastern and 40 percent Western research and practice. Physical education. The Dept. of Physical Education at KHU was set up as the Dept. of Physical Education in Korea in 1949, and became a stepping stone to play a pivotal role in Korean Physical education. It was promoted to the college of Physical education upon completing the construction of the largest gym in Asia in 1955. The doctoral program was opened in 1980 for the first ever time in Korea. Currently, five  departments are operated within the college of Physical education: Physical Edu, Sports medicine, coaching, Golf management and Taekwondo. Campus. Kyung Hee University has three campuses. The university's original campus is Seoul Campus (245 acres), located in the Dongdaemun District of Seoul, and established in 1954. In 1979, the university established its second campus, the Global Campus (510 acres) in Yongin, near Suwon. In 1984, the university established its third campus, Gwangneung Campus (12 acres) in Namyangju, just outside of Seoul. Gwangneung Campus is home to the Graduate Institute of Peace Studies. Facilities. Central Museum. It was opened in October  1955 and later moved to the fourth floor of the central library building in November 1966 when the central library was completed. In 2001, it was registered as the 1st National Museum of Korea (Ministry of Culture and Tourism Registration No. 193) and then recommissioned and computerized the collections and launched the Internet search service in January 2004. Natural History Museum. Kyung Hee University's Natural History Museum is a museum established and operated by Kyung Hee University. It opened on June 13, 1978, and houses some 70,000 specimens and natural materials such as rocks, minerals, mammals, birds, insects, fish , and plants. Each category includes 1,200 rock and mineral samples, 5,000 bird and mammal samples, 50,000 insect specimens, and 4,000 plant specimens. Hye Jung Museum. The Hye Jung Museum is the first high-level museum to be established in Korea. From the 11th century to the 20th century, it has the largest collection of materials produced in Korea, including antique maps, lightings, and related historical materials. Programs. Global Collaborative. The Global Collaborative is a summer program that allows international students to attend classes led by scholars and engage in discussions about global governance and sustainability. The Global Collaborative is co -run by the University of Pennsylvania, Peking University, Ritsumeikan University and Moscow State University with the cooperation of the United Nations and the Conference of NGOs (CoNGO). Through research, education and modules on global governance, or sustainability and the environment, international students collaborate on research projects. World Civic Forum. Run as a join initiative with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the World Civic Forum (WCF) is a global institution that brings together academic institutions, international organizations, civil society, governments, the business sector and the media to create programs in education, research and practice related to the  challenges of making the world a better place to live. Held concurrently with the World Civic Forum, the World Civic Youth Forum focuses youth on contemporary global issues, civic values, engagement, and action. Global Service Corps. The Global Service Corps emphasizes peace studies in new forms of public service. Launched in September 2010, effort is placed on volunteering, social responsibility, social services, and regional and global engagement in areas such as rural farming communities, environment protection, and medical treatment of the disadvantaged. The program aims to seek means to address institutional engagement in global problems through research, education and practice , and media. Collaborations are with the United Nations, international NGOs, corporations, and other organizations. Global Studio Network. The Global Student Network links by the internet diverse institutes and individuals around the world to overcome communication beyond barriers of language and culture. The network works with both local and international organization to encourage discussion. Previous strands have included environmental issues and conflict resolution with the United Nations and UNESCO. Global Academy for Future Civilizations. The Global Academy for Future Civilizations is a set of international research organizations dedicated to creating a more humane civilization in the 21st century. The program works  with the United Nations and other organizations. United Nations Academic Impact. The university and the United Nations Academic Impact program seek to align institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting the principles of the UN in the areas of human rights, literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution. The Academic Impact also asks each participating college or university to demonstrate support of at least one of those principles each year. Rankings. For 2020, Kyung Hee University was ranked 6th in South Korea, 40th in Asia, and 247th in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings. The university 's Hospitality and Leisure Management program was ranked 50th in the world in 2018, the highest of all of the school's program areas.