Kwangwoon University


Kwangwoon University is a comprehensive, coeducational and private research university in Seoul, South Korea. And there are undergraduate and graduate programs. The foundation is Kwangwoon Academy, an incorporated educational institution. As of 2019， there are 11,500 undergraduates and 1,292 graduate students. Nearby subway station is Kwangwoon University Station, Seoul Metro Line 1.
Kwangwoon University has been recognized for its academic reputation in engineering and IT fields.
Kwangwoon University was ranked 56th in Asia in field of Engineering in the 2014 and 2015 by Quacquarelli Symonds
and ranked 16th in Korea in field of Science and Engineering in 2015 by Korea Economic Daily Among its alumni are Jongkyun Shin , Jae Ryung Lee and Inbee Park.

History

1934-1987

Kwangwoon started as Chosun Radio Training Center established to promote the advancement of radio technical knowledge and understanding, independent of government and free of Japan. It was renamed in 1940 as the Chosun Institute of Radio Engineering.
Started as Dong-guk Electronics College in 1962, the school became Kwangwoon Institute of Technology in 1964 and a four-year granting Kwangwoon University in 1987.

1980-1995

After Hwado Kwangwoon Cho died in 1980, with the effort of Musung Cho and many faculties and students, the school became a comprehensive university in 1987. Since then, the Kwangwoon University's reputation and fame heightened as the first educational institution to start wireless communication school and the first school to offer electronics classes to college students in Korean history. Until 1995, the university was ranked top 10 overall and top 3 in the engineering fields in South Korea.
Kwangwoon as a Businessman
Hwado Cho,Kwangwoon was a gifted businessman. He started out as an employee at a Japanese general merchandise store. Gaining experiences from an attorney's office as a translator & administrator, as a taxi driver, at a rice exchange office, and as a cotton store owner, when Kwangwoon was only 18 years old he obtained so much wealth that he was well known in the Incheon city as a rich boy.
Having lived during the period of Japanese colony, Hwado Cho, Kwangwoon was also involved in the Korean independent movement in Shanghai, China during his teen age. However, the independent movement leader recognized that Cho, Kwangwoon's talent lay in the academia and suggested to him to study abroad to contribute to the Korean education field so that Korea can be independent from the enforcement of Japanese teachings. Then, the boy was sent to Japan to enroll at Waseda University's department of politics & economics, at the time the only private university in Japan.
However, after much contemplation, he dropped out from Waseda University in his sophomore year; he noticed that South Korea's state of affairs at the time was in chaos and figured that he should do something different for his country instead of just continuing his education in Japan. He first started with obtaining wealth, although he pondered for a moment whether to get into automobile or electronics business, he predicted the lamp reform from increasing electricity usage in the country and decided to get into electronics business. Thereafter, he opened Kwangwoon Electronics Company in Bongnae-dong, Seoul. And from well-known companies such as Matsushita Electric Industrial Company and Toshiba, Kwangwoon received the right to sell their products; Kwangwoon Electronics Company had branch office from entire Korean peninsula and stretching out to Manchuria of today. Although not well published, Hwado Cho, Kwangwoon brought the incandescent light bulbs to Korea for the first time in Korean history since Thomas Edison invented it in 1879; in the early 1900s Korea's main source of light was the lantern.
Friendship with Konosuke Matsushita & Laying the groundwork for Kwangwoon University
Kwangwoon Cho in his 20s and until 1934 was already running multimillion-dollar businesses and the acquaintance with Konosuke Matsushita, probably was a turning point in his life. Through distributing Matsushita Electric Industrial Company's products to Kwangwoon Electronics Company, Matsushita was so moved by Kwangwoon's diligence that he gave the entire right to sell his products to Kwangwoon and their companionship grew. Besides being a business partner, Matsushita and Kwangwoon's close friendship is betrayed through Matsushita sending 10,000 Yen golden plate to Kwangwoon during Korean War in 1950 as a concern for his safety and for further success in his business. In the 1930s when still Korea under Japanese rule, Konosuke Matsushita asked Kwangwoon to remain as his business partner to further enter the Korean market; however, Kwangwoon denied his offer, thinking the only way for Korea to gain true independence from Japan is through our own education; he showed regrets when he had sent his employees to Japan for technical training abroad and the most talented workers would remain in Japan and had never returned. In a search for autonomy and to retain his employees, Hwado Cho, Kwangwoon established the wireless-communication school in 1934 to develop Korean-born technicians. The school later became Dong-Guk Electronics College, Kwangwoon Electronics College and Kwangwoon University of today.
Birth of Kwangwoon University as a forerunner in Wireless-Communication & Electronics in Korea
In the beginning, Kwangwoon had no plans to expand the school to a university or even a college level; until he made his decision to make advancement to a college and a full-blown university, the school remained as a technical high-school that offered wireless-communication and electronics training only. However, constant requests by his second son to expand the technical high-school to a college to contribute further to the South Korea's Information & Technology business and education in general moved Hwado Cho, Kwangwoon's heart. And as the first president of Kwangwoon University from 1988~1993, Dr. Cho, Musung, with his contributions to the school in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2010 respectively, he led Kwangwoon University to one of the top engineering schools in Korea.
Today there are eight colleges in Kwangwoon University: College of Electronics & Information Engineering, College of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, Division of Korean Language and Literature, College of Social Sciences, College of Law, College of Business, and College of Northeast Asia. Located in Wolgye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Kwangwoon University carries out international exchanges and cooperation programs with 83 universities worldwide in the areas of education and research.

2014 Kwangwoon's 80th anniversary

This year is Kwangwoon University's 80th Anniversary.
In 1934, Kwangwoon Foundation started as Joseon Radio Technical Institute. Now the foundation hold responsible for all levels of education in Seoul, Korea: Kwangwoon Kindergarten, Kwangwoon Elementary School, Namdaemoon Junior High School, Kwangwoon Junior High School, Kwangwoon High School, and Kwangwoon University. 13,928 students, 986 faculties and 142,225 alumni all celebrate the 80th anniversary together and promise bright future of Kwangwoon's 100th and 1,000th anniversaries ahead.

Academia

Kwangwoon University emphasizes practical studies. This university emphasizes the science of science and engineering, and most of departments in the natural sciences and the liberal arts are related to practical studies. this university is a science and engineering-centered school, so there is the academic tradition that the academic technology is more important than the academic clique. the administrators, professors and the students do not focus on the gaze, the evaluation, and the publicity, but only concentrate on the academic research and the studies.

Campus introduction

Kwangwoon Hanlimwon
Kwangwoon Institute for Advanced study was established to enhance academic research at Kwangwoon University. Activities conducted at Kwangwoon Institute for Advanced study include research on interdisciplinary and fusion studies, academic exchanges with domestic and foreign educational and research institutes, collection, organization, and compilation of research materials.
Teaching & Learning Center
The Teaching & Learning Center provides support in teaching learning methods, media, and e-learning.
Kwangwoon University newspaper
Established in 1967 with the motto of "Straight viewpoint and sound argument," Kwangwoon University newspaper is published biweekly with the editing guideline of horizontal writing and all-Korean writing. It is distributed to students, faculty, and staff of the university as well as alumni, all high schools nationwide, universities's press, and companies.
Kwangwoon Image Broadcasting Center
As part of the media in Kwangwoon University, Kwangwoon Image Broadcasting Center was established for the production and airing of broadcasting-related contents. Through "Media Kwangwoon", the center broadcasts programs such as "Kwangwoon News," "Our Visible World," and "Visible Radio." Production is done by undergraduate students. The center is used for the training of professional broadcasting manpower such as announcer, anchor, and broadcasting reporter.
Educational Broadcasting Station
A subsidiary organization of Kwangwoon University opened in 1967 for the purpose of announcing notices, reporting events, refining education, and promoting orderly life, the Educational Broadcasting Station involves students in the work as one of their extracurricular activities.
Donghae Arts Center
Named for university supporter Dr. Cho, Musung as his pen-name, Donghae Arts Center for the performing arts has recently undergone a 400,000 renovation to benefit the university’s theater and to impact our local community through arts and winter sports. Intended to bring creativity to the university and its surrounding community, the center offers teaching, lecturing, and performance areas that include Small Hall on the 1st floor, Big Hall on the 2nd & 3rd Floors and Ice Rink in the basement for everyone who enjoys the sport of ice skating. As the largest size hall in Northern Seoul and the first university ice rink, the DAC’s contribution at the local and national level is immeasurable bringing live arts and winter sports to the university and its surrounding community. The center is open all year around except Korean New Year and Thanksgiving days.

Global Capability Reinforcement System

Kwangwoon University introduced the English certification system, and gives lectures in English in 33% of the classes of major subjects as of 2011. Since 2011, freshmen have to achieve a degree of proficiency in a second foreign language before graduation. In addition, exchange agreements have been signed with universities worldwide.

Career programs

Company-supported programs
Career Development Programs

Cross-National Institutes and centers

College of Electronics & Information Engineering

As the largest college in the electronics and information engineering field, the College of Electronics and Information Engineering of Kwangwoon University provides field-oriented engineering education and it aims to produce practical, creative, globally competitive and technically specialized individuals who can lead the knowledge-based, 21st century.
It is the largest college for software in Korea. With the best systems and capabilities, Kwangwoon University’s College of Software and Convergence Technology is nurturing the most needed software convergence experts in the modern industry.
Kwangwoon University’s College of Engineering aims to produce specialized individuals who can effectively apply their basic theoretical knowledge and successfully compete in the global environment, through practical education that offers field-applicable knowledge and through intensive, practical studies that promote development of creativity
Under the goals of ‘producing independent and self-reliant individuals with new knowledge’ and ‘providing education that values practicality, creativity and field-relevant education’. Kwangwoon University’s College of Natural Sciences aims to provide education and carry out research on academic knowledge and application our society demands and to produce well-rounded specialists who can contribute to the betterment of our society and humanity.
Kwangwoon University’s College of Business aims to produce professional managers that can lead this highly competitive, globalized and informatized 21st century of ours.
Kwangwoon University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences aims to produce leaders who can apply their humanistic insights and knowledge to open up new future and society according to the changes we see in our information era and individuals who can creatively look into, study and analyze social phenomena.
Kwangwoon University’s College of Law and Public Policy produces global individuals who can lead Korea and the international community and well-rounded individuals equipped with a sound legal judgment, administrative capabilities and global competitiveness.

College of Northeast Asia (Abolished)

In 2008, The college of northeast Asia was established. However, due to the education ministry's order, each department has been banned from accepting new students since 2016. Therefore, the three departments were relocated to the college of business, the college of humanities and social sciences and the college of law and public·policy, respectively.
Kwangwoon University has signed Agreements with several international Universities.

Germany

Kwangwoon University does not care about publicity, but the awareness of this university has started to increase significantly since 2013.
The reason is that in 2013, the Sungbuk station was changed to Kwangwoon University station and much train bound for Sungbuk station was changed to Kwangwoon University station.
The reason for the renaming is that Seongbuk Station is located in Nowon-gu rather than Seongbuk-gu, so there was a margin of confusion, the nearby places‘ names were already being used at other stations, the landmark of a location around KWU is only Kwangwoon University, and the overwhelming support of the local residents. There is also a story that the Monte Green phenomenon, in which the train bound for the Sungbuk is heard as rape.
And the operation distance of the train bound for Kwangwoon University station is wide. In the case of the up line, there are many trains going from Incheon / Cheonan / Shinchang to Kwangwoon University station, and downward trains from Soyosan to Kwangwoon University station.
So most of the stations have signs for Kwangwoon Univ. Station and announcement for Kwangwoon Univ. Station.
Seoul Metro Line 1 has many major stations. Major stations such as Gwangmyung, Gassan Digital Complex, Guro, Shindorim, Noryangjin, Seoul Station, Yongsan, Jongno, City Hall, Dongdaemun, Cheongnyangri, Sogi, Changdong, and Uijeongbu And because there are many transit stations, the utilization rate is high.
In addition, the University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, Kyunghee University, Seoul City University are located on Line 1, so many students have to take on the train for Kwangwoon University station for commuting the university and their house.
That's why Kwangwoon University's reputation has risen sharply in Seoul and the metropolitan area.
For reference, it takes 7–8 minutes on foot from Kwangwoon University to Kwangwoon University station.

Student activities and awards

Student activities

Academics
International Awards
National Awards
SPORTS

Business, technology, and finance