계명대학교

    It is an incomparable honor for me to give the Inaugural Address as the 13th president of Keimyung University. I would like to express my profound gratitude and utmost respect to all of the distinguished guests gracing the event with their attendance, to the Rev. Dr. Chung Soon Mo, the honorary chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Emeritus Kim Nam Seuk, the chairman of the Board, other Board members, and Dr. Lee Jae Ha, the president of the Keimyung Alumni Association.

    Marking the 125th anniversary of the founding of the university, the Board has just reappointed me to the presidency of the university. They have done so despite my numerous administrative and other mistakes. I presume to think that the appointment is an act of advice and consent that I continue to implement and correct various administrative and personnel policies that I initiated, as well as a statement of encouragement to educate the students in our charge to become outstanding instruments of God for human societies.

    In spite of the fact that higher education now faces extreme uncertainty of a dire future, the reason for existence of an entity called “Keimyung” rests mainly upon our will to explore the outer reaches of the spirit of education, service and dedication. We understand quite well that social institutions, including the universities, that have no creative and explorative will to further the growth of man will just become obstacles to the progress of man.

    Thus, the creative will nurtured by our predecessors has become the fundamental genetic structure of both the intellectual heritage and the quotidian life of Keimyung University. We must always remember that the existential symbol of Keimyung is “Bisa,” the flying lion, that overcomes all types of vicissitudes and soars high towards the ideal contents and forms of education for our students and research for their future.

    In a sense of extension of our endeavors, I remember a passage from T.S. Eliot’s “Little Gidding”:

    We also shall not cease from exploring what our manifest identity is. And at the 125th junction of our exploring, we begin to come to understand that the totality of the educating, creating and healing being called “Keimyung” is a rare and blessed, singular and distinctive institution charged with a comprehensive cultural mission for our students that transcends time and place.

    We are an unique species and our duty is to instill our students with the sense of value that the purpose of their lives cannot be achieved solely by realizing the triadic dreams of graduation-marriage-career. Regardless of the fact that they may only spend but a few years of their lives here, their efforts should be directed towards the creation of their uniquely individual portraits on the canvas of Tabula Rasa.

    The ship called Keimyung has just come to a brief anchor in a harbor. To reach the next harbor, it must sail through rough seas of Mobility Campus development. Our ship may seem too small and fragile a boat to carry out its task and cross the sea, but the inner strength that can overcome all vicissitudes resides inherently in the intellectual and spiritual constitution of all Keimyung people.

    We must realize, however, that the necessary condition for our existence rests upon neither political might nor economic power nor our own individual greatness, but on our correlated will that transcends all individual prerogatives and priorities. We must clearly understand that the driving force behind our incorruptible will to education, research, and service originates from our Lord.

    I have long served this institution with a happy and grateful heart, and, with God’s help and your support, I will continue to do so. I most fervently hope that as unified educators for the kingdom of truth, justice and love, our ship successfully breaks through the pending problems concerning population decline and increasing cost of higher education.

    Most humbly I pray that all of you who are present here today support and encourage Keimyung as it charges forth on its future course. As the author of Ecclesiastes might write, one generation goes and another generation comes, but the halls of learning are forever alive, and the sun of Keimyung that opens the light to the world will rise again with its passionate brilliance.

    May the Lord bless the future of us all who are present here and also all His instruments in the mission of education, healing and service with His grace of unbounded peace, health and prosperity.

    Thank you very much.