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On February 20, at Hoyam Chapel, an HGU Entrance Ceremony for the 2017 students was held. About 2500 people, including freshmen, professors, and parents participated.
The ceremony was started with the opening ceremony by the Dean of Admissions and the Human Resource Department of HGU, Duphil Kang. Prayers, messages, a meal, the declaration by the freshmen, and the blessing song followed.
This year’s 803 freshmen undergraduate school students came from various locations. 25.2% belong to Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. 19.7% belong to Daegu and Geyongbuk. 13.7% belong to Busan, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan. 10.8% belong to Gwangju and Jolla Province. 11.6% belong to Daejeon and Chungchung Province. 3% belong to Gangwon and Jeju Island. 16% came from foreign countries.
Handong Global University is a small, strong private university. Students come from all parts of Korea and from other countries in the world.
Handong Global University has been implementing the free major system since 1995. Freshmen enter the school without deciding on their major or school. When the students become sophomores, they can choose two majors without any limitations.
Also, students who studied the human arts during their high school years can choose majors in the liberal arts field. Natural sciences major students can choose human arts. Double majors are mandatory so students can choose their one major from liberal arts and the other from the natural sciences.
In addition, during the second semester of 2015, the Free Semester System was adopted for the first time in Korea. The Free Semester System gives up to twelve credits for student activities outside the school. The system encourages creativity improvement, vison seeking, and career development through on-site experiences and personal participation. Students can replace their credits through on-site practice, internships, implementing projects , start-up activities, studying abroad, foreign culture learning, and social volunteer work both Korea and abroad.
Handong Global University is focusing not only on academic education but also on human character, spirituality education, the team system, honor code tests, social volunteer work, and purity declarations. These are traditions since HGU’s establishment. HGU is highly praised as a model school providing a new model for local universities in terms of students declaring ‘To change the world with diligence and honesty’ and ‘Let’s share based on what we have learned’.
In the opening ceremony, President Soon-Heung Chang said, “I would like to stress the dream that you, the future generation who are here today will dream for the future and will make the future become that reality. I hope that students can dream to be the people of Handong who resolve problems of neighbors and alleviate suffering by learning from each other. I would like to pray and encourage all the students to learn from their hearts to love their neighbors tirelessly. HGU is committed to nurturing the wisest talents in the world.”
According to Hyunseo Suh, the representative of the freshmen for the honor code declaration, “I really wanted to enter this school, Handong Global University to have a dream to change the world. I would like to make a better world after I study Law and International Studies and become an international human rights lawyer. I want to resolve the conflicts caused by religion and ideology.”
Under the slogan of ‘Dreaming Generation’, the freshmen participated in HanST, Handong Spiritual Training. They had special lectures, recreation, and an introduction to HGU, the Residential College system, and the Honesty Code to reaffirm the mindset of Handong.
