Sogang takes first steps into a new four years

-President Sim Jong-hyeok holds proactive discussions with alumni and donors

for the future development direction of Sogang-

For the past two months, President Sim Jong-hyeok, the first president as an alumni priest who began his term on February 1, 2021, has held various discussions that will shape the future of Sogang, together with alumni, donors and people from all walks of life.

President Sim expressed his gratitude to alumni and donors for their generous support for Sogang. Emphasizing his resolve to innovate and develop the university while listening to the will and heart of the alumni at all times, he requested their continuous and active cooperation. In addition, to enhance the university’s competitiveness, a lively discussion was held on ways to strengthen academic excellence while managing external indicators.

• Meeting Sogang's Proud Benefactors, “Alumni CEOs”

Chairman Kwon Hyuk-bin (Electronics ’92) of Smilegate and the Hope Studio Foundation, CEO Kim Duck-yong (Electronics ‘76) of KMW, CEO Kim Sang-soo (Economy ‘81) of Soo Value Co., Ltd., Chairman Hong Seong-yeol of Mario Outlet, CEO Rho Si-chul (International Trade ‘73) of Interojo Inc., CEO Namkoong Whon (Management ‘91) of Kakao Games Corp.

At the center of the development of Sogang, there are alumni CEOs of preeminent companies in society who have generously supported their alma mater both materially and morally. Through meetings with industry-leading alumni pioneering their fields of expertise, President Sim took the time to build a foothold and gather strength to create a differentiated university in the future. At each meeting, Executive Vice President Song Tai-kyong of Academic Affairs, Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of Research & External Affairs, Vice President Jeong Ok-hyun for Public Affairs, and Vice President Kim Kil-sun for Budget and Planning were present to share their opinions. 

▲ (From left) Vice President Jeong Ok-Hyun for Public Affairs, Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of Research & External Affairs, Chairman Kwon Hyuk-bin of Smilegate and the Hope Studio Foundation, President Sim Jong-hyeok, Executive Vice President Song Tai-kyong of Academic Affairs, and Kim Young-ki, Head of Management Support Dept. of Smilegate (Mass Communication ‘92)

Kwon Hyuk-bin (Electronics ‘92), the founder of Smilegate Co., Ltd. and CEO of the Hope Studio Foundation, visited the president's office on March 26. Also called an ‘evangelist for start-ups,’ Chairman Kwon founded Smilegate in 2002 and developed the first-person shooter game Crossfire, and he is always mentioned in the American magazine Forbes’s ‘South Korea Rich List’. Last year, Crossfire was highly praised for its growth as a global cultural content and leading the diversification of intellectual property rights such as dramas and movies, and it was the first in the game industry to receive the Order of Cultural Merit Bo-gwan from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

Chairman Kwon contributed 1.5 billion won in 2013 to establish the ‘Smilegate Art & Technology Center’ at the university, encouraging students' creative convergence education and research. In November of last year, the ‘Rev. Villarreal Memorial Scholarship’ for students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was established with the fund, and it continues to support the students every semester. In recognition of his contribution to improving the educational environment, he was selected as the '60th Anniversary Achievement Award Winner of Sogang University' last year.

Alumnus Kwon is expected to take on a key role as the chairman of the ‘Sogang Development Committee’ based on his leadership from founding Smilegate and leading it to a world-class company.

▲ (From left) Vice President Jeong Ok-Hyun for Public Affairs, Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of Research & External Affairs, CEO Kim Duck-yong of KMW, President Sim Jong-hyeok, Executive Vice President Song Tai-kyong of Academic Affairs

CEO Kim Duck-yong belongs to the first generation of Korean venture companies as he founded KMW Co. Ltd. in 1991, a mobile communication base station equipment company (listed on the KOSDAQ market in 2000). Since Sogang’s establishment, he was the first to receive an ‘Honorary Engineering Ph.D. (2008)’ and was also selected as ‘Sogang’s Excellent Talent in Electronics’ (2012). From 2013 to 2016, as the 29th president of the university’s alumni association, he served for the mutually beneficial relationship between the school and alumni, and until now, he has donated large sums of funds such as the electronic engineering development fund to the university.

CEO Kim, who gave his full support by donating the development fund (in stocks of KMW Inc.) to run the 'ICT Convergence Disaster/Safety Research Institute' at Sogang, met with President Sim on April 6. By sharing an anecdote of his direct involvement in the production of high-performance rescue lights at the time of the 2018 Sewol Ferry Incident, he emphasized his sense of vocation in the field of disaster and safety, and expressed his view that Sogang can contribute to society through research related to this area. In addition, he suggested ways to cultivate human resources by breaking down the walls of each academic field, and spared no advice for Sogang's financial soundness.

▲ (From left) CEO Kim Sang-soo of Soo Value Co., Ltd. (February 22) and Chairman Hong Seong-yeol of Mario Outlet (February 26)

CEO Kim Sang-soo (Economy ‘81) of Soo Value Co., Ltd., who met with President Sim on February 22 in the president’s office, is the only person included in the unique ‘Ignatius Club (for donors who have given more than 5 billion won in the past 10 years)’ of Sogang Honors Club, a proper Donation Hall of Fame. He was also the first to receive the Proud Sogang Entrepreneur Award (2011). In addition to scholarships including the 'Kim Sang-soo Fund' as well as development funds to create an excellent research environment for the Department of Economics, such as the 'Geppert-Nam Duck Woo Hall Building Fund', he has continued to make generous donations for the development and growth of the school, including the Emmaus Hall Expansion Construction Fund and Publishing Department Development Fund. CEO Kim is expected to participate as a member of the Sogang Development Committee and contribute to the future design of Sogang.

On February 26, President Sim visited the head office of Mario Outlet located in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul to meet with Chairman Hong Seong-yeol of Mario Outlet. Chairman Hong completed the Opinion Leaders Program in the Graduate School of Economics and the Graduate School of Management's Chief Executive Officer course at the university, received an honorary doctorate, and contributed greatly to the establishment of the Geppert-Nam Duck Woo Hall of Economics. Chairman Hong is leading the industry with an endless spirit of challenge, having won the grand prize in the fashion outlet category at the ‘2021 National Consumer-Oriented Brand Award’ hosted by Dong-A Ilbo for the second consecutive year. As a future member of the ‘Sogang Advisory Committee,’ Chairman Hong is expected to demonstrate this spirit of challenge and help to overcome the difficulties faced by not only Sogang but also many Korean private universities.

▲ (From left) CEO Rho Si-chul of Interojo Co., Ltd. (March 24) and CEO Namkoong Whon of Kakao Games Corp. (March 25)

On March 24th and 25th, a constructive conversation was held with CEOs from the School of Business Administration who contributed to developing the undergraduate school and raised the reputation of Sogang Management.

In a meeting with President Sim, CEO Rho Si-chul (International Trade ‘73) of Interojo Co., Ltd., who served as the 31st senior vice-chairman of the general alumni association, commented on the fact that Sogang alumni are highly regarded in various fields of society. He said, "It is necessary to improve the school's external image by actively promoting successful alumni and star professors, making it a driving force for development."

Chairman Rho has been donating about 440 million won, including the ‘Park Tae Wi Scholarship,’ from 2002 to the present. The Park Tae Wi scholarship fund was established by Chairman Rho to commemorate the educational spirit and love of disciples of honorary professor Park Tae Wi, who retired after serving for more than 30 years at the University of Business Administration. Since 2005, the scholarship fund has supported excellent business students with a 6 million won grant for tuition and living expenses every semester. 

Meanwhile, on March 25, CEO Namkoong Whon (Management ‘91) of Kakao Games visited the president's office. During his time as the CEO of Wemade Entertainment, CEO Namkoong achieved the highest global sales in the Google Play Store by introducing games such as Wind Runner, Candy Fang, and Viking Island in KakaoTalk. Currently, as the CEO of Kakao Games, he is expanding the business to comprehensive sports such as home training and healthcare through games and IT technology.

CEO Namkoong, who showed his love for his juniors by actively communicating with them through “Sogang Univ.,” the largest community of Sogang University on Facebook, announced that he would actively participate in the Sogang Development Committee.

• Visiting people from all walks of society who energize the new start of Sogang

Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, National Assembly member Suh Byung-soo (Economy ‘71), Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-cheol of Dongwon Group, President Kwon Kwang-seok of Woori Bank

   
Meanwhile, President Sim visited figures from political, economic and religious circles who added strength to the new beginning of Sogang, and had an occasion to listen to their support and advice.

▲ (From left) Visits to Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung (March 4) and National Assembly member Suh Byung-soo (March 3)

President Sim visited Myeongdong Cathedral on March 4 to express his gratitude to Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, who gave a video congratulatory speech encouraging his new beginning at the Inauguration Ceremony of the 16th President of Sogang held on February 23. Their conversation touched on the difficult reality of Korean universities, based on which President Sim plans to actively review ways to expand exchanges between Sogang University and The Catholic University of Korea for a win-win relationship.

After graduating from the Department of Economics, Mr. Suh Byung-soo received a Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School of Northern Illinois University. As an economic expert who won the 1st Proud Sogang Entrepreneur Award (2011) and the Korea Economic Leader Award (2017), he served as the 6th popularly elected mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, and has also served as the 16th to 19th and 21st National Assembly Member from 2002 to the present. Mr. Suh has been actively participating in events held by the university, such as the Alumni Sponsorship Night, and as a member of the Sogang Advisory Committee, he is planning to take part in the discussions on designing the future vision of Sogang.

▲ (From left) Visits to honorary chairman Kim Jae-cheol of Dongwon Group (February 19) and president Kwon Kwang-seok of Woori Bank (April 9)

President Sim also met with business figures who consistently support Sogang's education and development. On February 19, he visited the honorary chairman Kim Jae-cheol of Dongwon Group for an interview. Based on a unique philosophy for character education, Chairman Kim has donated about 550 million won in development funds in connection with running the ‘Knowledge, Character, and Management’ course opened in the school's business department.

On April 9, President Sim visited the headquarters of Woori Bank to meet with Woori Bank President Kwon Kwang-seok. Woori Financial Group has been supporting Sogang’s environmental improvement construction expenses for buildings such as Emmaus Hall, Mary Hall, and Bellarmino Dormitory, and the construction expenses of emergency stairs for Ricci Hall through development funds. In 2017, the group fully supported Sogang’s 'Smart Campus Project' and has built smart administrative infrastructure by developing and upgrading various systems for groupware and academic administration, as well as the school’s major applications. Through this, Woori Financial Group has maintained a close relationship with the school.

• A forum held for developmental discussions to establish an innovative industry-academia collaboration strategy

Former Chief of Research & Business Development Foundation (Professors Heo Nam-geon, Seo Jeong-yeon, Lee Tae-soo and Lee Seung-hoon), CEO Kong Kyoungchul (Machinery ‘00) of Angel Robotics    

President Sim announced his development plan prior to his inauguration, emphasizing the preparation of realistic alternatives to revitalize research capabilities and secure financial soundness. To explore practical industry-academia collaboration development plans for the first half of 2022, such as re-entry to the LINC+ project and re-operation of the idea commercialization platform, President Sim held a meeting as follows.

▲ (From left) Executive Vice President Song Tai-kyong of the Academic Affairs, Professor Suh Jeong-yeon, President Sim Jong-hyeok, Professor Heo Nam-geon, Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of the Research & External Affairs

On March 17 and 18, President Sim held a meeting with professors Heo Nam-geon, Seo Jeong-yeon, Lee Tae-soo and Lee Seung-hoon who served as former Chief of Research & Business Development Foundation to first commemorate their dedication to the university's industry-academia collaboration, and to conduct in-depth discussions on preparing more advanced collaboration policies in the future. The former heads of the group spoke of the utmost importance for universities to receive government support effectively in order to solve financial problems, and emphasized that, for this end, the Research & Business Development Foundation must create an innovative business model based on the reputation of Sogang's excellent educational and research capabilities.

▲ (From left) Chief Cheong Hyeon-sik of Research & Business Development Foundation, President Sim Jong-hyeok and CEO Kong Kyoungchul of Angel Robotics Co., Ltd.  

On March 31, President Sim visited the Angel Robotics office located in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, run by CEO Kong Kyoungchul (Machinery ‘00). CEO Kong served as a professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University from 2011 to 2018. He received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare on February 23, recognizing his contributions to promoting the excellence of domestic robot technology to the world, including winning gold and bronze medals at the Cybathlon 2020 Global Edition, an international competition for 'cyborgs'.

Angel Robotics Co., Ltd., founded by CEO Kong, is the tenth company in the ‘Sogang University Idea Commercialization’ platform, and Sogang Research & Business Development Foundation is a major investment company (three shareholders). It specializes in developing wearable robots for rehabilitation and healthcare, and is preparing to list on the KOSDAQ market in the second half of next year. With excellent achievements such a gold medal in the Cybathlon competition, the company has been selected as a Baby Unicorn company by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

This meeting included a discussion on support plans related to the school's industry-academia collaboration for the growth of Angel Robotics Co., Ltd., as well as discussions on the support regulations when establishing faculty-associated startups and matters that need improvement in school management for this area.

During the past two months after taking office, President Sim has been actively meeting with various figures to establish a new vision for Sogang, and by revitalizing external activities, he aims to further materialize development plans and introduce major innovations.

Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of Research & External Affairs said, “From the beginning of his inauguration, President Sim emphasized the importance of seeking the opinions of various people and working together to create a better future for Sogang. This allowed the meetings to be active and fruitful.” He added, “The Development Committee and the Advisory Committee will be organized around the future leaders of innovation, and they will become the pillar for the new future of Sogang.”