Suh Seoung-hwan, president of Yonsei University, awarded an honorary doctorate in education from Korea University
Recognized for contributing to the development of academics and research through the establishment of an innovative educational platform and the introduction of quantum computers

Korea University held the ‘Yonsei University President Suh Seoung-hwan’s Honorary Doctorate in Education Degree Conferral Ceremony’ at 3 p.m. on Friday, January 5, at the International Teleconference Room of Korea University’s Centennial Memorial Samsung Hall.

During his tenure as president of Yonsei University, President Suh Seoung-hwan developed LearnUs, an innovative education platform, and he introduced quantum computers to Korea for the first time, an achievement which contributed significantly to securing Yonsei University's academic excellence and accumulating leading research capabilities. As an expert in urban economics, he is credited with combining theory with reality and reflecting the resulting implications in university management in a progressive manner. In recognition of his contributions, Korea University awarded him an honorary doctorate in education.

President Suh graduated from the Department of Economics at Yonsei University in 1979, earned a master's degree from the same graduate school in 1981, and received a doctorate from Princeton University in 1985. Afterwards, he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Economics at Yonsei University as an expert in quantitative analysis of the urban economy and worked hard to cultivate younger students. While serving as the managing director of the Songdo International Campus, he developed the International Campus into a center for research and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology field.

While serving as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (2013-2015), President Suh promoted real estate revitalization based on his understanding of the market economy and contributed to the normalization of the Korean real estate market.   He successfully launched LearnUs, a next-generation education support platform that combines online and offline classes, to actively respond to the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and introduced quantum computers, which served as an opportunity to accumulate and improve potential research capabilities. In addition, he was instrumental in leading Yonsei University's remarkable growth, including ranking 76th in the 2024 QS and THE World University Rankings.

At the ceremony, Korea University President Dong-one Kim said: “President Suh has implemented educational innovation based on the historical insight of the times. By taking the lead in establishing an online education platform in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, he presented an education model for the post-corona era, and laid the foundation for Yonsei University to grow into a hub for future academics by introducing Korea's first quantum computer. With his outstanding leadership that turns crises into opportunities and his insight into the future, President Suh's achievements will shine not only at Yonsei University but also in the history of university education in Korea. Yonsei University and Korea University are recognized by everyone as the two best private universities in Korea. The two schools, which were established at the end of the Joseon Dynasty when the fate of the people was as precarious as the wind, have preserved hope for the future through education. Both universities have contributed greatly to the liberation of the country during the Japanese colonial period and to the industrialization, democratization, and advancement after. As it is now the time to carry out the tasks of the new era of the 21st century, together, we will develop into universities that contribute to world history beyond Korea.”

President Suh Seoung-hwan said in response, “Korea University and Yonsei University have contributed greatly to the growth and development of Korea for more than a century and have adapted with the ups and downs of history. I consider it an infinite honor to receive an honorary doctorate in education from Korea University, one of the two most prestigious private schools leading higher education in Korea and Asia. For universities to maintain or expand their competitiveness over the long term, they must embrace new changes in an efficient and coordinated manner. Due to the rapid progress of the 4th Industrial Revolution, anxiety about the future society is increasing, and the world is rapidly changing due to climate change and pandemics. In times like these, I think it is more urgent than ever for universities to set tasks and make joint initiatives to address the problems they share. In this respect, we hope that the ties between Korea University and Yonsei University, as long-time partners, can strengthen further.”

▲ From the left, Myung-ho Seung, Korea University Alumni Association President, Korea University President Dong-one Kim, Yonsei University President Suh Seoung-hwan, and Executive Vice President for Korea University Graduate School Song Jin-won.