Seokrimhoe, a scholarship foundation established by KU professors to foster younger students and symbolize faculty concern for students,

awards 50 students scholarships at the start of the first semester

Seokrimhoe, a scholarship foundation comprised of KU professors, held a scholarship award ceremony for the spring semester of 2017 on Thursday, March 9 at 5 PM in the Centennial Memorial Samsung Hall. During the ceremony, Seokrimhoe awarded more than KRW 129.8 million to the 50 students selected as recipients.

A scholarship foundation established in 1970 by KU professors with the aim of fostering younger students, Seokrimhoe now has 923 professors participating as members. Awarding scholarships of between KRW 2 million to KRW 5 million per student to an average of 100 students every year, it is the largest in scale among all the scholarship foundation programs at KU.

Each semester, after due deliberation and consideration among the professors of the steering committee, the dean, and the members of the Academic Affairs Department of each college, exemplary students who had excelled in academic performance in the face of adversity are selected as scholarship recipients.

Prof. Woojin Lee, president of Seokrimhoe, expressed in an address to the recipients that “Seokrimhoe, a gathering during which funds raised by the KU faculty are distributed to the students in the form of scholarships, is a proud tradition of KU. The scholarships granted to the recipients do not derive from miscellaneous leftover funds after generous spending, but rather are raised from monthly payroll deductions from faculty supporting the purpose of Seokrimhoe. I can feel the warmth of those professors who wish to help young students pursue their studies. I hope you, as holders of the Seokrimhoe scholarship, give back to your juniors more than you have received when you gain a footing in society. If this is repeated, a virtuous cyclical scholarship program will be established, becoming an ever more beautiful tradition of KU that will convey a greater affection to your juniors.” He added that “Seokrimhoe will make this aim known to the professors so that more students can benefit from such a program and a beautiful donation culture becomes more firmly established within KU.”

Gil-Sung Park, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, said in his congratulatory speech, “There is much for KU to be proud of, and the Seokrimhoe scholarship is one of them. It is a very meaningful scholarship foundation established through the united efforts of professors expressing affection for their students. There are corporate sponsored scholarships and other scholarship foundations that operate through large amounts of donations, but Seokrimhoe derives from faculty sincerity, passion, affection, and expectations. Therefore, you should be proud of the special meaning that this scholarship holds.” He concluded that “Seokrimhoe seems to be the only scholarship in Korea that exists in this form, but even if it is not, it was the only one of its kind back in 1970 when the foundation was established. I hope this becomes a good opportunity to think about the wisdom of living together, and I wish that you make big steps into the future.”

Do-Hyun Lee, a student of the Korea University School of Media and Communication, made a valedictory speech as the student representative. Lee said, “I had always followed the footsteps of others. I took a leave of absence, engaged myself in extracurricular activities, and studied because other students did. I followed them believing that there had to be reasons why many others chose to do so. But I wasn’t happy living like that. I realized that adjusting my life to that of others wasn’t the right answer. Pursuing a dream that you are not sure when it will be realized, experiencing frustration and despair on the way, and having to be fully responsible for the consequences can make you feel insecure. But I think this is part of the process of becoming a flower.” He expressed his gratitude toward and appreciation of the professors who are giving their full material and emotional support to students struggling to bloom into flowers. He ended his speech, “I hope the students here today eventually make a difference in the world.”