Professor Choi Jun-gyu Appointed as the 9th President of Catholic University: "We Will Advance as a Research-Oriented University"

Three Core Strategies for 'Research-Centered Universities' Presented

Professor Choi Jun-gyu, an expert in education, has been inaugurated as the new president of Catholic University.

Catholic University held the inauguration ceremony for its 9th president, Choi Jun-gyu, on the 6th. President Choi's term will last four years, until December 31, 2028.

The ceremony was attended by over 300 people, including Archbishop Jung Soon-taek, chairman of the Catholic Academy Foundation, Bishop Gu Yobi, Bishop Lee Kyung-sang, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, former Catholic University president Won Jong-cheol, Min Maeng-ho, president of the Catholic University Seongsim Alumni Association, faculty, and students. Key figures such as Hong Kyung-wan, president of Busan Catholic University and chairman of the Korean Catholic University Presidents' Council, Kim Yong-seung, president of Catholic Kwandong University, Hwang Deok-hyung, president of Seoul Theological University, Kim Hyun-joong, president of Yuhan University, and Jeon Seong-su, Seocho District Mayor, also participated.

In his inaugural address, President Choi stated, "We will advance not simply as a university focused solely on research achievements, but as a 'well-teaching research-oriented university' that realizes excellence in both research and education." He added, "Building on the strong Catholic tradition rooted in the humanities and social sciences, we will open new interdisciplinary academic fields by integrating strengths in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy with cutting-edge areas such as bio, artificial intelligence, and big data."

Catholic University held the inauguration ceremony of Choi Jun-gyu as the 9th president on the 6th. Photo by Catholic University.

President Choi then presented three core strategies for Catholic University to become a 'well-teaching research-oriented university.' These include establishing a bold support system to create an innovative research ecosystem where researchers' creativity can be fully expressed, actively promoting international joint research, and laying the foundation for Catholic University to become a global research hub. Furthermore, he expressed his determination to transform the campus into a center of global culture where talents from various countries gather to share wisdom and grow together, realizing a truly internationalized campus.

Ordained as a priest in 1991, President Choi graduated from Catholic University’s Department of Theology and earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The Catholic University of America. Since 2004, he has held key positions within Catholic University, including director of the University Development Promotion Team, director of the Chaplaincy Office, dean of the Graduate School of Cultural Spirituality, and director of the Lifelong Education Center. Additionally, he has served as the Korean representative to the Association of Catholic Universities in Asia, president of the Korean Society for Spiritual Culture, president of the Korean Society for Religious Education, coordinator for the Seoul Catholic Professors Association under the Archdiocese of Seoul, and secretary of the Education Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.