Korea University announced on June 13 that it has officially begun construction of the new Humanities Building, which will serve as a new hub for humanities education and interdisciplinary research in celebration of the university's 120th anniversary.
At the groundbreaking ceremony of Korea University Humanities Building, key officials are taking a commemorative photo. (From left) Jeongyeon Won, Director of Administration, Jinwon Song, Dean of Graduate School, Eulsik Yoon, Vice President for Medical Affairs, Seongtaek Yoon, Vice President for Research, Sunyoung Jeong, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dongwon Kim, President, Jaeho Kim, Chairman of the Board, Yundae Uh, Former President, Sejin Park, CEO, Youngjin Kwon, President of the College of Humanities Alumni Association, Heekyung Park, Dean of the College of Humanities, Junbae Park, Donor. Korea University
On June 10 at 3 p.m., Korea University held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Humanities Building at the construction site in front of Jayu Maru on the Humanities Campus.
The event was attended by approximately 70 participants, including Jaeho Kim, Chairman of the Korea University Foundation, Dongwon Kim, President, former President Yundae Uh, Vice President for Academic Affairs Sunyoung Jeong, other academic officials, donors, and key figures.
This new Humanities Building will be the second dedicated facility for the College of Humanities, following the college’s establishment in August 1946 when Korea University was elevated to a comprehensive university.
In his commemorative address, Chairman Kim stated, "The newly constructed Humanities Building will inherit and expand the spirit of the humanities that Korea University has upheld, and will become a creative space that generates the knowledge and values needed by future generations."
The new Humanities Building will have a total floor area of approximately 6,947 square meters (about 2,100 pyeong), with two underground floors and three above-ground floors. The total construction cost is about 25.2 billion won, with completion targeted for 2027.
The interior will include 24 classrooms of various types (small, medium, large, and tiered), 7 seminar rooms, 38 faculty research offices, 6 graduate student research rooms, and 4 interdisciplinary program rooms. In addition, there will be student self-governance spaces, childcare facilities, commercial spaces, and other multi-purpose convenience areas.
President Kim stated, "In the age of AI, a foundation in the humanities?such as philosophy and ethics?is essential to utilize artificial intelligence in more meaningful ways," adding, "Through the construction of the Humanities Building, we will actively foster interdisciplinary talent equipped with a foundation in the humanities and creative imagination."
Meanwhile, since 2023, Korea University has newly appointed a total of 12 faculty members to the College of Humanities. In addition, together with Sookmyung Women's University and Chungnam National University, the university has launched the Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Talent Development Project Group (HUSS) and is developing a large language model (LLM) specialized in the humanities.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
