1. History of CNU

■ The Establishment of CNU

The Honam region has long cherished its tradition of valuing justice (義) and artistry (藝). Based on this tradition, Jeonnam National University (CNU) set sail in Gwanjgu, at the center of the Honam region on June 9, 1952. The university emerged from the ashes of the Korean War with the support of local citizens who wanted to foster talented students. Even though CNU was established only about 60 years ago, it is celebrating more than 100 years of tradition because of the schools that were merged under CNU.

Before CNU came into existence, Honam was a home to several colleges and schools: Gwangju Agricultural College, for instance, which had been changed from Gwangju Agricultural School founded in 1909; Provincial Mokpo Commercial College, which evolved from Mokpo Commercial School founded in 1920; Provincial Gwangju Medical College, which developed from Gwangju Medical Professional School established in 1944; and Private Daesung College, which emerged from Daesung Boarding School founded in 1951. After the foundation of South Korea, the demand for competent and educated citizens escalated rapidly. Against this backdrop, local residents of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do yearned to establish a systematic institute for higher education. Their efforts bore fruit on September 16, 1951, with the creation of the Supporting Association for Establishing CNU.

To establish the university, the Association started by raising funds from local citizens. On October 6, 1951, it acquired the authorization to establish CNU as a national university. On January 1, 1952, CNU with five colleges was established: The College of Agriculture (formerly Gwangju Agricultural College), College of Business (formerly Mokpo Commercial College), College of Humanities (formerly Private Daesung College), College of Medicine (formerly Provincial Gwangju Medical College), and a newly opened College of Engineering. On June 1, 1952, the appointment of Dr. Choi Sang-chae as the first President, as well as eight Deans, superintendents, and a chief of the offices, gave CNU the structure and functions of a university. Finally, on June 9, 1952, the citizens of Gwangju witnessed CNU’s historic opening ceremony.

When it started, CNU consisted of 2 administration offices (the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, and Office of Administrative Affairs), the five aforementioned colleges, and the Graduate School of Medicine, which had been authorized in May 1950 as the Provincial Gwangju Medical College.

■ The Development of CNU

CNU quickly established itself as a reputable university. It enacted school regulations and a school press, built libraries, and founded the College of Law in 1954. However, in the 1960s, CNU became involved in political turmoil, such as the April Revolution in April 1960, which shook South Korea, and permanently changed the country’s history. CNU was at the center of forming and leading public opinions, through the May 16 Coup (1961), the enforcement of theLaw for National Reconstruction (1961), and the protest against the summit meeting between South Korea and Japan (1964). Meanwhile, the Colleges of Agriculture and Business and the Department of Chemical Engineering were forced to shut down. They were revived between 1961 and 1965. Despite the chaos, CNU continued its efforts to stabilize itself. It founded the internship program at the medical college in 1960. The Language Research Center, Students’ Guidance Institution, Honam Culture Institution, and other research centers opened in 1963. Furthermore, on July 6, 1965, the Professors’ Committee came into existence. It actively participated in campaigns to achieve better conditions for faculty members, requesting a renovation in the system for research professors and more financial support for the local national universities from the government. The Graduate School of Business was established in 1969.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, CNU experienced not only rapid physical growth but also hardship due to the political upheaval. The administrative system, which consisted in 1969 of one office, one bureau, two centers, and six colleges with 28 departments, had grown to include one more office, two more centers, and two more colleges with 35 more departments. Around this time, the Experimental College System was introduced in 1972 with the aim of renovating higher education in Korea by recruiting freshmen according to their areas of study, decreasing the number of compulsory credits, and allowing the early graduation of elite students. At this time, the campus was energetic with the sound of construction as new classrooms and faculty buildings were constructed. Private residences on campus were eliminated and Yongji, the artificial pond on campus, was created to add beauty to the study environment.

In the 1980s, CNU faced a period of utmost political turbulence as the May 18 Democratization movement broke out at the CNU Main Gate. The national government’s oppressive military regime brought about a widespread civil resistance. CNU students and professors rose up against the dictatorship and sacrificed themselves to restore the democracy in the country. In spite of the turmoil, which caused great casualties among students, CNU continued to push toward a competent system as an institution for higher education with autonomy in separate academic fields. The College of Humanities was divided into the College of Humanities and Social Studies and the College of Natural Sciences in 1979. In 1987, the College of Humanities and Social Studies was divided into the College of Humanities and the College of Social Studies. The Colleges of Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, and Art were established in 1980, 1981, and 1981, respectively. The College of Veterinary Medicine was spun off from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1988, the College of Human Ecology from the College of Natural Science in 1989, and the College of Nursing from the Medical School in 2005. The Graduate School of Education opened in 1975, the Graduate School of Public Administration in 1979, and the Graduate School of Industry and Technology in 1989.

For the 21st century, CNU has gathered momentum to leap forward as a prestigious higher educational institution that fosters professional manpower required by the age of knowledge and information through systemized education and contributes to regional development. On March 1, 2006, CNU combined with Yeosu National University, which had been a local college with 90-year history.

As of 2021, the administrative organization consists of 4 offices, 1 bureau, 7 headquarters, 17 colleges, 1 general graduate school, 5 special graduate schools, 4 professional graduate schools, 2 basic educational facilities, 12 affiliated facilities, and 12 organizations directly governed by the president. It has two corporations. In addition, to strengthen creative future education, the Office of Education Innovation was established to support various teaching and learning methods, and the Future Strategy and Policy Office was established to establish a systematic and preemptive strategy based on objective data management.

■ “Change N Unite, Transformation and Convergence”

CNU aims to become one of the top 100 universities in the world by 2030, with the slogan “Change N Unite, Transformation and Convergence.” It presents the vision of “CNU, The Light of Truth and Justice” and sets the ideal of “CNU Members with Pride and Liberty.”

Specifically, five visions exist for each field, along with 20 strategic tasks and 100 core tasks. (1) Education - “Readiness and Long-Term Perspectives” (2) Research – “Researcher-Friendly Environment” (3) Community - “Beloved Leading University of Local Communities” (4) Welfare - “My Own Place with Happy Companionship,” and (5) Administration - “Practical, Rational, and Devoted to Dreaming.”

By conducting futuristic convergence education that is ahead of the times, CNU nurtures future prospects equipped with imagination from humanities studies and creativity from scientific and engineering studies. It also supports outstanding researchers and strives to create a campus for research groups globally recognized for their accomplishment. In order to create a prestigious university loved by local people, CNU will actively contribute to the discourse of the local community, revitalize the economy, and focus on the spread of lifelong education. Also, CNU seeks a lively student culture and creates a culture of coexistence among faculty and staff to pursue happy companionship for university families. While respecting diversity and autonomy, it always maintains the foundation and direction of innovation, dreaming of a future of CNU as a national flagship university loved by local communities and a globally prestigious university.

CNU, which celebrated its 69th anniversary in 2021, is a global university that cooperates with 557 universities in 62 countries around the world. In addition, it is concentrating on nurturing prospects necessary for the future era, such as software, digital new technology, and intellectual property, as well as revitalizing the local community by taking charge of large-scale national projects.