HNU to the World!

Hannam University hosted the 25th General Assembly and Management Conference of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA, President Kwang-Sup Lee of Hannam University) on the 18th, with participation from 63 universities across 8 countries. The event was held at various locations within the university, including the Makerspace, Moore Art Hall, and Onoma Hotel.
This event, held face-to-face for the first time in five years, was under the theme 'Innovation and Spirituality: Directions for Change in Asian Christian Universities.' About 100 participants, including presidents and international relations officers from 63 ACUCA member universities, attended the three-day event, which ran until the 20th.

The event began with an opening service at 9:30 AM on the 18th at the Jeong Sung Kyun Missionary Building. The service included a special hymn 'Amazing Grace' by the Hosanna faculty choir, followed by a sermon titled 'Transformation in God's Hope' by Shin-Hwan Pan, the head of the Chaplain’s Office, and a benediction by Young-Soo Woo, the former chairman of Daejeon Christian Educational Foundation. This was followed by an introduction and welcoming session for ACUCA participants, organized by country and university.

During the conference held at Makerspace, Do-sung Choi, president of Handong University, delivered a keynote speech titled 'Learning, Participating, and Sharing Education in the VUCA Era.' President Choi discussed the direction universities should take in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, characterized by situations that are not clearly understood and are complex.
Participants then engaged in presentations and discussions on various topics in different sessions. They discussed ways in which Christian universities can have a significant impact on society through education, research, and service, based on love and justice.
After the conference, a campus tour including Hannam University Missionary Village and the museum was conducted, followed by a welcome dinner at Hotel Onoma in the evening. The dinner included a welcome speech by President Kwang-Sup Lee, congratulatory remarks by Jung-Ho Shin, chairman of the Daejeon Christian Educational Foundation, and Judge Benjamin Turgano, president of Wesleyan University-Philippines. Greetings were sent by Mayor Jang-Woo Lee of Daejeon and Daejeon Education Superintendent Dong-Ho Seol. The dinner was enriched with a clarinet performance and fusion Korean music.

On the 19th, the 25th General Assembly of ACUCA took place, including a performance report by President Kwang-Sup Lee of ACUCA, approval of regulations and bylaws, and the announcement of the next chair university and executive committee. The next chair university, serving a two-year term from 2024, is Doshisha University in Japan (President Tomoko Ueki). International participants also had a chance to visit the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology in Daejeon's Daedeok Research Complex, a symbol of the science city.
On the final day, the 20th, participants visited Jeonju Hanok Village to experience Korean traditional culture, trying on Hanbok and enjoying a Bibimbap meal.

ACUCA, formed in 1976 in Manila, Philippines, comprises 63 universities from 8 countries including Korea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. It actively promotes the development of Christian universities through conferences, joint academic activities, and student exchanges. In Korea, Hannam University, Keimyung University, Soongsil University, Ewha Womans University, and Handong University are participating members.

President Kwang-Sup Lee said, "I hope this conference will greatly assist ACUCA member universities in fulfilling their mission in higher education and achieving sustainable development, and I look forward to further expanding mutual cooperation between universities."