Duksung Women's University

Duksung Women's University is a private university in Seoul, South Korea founded in 1920.he school was established in 1920, as part of the drive for improved education which arose out of the March 1st Movement. Its founder was Cha Mirisa (1880-1955), an educator and leader of the Joseon Women's Education Society. At the time it was known as the Geunhwa Academy. Because the name Geunhwa refers to the Korean national flower, it was changed to "Duksung" under pressure from Japanese authorities in 1938.

Duksung Women’s University was founded by the spirit of madam Cha Mirisa, who devoted herself to the independence of Korea and the liberation of Korean Women. Duksung has since upheld the spirit of her passion and devotion towards women’s agenda. Since 1950, Duksung has strived for higher education for women, to realize their dreams and provide them with opportunities to excel as an individual in the future. Duksung University has also been actively expanding its global partnerships with other universities and international institutions.

As a good example, UN Women and Duksung Women’s University signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Global Partnership for Young Women in 2011. The two institutions successfully co-hosted the World Congress of Global Partnership for Young Women in 2012. In August this year, UN Women and Duksung Women’s University will host the second World Congress in Seoul.

In Feb. of 1934, she established a foundation named Geunhwa School, inaugurated as a chief director. And from the thought that a woman has to have some occupation to lead her life independently, she expanded and developed further "Geunhwa Woman's School" into "Geunhwa Woman's Vocational School." After this, due to the insistence of the Japanese imperialists that Geunhwa represents Korea's national flower of an althea, the name of the school had to be changed into "Duksung School." As the nation restored its independency in 1945, she moved forward with the plan to establish a higher educational institution for woman she had in mind for a long period of time, eventually establishing "Duksung Woman's Junior college"(presently "Duksung Woman's University). As mentioned above, she devoted herself to the education of and the right extension of the women who were alienated socially and economically. Ms. Cha Mirisa was conferred posthumous honors as a Meritorious Person for National Independence (the Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal) in 2002, the year of 57th anniversary of the restoration of national independency.

Duksung was officially founded as a college, on the site of the Unhyeongung palace, in 1950. During this same year, on May, 17 Duksung Woman's Junior College was established. As well as, the opening of a department of Korean literature and a department of domestic science. Dr. Song Geum-seon took the office as the 1st president of the school. It became a four-year college in 1952. In 1984, the main campus was moved to its present location in Dobong-gu. The college became a university in 1987.

The social responsibilities assigned to a university will remain unchanged ever although the way and the subjects of education are changing corresponding to the changes in the conditions surrounding the university. That is to say, its responsibility is to produce competent individuals who afford to enjoy their lives independently and at the same time contribute to the society they belong by building up the sound and wholesome personality, higher standards of intellectual ability and professional knowledge. So, hereunder or accordingly, we, Duksung University, pursue to foster the creative intellectuals with noble minds as our fundamental and eventual educational philosophy. A creative intellectual with noble minds refers to a whole human-being, possessing the capability of creative thinking and a moral sense, as well as qualified as a global citizen.

• Fostering creativeness
• Implanting the proper sense of values and living up to these
• Building up a competence as a global citizen
• Building up a substantial educational foundation
• Extension of the general application capability
• Cultivation of the communication skills
• Cultivation of the valuation capability
• Fostering the sound citizenship
• Cultivation of the power of execution
• Understanding the national cultural heritages
• Enhancement of the ability understanding the various kinds of cultures
• Fostering the peace spirits of the humanities