KU Professors’ scholarship foundation, Seok-Rim Scholarship holds scholarship awards ceremony
For the 2nd semester of 2018, 56 students are awarded scholarship as a token of warm encouragement from professors.

On September 6, at 5:00 pm, the Seok-Rim Scholarship, the scholarship foundation sponsored by professors at Korea University, held its scholarship awards ceremony for the 2nd semester of 2018 at the Centennial Memorial Hall, Korea University.

At the ceremony, 56 scholarship awardees were granted approximately 129.93 million won in total.

The Seok-Rim Scholarship, founded in 1970 by KU professors who wanted to nurture young students, now has a total of 915 professors as its members. It is the biggest scholarship foundation established within the university. Every year, 100 students on average are granted between 2 to 5 million won each.

To select scholarship awardees, professors from the steering committees at each college, deans of colleges, and the Academic Affairs Department hold a meeting to screen scholarship applications. Those who overcome difficult circumstances and show outstanding performance in their studies and exemplary conducts to others are selected as the scholarship winners.

Professor Woojin Lee, chairman of the foundation, put an emphasis on the meaning that the scholarship carries. “The Seok-Rim Scholarship allocates the scholarship fund raised by KU professors to currently-enrolled students. It is one of the traditions that we can be proud of. The fund is not the collection of extra money that has been left after professors pay all of their bills. Those who sympathize with the purpose of scholarship agree to deduct a certain amount of fund from their wages. The fund represents how much professors care for their students.” He continued, “After you graduate the school and start to work as a member of our economy, you will realize how helpful the scholarship you received during your college years. One day, when you become financially stable, I hope you will return that to students who will be studying at your alma mater. It will eventually create a virtuous cycle of donation and scholarship, making the tradition of Korea University more solid and beautiful.” The chairman also said that he would let more professors know about the purpose of scholarship and persuade them to join the foundation. By doing so, he believed, more students could benefit from the fund, and the culture of donation will be created at the university.

Dong-jun Lim (Department of Chemistry at College of Science) expressed his gratitude as a representative of the scholarship awardees. Telling an anecdote of Warren Buffett, he talked about the value of education. He also thanked professors for giving them such precious opportunities to receive high-quality education. In addition, he showed his ambition to realize his dream on the global stage, based on what he learned and received from the university.

KU President Jaeho Yeom began his congratulatory remarks by saying how meaningful the awards ceremony was as it was the culmination of a reciprocal relation between professors and students. He walked the audience through the history of Korea University, which started as Bosung College more than 100 years ago. While emphasizing the importance of fostering talented students, he also expressed his appreciation for the dedication and love from the members of the Seok-Rim Scholarship. He concluded his remarks by conveying his wish that the scholarship awardees would one day become people who understand the virtues of sharing and practice love for people of our society.