Ewha held its 137th anniversary ceremony on Wednesday, May 31 at Welch-Ryang Auditorium. The event was attended by about two thousand guests, including distinguished figures such as Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees Chairperson Chang Myong-sue, President Eun Mee Kim, President of the Ewha Alumnae Association Lee Myeong-kyeong, former Ewha Presidents Chang Sang, Shin In-ryung, Lee Bae Yong, Kim Sun-Uk and Kim Heisook, former and incumbent alumna lawmakers, and longtime faculty members.
President Kim emphasized in her commemorative speech that among all the women’s schools established by missionaries from the US Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (WFMS of the MEC) in India, China, Japan, and Korea, only Ewha made the near-miraculous achievement of growing into an international university of scale and excellence. This was only possible because of the call of God and the commitment of all the alumni who dedicated themselves to Ewha. “Moving beyond the 137th anniversary of the school, we would like to march forward and prepare faithfully for the 150th anniversary with all of you together,” the president declared. “We will endeavor to share the history of Ewha's growth with the world, reaffirm our calling, further solidify our global leadership in addressing gender inequality, and establish our status as a research university by building infrastructure to support a creative and innovative platform that leads to a more sustainable society."
Following the president’s address, a ceremony was held for recipients of Lifetime Service Awards, Pride of Ewha Awards, and Ewha Academic Awards. The “21st Pride of Ewha Award” was conferred on Park Jung-ja (honorary graduate), who has made history in the theatrical world and on Kim Sun-Duk (English Language and Literature, graduated in 1984), a senior reporter and columnist at The Dong-a Ilbo. The “19th Ewha Academic Award” was presented to Professor Yong Pyo Kim of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, and Professor Kyung Lim Lee of Pharmacy.
After the commemoration ceremony, a luncheon was hosted by President Kim at the Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building, and the “Alumnae Day” event organized by the Ewha Alumnae Association was held at Welch-Ryang Auditorium from 2 p.m.
