Pusan National University (PNU) is Korea’s first national university, having been established on May 15, 1946. While leading a path to industrialization and democratization, the university has fulfilled its mission as a regional hub university, actively engaged in the great journey of Korea’s modern history. PNU‘s dream of becoming a global research-oriented university is unfolding as it strives to create a university of the future by working for the betterment of students and the community. As of March 2020 gra duates of PNU totaled 180,660 bachelor’s degree holders, 54,218 master’s degree holders, and 9,155 doctoral scholars, many of whom are playing central roles as community, national and world leaders. PNU, which celebrated its 74st anniversary in 2020, has become the top-ranked national university in Korea in terms of research and education, and tis traditions and academic excellence are highly revered highly. PNU’s 240,000 alumni work in all professional fields both in Korea and abroad, and many are in charge of the development of the nation and the local community, while 30,000 current students, 1,200 full-time professors, and 750 employees work tirelessly for the development of the university, always exemplifying PNU’s core values of “Truth, Freedom and Service.”
Universities exist to create the new values reflecting the times through the accumulation and transmission of knowledge. In response to this ‘Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,’ where human life is changing rapidly through the convergence of artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, etc., PNU is becoming a leading global research-oriented university, serving as the nation’s think-tank for balanced regional development and fostering global human resources through humanities education, and fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of the ‘hub’ university in southeastern Korea.
PNU has entered agreements with over 430 universities and institutes in 50 countries around the world, including the United States, Germany, Russia, England, Japan, and China in order to promote academic and student exchange activities. In addition, here at PNU, many of our students are gaining international experiences to grow as a global leader by interacting with more than 60 foreign professors, taking one of the more than 1,000 foreign language classes offered every year, and participating in overseas dispatch and volunteer programs to cultivate expertise on global affairs and global cultures.
