The International Foundation for Ewha Womans University

 

Ewha was founded by a Methodist missionary called Mary F. Scranton in 1886.
Mrs. Scranton's first-year class consisted of a single student.
But while polite society mocked the idea of trying to teach females anything other than the art of serving husband and son, King Kojong gave the enterprise his blessing.
It was King Kojong who gave the school its name in 1887, and "Ewha" means "Pear Blossoms."
The original campus was covered with them, and many historians speculate that a grove of pear trees near the Scranton home inspired the name.
The image of the pear blossom is incorporated in the school's logo.
To the early Ewha students who lived and studied in the Scranton home, the pear blossoms must have been a distinctive and memorable feature of their educational experience.

The reins of leadership passed from the hands of foreign missionaries to Korean hands when Helen Kim took over as the seventh president of Ewha Haktang and the second dean of Ewha College. Thus, the opinions of the previous foreign presidents' have influenced deciding our school name in English, and they thought that they must emphasize their education which takes every single student as an independent individual self. Their intention to emphasize each student made them not use the plural word "women", but the singular word "woman." "Womans" is all the individual student of Ewha gathered together for women's rights, and it represents the university's foundation with just one student. It further symbolizes its high respect for the individuality of her wonderful women. 

Therefore, Ewha is not a "womens" university, but "womans", keeping each woman's distinctive being intact in its name, and it is our intention to maintain this spirit. Our school name may not be grammatically right, but we believe that the hidden intention behind the name may convince such opinion. 

In short, the late Helen Kim, president of Ewha from 1939 to 1961, explained the neologism “Womans” in the University’s name as a desire to respect the uniqueness and individuality of each of Ewha’s students.

 

 

 

 

Ewha's origin dates back to 1886 when classes began with a single student under the tutelage of the American missionary Mary F. Scranton, which launched a proud and unprecedented history of educating Korean women, which fostered a spirit of challenge and determination that delivered a series of unique and outstanding achievements. Ewha comprises 12 colleges, 15 graduate schools, and 25,000 students, and each year has produced 3,500 graduates with bachelor's degrees, 2,000 with master's degrees and 200 with doctoral degrees. As Korea's first educational institution for women, Ewha has now grown into the largest women's university in the world. Continuing to take the lead in writing a brighter future, Ewha is eager to make history as a global leader throughout the coming century under the vision of "Innovation Ewha: Leading Global Excellence."

 

 

The International Foundation for Ewha Womans University, Inc. (IFEWU) was established in 1970 to promote the spirit of cooperation among North American organizations, alumnae, and friends of Ewha in order to support the University.

In 1933, three Methodist missionaries and other friends met with Dr. Alice Appenzeller, the President of Ewha Woman’s College from 1922 to 1939, to organize a Cooperating Committee to help the school. The committee raised funds for the construction of new college buildings, enabling Ewha to move to its new Shinchon campus in March, 1935.

Dr. Helen Kim, who became the first Korean president of Ewha Womans University in 1939, initiated the first 10-year Development Plan in 1966. During the Korean War (1950 to 1953), the Methodist Board of Missions helped Ewha continue its operation at the refugee campus in Pusan. The Cooperating Committee (predecessor of the International Foundation) contributed greatly in the rehabilitation of damaged campus buildings, expediting the school’s return to Seoul.

Since that time, alumnae and friends have generously supported the development of the university through the International Foundation which was inaugurated in New York on April 15, 1970. The Foundation continues to carry out Dr. Helen Kim’s vision for Ewha’s internationalization.

http://www.ewhafoundation.com

 

 

University Symbol

It was 1930 when the emblem of Ewha was first established.

While the president Appenzeller went to the United States for the funding of the construction of Shinchon campus, the substitute president, VanFleet collected the opinions of the teachers and designed it.

It is made of pure silver. The overall shape of emblem itself is made of two layers of circles inside five pedals of pear blossom. 

A cross is placed at the upper side of the space between the two circles and a Taegeuk mark is at the lower side of the space between the two circles. Circle, which has no starting and ending point, stands for the revelation of God and the cross represents Christianity which is the founding spirit and the ultimate goal of Ewha. Taegeuk is the symbol of Asian philosophy about creation of nature and the symbol of Korea at the same time. 

Two numbers are inscribed in the emblem each of which represents the year of establishment and the year of Ewha's accreditation as a university from the government. 

Namdaemun, the South Gate of former Seoul, represents the people of Korea and the three words Jin, Sun, Mi represents the spirit of Ewha which is training knowledge and wisdom based on the truth. The open gate of Namdaemun and a narrow path right under it shows how difficult it is to reach those truth, goodness, and beauty. Ewha and the overall image of Ewha's emblem is the symbol of the integrity and modesty of elegant students who train themselves toward knowledge and goodness.

University Motto

 

The three cardinal virtues Ewha pursues are truth, goodness, and beauty.

Jin , which is Knowledge, stands for the value that Ewha has to pursue as a hall of academia. A university should not neglect seeking knowledge because it is one of the main reason for its existence. 

Seon , which is Goodness, becomes valuable when it is shared with others. It is the discipline that urges us not to disregard the poor and become one in the name of God. Through goodness, we can realize the human society in everlasting peace and contribute to the world as responsible intellectuals. 

 

Mi , which is Beauty, stands for harmony. It is the artistic emotion in human that pursue harmonious beauty in individuals. 

The true idea of beauty to Ewha is to recover the image of the creator that is inherent in human and enhance the freedom and individuality in each individuals. 

Ewha seeks to raise intellectuals who will create and integrate culture by multilateral education and realize the three virtues, Knowledge, Goodness, and Beauty.

 

 

 

Office of International Affairs 

52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea 03760 

Tel +82-2-3277-3600/6988 

Fax +82-2-364-8019 

Homepage oia.ewha.ac.kr 

E-mail oia@ewha.ac.kr

 

http://www.ewha.ac.kr

http://www.ewhaalum.or.kr

http://giving.ewha.ac.kr

http://www.ewhafoundation.com

https://www.facebook.com/EwhaWomansUniversity