Dankook University President Chang Ho-sung shakes
hands with Kent State University President Beverly
Warren after signing new agreements that expand the
relationship between the two institutions. Dankook
University is a private comprehensive research university
located in South Korea.

Kent State University President Beverly Warren signed two agreements with Dankook University of Seoul, South Korea, expanding existing partnerships. Dankook University President Chang Ho-sung joined Warren at the signing, which took place on March 12. “A top priority for Kent State is to expand our global reach and enhance opportunities for international exchange and collaboration,” Warren says.

Three formal agreements are currently in place between the two institutions: a Memorandum of Agreement, a Student Exchange amendment and an International Storytelling amendment. Kent State exchanges both students and faculty through the exchange program. Kent State students participate in Dankook University’s summer institute where Kent State faculty members are invited to teach. In exchange, Kent State hosts Dankook students.

Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication has an award-winning course called International Storytelling. Dankook University will host student journalists from this Kent State program during the upcoming spring break.

The university presidents signed two new agreements. The first one is the “Visiting Student and Faculty Program Description.” This agreement is similar to the exchange program, but it will enable more students to attend Kent State as visiting, fee-paying students. The second agreement is the “Co-branding and Partnership Agreement-Florence Center.” This pact will allow Dankook University to use Kent State’s Florence Center as one of its study abroad locations.

Kent State’s original partnership with Dankook University was formally established in November 2013.

“Our success with these activities created the opportunity for more collaboration,” says Sarah Malcolm, director of international partnerships, marketing and communications in Kent State’s Office of Global Education.

During the visit by the Dankook delegation, university officials explored additional areas of collaboration with Kent State’s College of Business Administration, College of the Arts and the School of Fashion, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Liquid Crystal Institute®. These areas of collaboration may range from degree programs to research initiatives.

One of the members of the South Korean group that visited is a Kent State alumnus. Jaedong Lee, associate vice president of Dankook University, received his Ph.D. in computer science from Kent State in 1996.

Dankook University is a private comprehensive research university. Its two-campus system is home to more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Dankook University boasts a strong tradition of research with more than 20 research institutes. Notable academic programs include the natural sciences, fashion, journalism, business and display engineering.

There are currently 32 South Korean students enrolled at Kent State. There have been 421 South Korean students enrolled since 2008. Since last summer, Kent State has sent five students to study at Dankook University. Kent State has sent 22 students to study in South Korea since fall 2011.

For additional information about Dankook University, visit www.dankook.ac.kr/web/eng.

For more information about Kent State’s Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.