Handong Global University...

Handong - God's University

On October 4th, I had an opportunity to visit Handong Global University, a Christian university in Pohang in S. Korea. Handong was founded by Dr. Young Gil Kim, the current president, in 1995. So it is 17 years old. It is new enough to maintain the original founding spirit of Christian faith and values. Handong's main building displays its name as "Handong God's University."

The campus is small and cozy. The University has approximately 3,500 students, including 1,200 graduate students. Approximately 250 faculty members serve these students, including 100 or so foreign national professors.

I visited Handong because I have been invited to speak to approximately 110 students, including business students and students of international development and cooperation. Most of international development and cooperation students were foreign nationals so I had to deliver my lecture in English. I talked about transformational development followed by who UOB is and what UOB does.

I had to be in a hurry to close because there was another class after the lecture, but I had a good first-hand experience of teaching college and graduate students in English at a Korean university environment.

I met with the president Dr. Kim for 30 minutes. In principle, Handong and UOB agreed to sign an MOU for cooperation. Handong wanted to send an intern regularly so that there will be continuity. But he volunteered to sit in my class, initially for 20 minutes, but he ended up sitting in for an hour. I also met several professors, including Dosoung Choi, vice president of globalization, Young-in Kim, vice president of administration, Bumha Jee, dean of business and economics department, Kee-Seon Yu, dean of graduate school of international development and cooperation, Dae Shik Kim, professor of business and economics. I also met other professors. All of them looked gentle, humble and godly to me.

With Professors, school restaurant owners, YG Kim, students

I also had a pleasant surprise of seeing my old friends. Dr. Young Gurl Kim is Executive Director of Institute for Biblical Community Development housed in the campus of John Brown University in Arkansas. We were involved in Integral Mission Alliance together with other like-minded fellow Kingdom workers. He is an adjunct professor and came to teach a course. He happened to stay in a room right next to my room at the Handong Guest House. We shared great joy of reunion and talked for hours to catch up with what God is doing in our lives. I ended up committing to teach at his institute in May next year.

I also saw Mr. Yong Lee and his wife Kay Lee. I have known them from our time in California as far back as in 1989. Kay Lee used to work for me at Premier Bank in Colorado. Both are now teaching at Handong. Kay Lee's daughter went to the same primary and secondary school with our daughter Amanda in Colorado.


All this was made possible because God opened the door through Dr. Myungsool Do, a professor at the school of bio engineering. He is now on his sabbatical leave but has undertaken a social enterprise to be established in Rwanda under KOICA's funding program. His team member students were also in attendance in the class that I taught.

I do not know what God has in mind, but the short visit and the opportunity of meeting numerous people did not look like a coincidence. I am grateful and hopeful for what God may have in mind. - Jeffrey