What was founded by a Methodist missionary called Mary F. Scranton in 1886? 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. King Kojong 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. They thought that they must emphasize their education, which takes every 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 nominal 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 "women's" university, but a "woman," keeping each woman's distinctive being intact in its name, and we intend to maintain this spirit.
Since its foundation in 1886 as "Ewha Haktang," Korea's first modern educational institution for women, Ewha has been a driver of change for this land's women. Thanks to the seeds of learning sown by Ewha, women in Korea have been able to affirm their identity as women and stand tall as full members of society, despite discrimination, prejudice, and the attempts to deny them basic human respect.
A pioneer in higher education for women in Korea that has produced female leaders in every field, at every level, while contributing to academic and social development, Ewha now faces another turning point. With the fourth industrial revolution looming over us like an enormous wave, we find ourselves today surrounded by an environment that poses daunting challenges, including a rapidly changing society and dramatically rising demand for new talent in converging, cross-disciplinary fields.
As it has for well over a century, Ewha will continue to take the road less traveled while building a brighter future. To realize this vision, Ewha will enhance its capacities for education and research-based on academic empowerment, create a new model for university education inspired by a thirst for challenge, and strengthen community ethics based on communication and trust. In this way, we will lead future society in the right direction.
Starting with a single female student, Ewha has grown into a world-class women's university with majors in every field, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and the arts. With pride in our hearts, knowing that "Ewha is like no other in the world," we will stand at the forefront of our times and take on the challenges ahead as a female community of minds.
VIDEOS
