History of UIC

“UIC is the sky of SKY institutions.” This is the slogan that Professor Helen Lee, current dean of UIC, regularly uses in her promotion endeavors. To Professor Lee, the slogan signifies that in terms of a liberal arts education, UIC is unrivaled to any institution in Korea and East Asia. Indeed, UIC has grown exponentially despite its short history of 16 years; once a small, close community, it has become the second largest college in Yonsei University with an international student body increasing in size and diversity every year. How has UIC become the great liberal arts institution it is today and what does the future hold for UIC?

From Underwood Division to Underwood International College

In October 2004, Yonsei University’s Board of Directors approved the establishment of Underwood ‘Division,’ followed by the formation of the ‘University Committee for New International College.’ What ensued in 2005 was the creation of first five majors of UD: four humanities majors (Comparative Literature and Culture, Economics, International Studies, Political Science and International Relations) and one science and technology major (Life Science and Biotechnology). Designed as a liberal arts college, UIC provided a vast array of teaching with an emphasis on humanities through the Common Curriculum. After holding exploratory classes in September 2005, UIC officially commenced in 2006 with a class of 85 students. Within the same year, UIC’s status upgraded to a ‘college’ and given the official title of “Underwood International College.” In 2008, the Integrated Information Technology (ITT) major was established under UD but closed shortly in 2009 due to the insufficient number of students declaring the major. UIC resumed with 5 majors thereafter. Despite its steady expansion, UIC struggled to establish a firm position within Korean society in its early years. Upon Professor Lee's first arrival at UIC, the Korean public was unfamiliar with a full-fledged, English-run liberal arts institution and its humanities-based education, which did not previously exist in Korea.

Expansion of UIC and Introduction of New Majors

In 2009, the central administration considered moving UIC and its offices to Songdo International Campus. The existing majors were to stay in the Sinchon Campus, but new, integrated majors were going to be established in the international campus.

In 2012, Asian Studies Division (Asian Studies) and Techno-Art Division (Information and Interaction Design, Asian Studies, Culture and Design Management, Creative Technology Management) were created in Songdo International Campus. Professor Helen Lee was the founding director of the new UIC division in Asian Studies. Conversely, TAD was not originally established under any college, but was eventually integrated to UIC in March 2012 due to the difficulties of operating without an associated college.

This three-division system (UD, ASD, and TAD) lasted until 2014 when the Integrated Social Science Division (ISSD) and Integrated Science and Engineering Division (ISED) newly emerged. ISSD provided four majors (Justice and Civil Leadership, Quantitative Risk Management, Science, Technology and Policy, and Sustainable Development and Cooperation), while ISED offered three (Bio-Convergence, Energy and Environmental Science and Engineering, and Nano Science and Engineering). ISSD started being discussed in 2013, as part of Yonsei University’s plan to create a convergence program in the international campus that would also make up for the closing of the College of Liberal Studies. This program was initially called Global Convergence Division and was later changed to ISSD when the division was officially established. Though several students and parents voiced pessimistic opinions toward the bigger and diversified UIC, the school responded by saying this would not get in the way of students receiving the education they were promised when they applied to the school.

To provide structure to this new, bigger UIC, Yonsei University proposed the revival of the ‘field system,’ which provided a larger framework where the three divisions would stay separated but grouped under one name. Thus, TAD, ASD, and ISSD became classified under the newly established Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Field. With the implementation of the field system, UIC consisted of three fields: Underwood Field (UD), HASS Field (TAD, ASD, ISSD), and ISE Field (ISED). In 2019, the three “divisions” under HASS were eliminated and led to the current formation of UIC with three divisions: UD, HASS, and ISED.

Future of UIC as a Liberal Arts College

UIC has come a long way as a liberal arts institution but has no plans to halt its progress in the near future. One reason for this promising prospect is the increasing global interest towards Korea and its cultural production. According to Professor Lee, UIC is presently in an advantageous position because it contains the “best of both worlds.” UIC’s blend of an American educational set-up and the geo-specific location of Korea provides endless opportunities for students. This testifies to the increasing number of international students. In the 2021 fall semester, Yonsei admitted 156 international students, recording the highest number of international students ever to be admitted to Yonsei. Many international students even traveled to Korea despite remote learning for their Korean experience. Furthermore, UIC has the qualities of being highly experimental and innovative. Unlike traditional liberal arts colleges, UIC offers interdisciplinary majors open to all students regardless of their original division. No other Korean institution offers such flexibility and diversity, making UIC stand out amongst its competitors.

Lastly, UIC teaches students to explore infinite possibilities. Through the humanities education and numerous opportunities UIC provides, students can overcome their limitations, learn how to live as civic and democratic beings, and discover their passion. This is all possible because UIC does not define a path of success for students but instead focuses on aiding students to limitlessly for themselves. Professor Lee states that there is room for improvement, especially regarding student-faculty ratio and contact, a key factor in liberal arts education that has been on stall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one thing is for sure — UIC has always been an institution to nurture the infinite potential of its students and will continue to be.