At 94, Korea's oldest university president is still planning for future
At an age when most people have long stepped away from professional life, Lee Gil-ya is still thinking about what comes next. The 94-year-old president of Gachon University is Korea’s longest-serving university president. Lee took over the management of Kyungwon University in 1998 and became its president in 2000, later overseeing the integration of four institutions that culminated in the launch…
At 94 years old, Lee Gil-ya, the president of Korea's oldest university, Gachon University, continues to plan for the future. As the longest-serving university president in the country, Lee began her tenure at Kyungwon University in 1998 and assumed the presidency in 2000. After leading the integration of four institutions, culminating in the creation of Gachon University in 2012, she has served as its president for nearly 14 years, a remarkably long tenure compared to the typical short terms for university leaders in Korea.
Lee attributes her forward-thinking mindset to the decades she spent managing hospitals and educational institutions. Throughout her career, both successes and failures taught her to anticipate change and act swiftly—an approach now guiding Gachon University as it strives to remain at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) advancements.
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Lee shared her perspective, emphasizing that hardships themselves serve as a kind of success, forming the foundation for future achievements.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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