Ajou University

Ajou University () is a private research university located in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It was founded in 1973. Ajou University started as Ajou Engineering College with the aim of exchanging technology and culture through education between the French and South Korean governments.^[2]

Ajou is located on a single campus with Ajou University Hospital, Gwanggyo Bio-Techno Valley, Samsung Electronics headquarters, and CJ Blossom Park, a food bio-convergence research institute. Gyeonggi-do Pharmaceutical Association has signed MOUs with Ajou.^[3]

Ajou has established an advanced college of bio-convergence engineering that combines Biology, Biological engineering, medicine, pharmacy, chemistry, artificial intelligence, and mechanical engineering to protect human lives and help solve issues related to aging, diseases, health foods, and environmentally friendly materials.

There is Ajou University Hospital, an affiliated hospital of the medical school.

In 2020, Ajou established a campus in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.^[4]

Notable academic programs

• Exchange student: As of 2021, the exchange program was held with 325 schools in 67 countries. It is a program that exchanges students with foreign universities and institutions where academic exchange agreements are signed. By paying tuition to their home university, students can study at an overseas university for a semester and transfer up to 6 credits to their home university. Ajou is a member of ISEP (International Student Exchange Program), CREPUQ (Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities), HUMAP (Hyogo University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific), "n+i" Network(French Union of Technology Universities), AUF(Federation of French Universities).
• Multiple degrees: A program that takes 1/2 of its graduation credits and takes the remaining credits from other schools, earning both Ajou University and other schools' degrees. It is currently operated by the Illinois Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University in the United States.
• Blue Ladder: The business of the Ministry of Education of Korea. Despite the difficult environment, it supports overseas training experiences to college students who have dreams and passion for self-development and career development. Each university in charge selects students and proceeds with the program. Ajou University was selected in 2018 and runs for three years. The schools consist of the University of Michigan and the University of Washington in the United States, and Shanghai Transportation University in China.
• Global Internship: A program that sends students to companies in 20 countries around the world for internships to provide more diverse and challenging overseas experience opportunities. It will provide opportunities to learn the senses and explore career in overseas industrial sites related to majors. It will be dispatched to INKE (World Korean Venture Network), IDB (US Development Bank), KOTRA (Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Corporation), CKP (USA Asia Accounting Corporation), W-OKTA (World Korean Trade Association), HMART, etc. It is recognized as credit for the third and fourth grade internship courses.
• Short-term dispatch: It is a program that is sends students abroad to sister universities for about four weeks during the vacation. Participation in language training, international training programs, etc. at sister universities may be recognized as credits. Part of the program participation fee may be supported by scholarships.
• Global Leadership in Business Administration
• ABIZ Global Supporter(AGS)

Reputation and rankings

• 2025 QS: World 631~640th^[5]
• 2024 QS: World 631~640th
• 2023 QS: World 488th
• 2021 QS 50 Under 50: World 101-150th.^[6]
• 2019 JoongAng Ilbo University Evaluation(Korean Press): Nation 11th.^[7]
• 2019 Employment and Start-up Evaluation of Hankyung(Korean Press): Nation 5th.^[8]
• 2021 WURI Global Top 100 Innovative Universities: World 62nd.^[9]
• 2019 REUTERS Asia Pacific's Most Innovative Universities: Asia 24th.^[10]
• 2021 THE Impact Rankings: 201-300th.^[11]

Education programs

Symbol

The Statue of Pioneer, located at the school's main entrance, is the symbol of Ajou University.

Central Library

In order to contribute to the learning, cultivation and research of students and faculty members through the collection, accumulation and distribution of information, the Central Library was established on March 15, 1973. It was opened together with the opening of the prefecture elementary and junior college. At the time of opening, there were 120 seats of the first floor of the main building. From April 12, 1973, 1,272 books were purchased. In 1983, Kim Dae-woo, the chairman of the Daewoo Group, donated 5 billion won to renovate the Central Library. The new total floor space was 4,026 pyeong. On October 16, 2017, the entire second floor was remodeled into a community lounge, and the space that was previously used for the corridor on the first floor was expanded to build a café, rest area, and convenience facilities.^{[citation needed]}

Dining halls

The campus is mainly served by two large cafeterias and small restaurants. The Dormitory Restaurant is close to the dormitories and is the biggest restaurant. It has two floors and serves both Korean and Western style foods with a daily rotating menu. The second biggest restaurant is called the Student Restaurant, located in the Student Union building. There are also smaller restaurants in Paldal hall, Dasan hall and Jonghap Hall.^{[citation needed]}

Dormitories

There are five big dormitories on campus: Nam-jae dormitory, Yong-Ji dormitory, Hwa-hong dormitory, Kwang-Gyu dormitory, and the newly built International dormitory. Nam-jae and Yong-ji dormitories are exclusively boys dormitories, while Kwang-gyu is a girls dormitory. Hwa-hong houses both males and females (on separate floors; girls' floors are female-keycard access only) and is open to foreigners as exchange students or regular students, along with the International dormitory. Except for Hwa-hong and International dormitory, all the dormitories house four occupants in each room. International and Hwa-hong have two-bed rooms, four-bed rooms, and single rooms for visiting professors. Ajou University International Dormitory VIDEO^{[citation needed]}

Notable alumni

• Ahn Jung-Hwan, football player
• Ha Seok-Ju, football player
• Jee Seok-jin, entertainer
• Kim Ji-hoon, actor
• Dharmaraj K.C. Member of Parliament, RSP, Nepal
• Lee Min-Sung, football player
• Woo Sung-Yong, football player
• Eon Tae Ha, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company
• Lee Guk-jong, head of the trauma lab at the University Institute for Advanced Medicine, trauma specialist.
• Chi Hwan Lee, biomedical engineer, academic, and researcher
• Suh Jin-suck, medical professor

See also

• Education in South Korea

References

1. ^ "Overview | Ajou University". Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
2. ^ "Foundation (1965~1980)". Ajou University. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
3. ^ "Gyeonggi-do Pharmacy - Ajou University, Convergence Research MOU" (in Korean). 한국의약통신. 2016-11-28. Archived 2021-07-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
4. ^ Ajou University in Tashkent
5. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2025". Top Universities. 2025-03-05.
6. ^ "QS Top 50 Under 50 2021". Top Universities. 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
7. ^ "[2019 대학평가]서울대 5년 연속 1위, 성균관 2위, 한양 3위" (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
8. ^ "[2020 한경 대학 취업·창업 평가] 한양대, 창업·취업 최고…광운대 첫 톱10 진입" (in Korean). magazine.hankyung.com. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
9. ^ "Global Top 100 Innovative Universities | WURI ranking" (in Korean). WURI. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
10. ^ "Reuters Top 75". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
11. ^ "Impact Ranking". Times Higher Education (THE). 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-07-23.