Since completing his master’s and Ph.D. in linguistics in 1992, Ki-jeong Lee has been to Minnesota for several visits, but he recently returned for the first time in an official capacity. Now president of Hanyang University in South Korea, Lee met with University of Minnesota leaders from the Technological Leadership Institute, the Minnesota Nano Center, the Research and Innovation Office, and the College of Liberal Arts to discuss possible collaborations.

Lee, who was elected president in 2023, said he has two primary goals for his term: expanding international education at Hanyang, and integrating teaching and research.

He has already created a new research center that offers educational programs, giving students more hands-on experience and helping them learn how to do research. He is also hoping research collaborations with the University of Minnesota and other institutions can offer further opportunities for students.

International education has been a large part of Lee’s career. He served as vice president for global initiatives at Hanyang for more than 20 years. When he started, Hanyang had only ever had around 20 international students. Now, it boasts more than 14,000 international alumni around the world.

“A lot of global issues these days come from miscommunication or misunderstanding among people [who] don’t always have the chance to meet people from other places or learn what they think,” he said, explaining international education can expose students to different cultures and perspectives.

He understands how hard it can be for international students to be away from home and family. When he arrived in 1988, he was alone, with a wife and child back home in Korea. He tried to finish his degree as quickly as possible.

“All I knew was the library and the dorm, back and forth,” Lee said. “I didn’t have time to enjoy American culture. I didn’t have time to travel in the United States. I’m really sorry about that.”

But he will always remember his professors, who he credited with helping him finish his degree much earlier than expected.

“Many of my professors helped me a lot, understanding my situation,” Lee said. “I still owe a lot to Minnesota, especially to those professors.”