From 1992 to 2007
Prior to Establishment: Primary Period
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“The City of Ulsan Needs a National University.”
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There were many obstacles that were overcome in order to make the dream of Ulsan citizens to come true. In 1992, the presidential candidate of South Korea, Young Sam Kim made a pledge of making a national university in Ulsan. In 1994, the committee for building a national university in Ulsan was organized with the name ‘Hanul University’ and started its activity.
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“Ulsan City, Setting up University Establishment Planning Team”
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The city of Ulsan has organized the university establishment planning team and committee and start activities of attracting by sending out establishment brochures to 702 organizations, such as universities, companies, and corporations. Despite these strenuous efforts, they did not raise the national interest, making the dream of establishing a national university sleeping away.
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Establishment of ‘Ulsan Citizen Organization of National University’
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The citizens of Ulsan gathered to form an organization for the establishment of a national university in September, 2001 and this became the official organization, named the Ulsan Citizen Organization of National University in October 2001. This organization was composed of 160 organizations with around 2000 members.
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Petition for Building a National University in Ulsan
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On March 2002, the petition aiming for a million citizens was started. However, only 9 percent of the entire population of Ulsan partook for this event. In May 2003, once again, they held a pan-citizen meeting at Dongchun Sports Center in Ulsan for signature-gathering petitions. Despite being held on weekdays, 4000 citizens participated. After a year and a half, a total of 589 thousand of 106 thousand Ulsan citizens signed the petition, showing the will of building a National University in Ulsan.
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Petition, Delivered to the Congress
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In 2004, there was a relay speech for establishment of a National University. Including the ‘Ulsan Citizen Organization of National University’, 20 organizations all over Korea partook in this event, urging the e establishment of National University in Ulsan. In July of the same year, 33 members of the organization and 6 members of the assembly delivered the petition to the Congress.
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Organization of the Council for Establishment of a National University at the Blue House
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After there has been no progress on the establishment, the city of Ulsan announced the promotion of building a national university in Ulsan on August 2005, and in September of the same year, the council at the Blue House was organized. In this council, specifics of the university were discussed. Under the following conditions, a national university can be build in Ulsan: the number of applicants for entrance being 1500, benchmarking academic programs from MIT university, the city of Ulsan city will provide the land and the full financial support for constructing the University.
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Announcement of Plans for the University Establishment
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With the municipal assembly’s hard work, the plans for the university establishment were finally announced on September, 2005. On the same day, the City of Ulsan signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development of South Korea, regarding the University establishment.
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Selection of University Site
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The city of Ulsan had organized the ‘Site selection committee’ in 2005 and had been accepting possible campus site candidates. The central and north districts of Ulsan, Ulju, and 10 other areas in Ulsan are selected as candidates. Decisions were made on February 2006 to select the Ulju area as the final site for building the University. Tensions between provinces could have occurred, but a common goal of making a national university in Ulsan made the entire province help each other.
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Legislative Bill, Issued on the Establishment of a National University of Ulsan
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At that time, the government decided to establish a legal basis upon the transition of a national university to a corporatized university over time in order to increase the competitiveness among national universities. However, due to severe protest from the national and public universities, the city of Ulsan decided that the only answer to solve this issue was to get an exclusive legislative push. The legislation was not issued by the government, but by the member of congress, and Ulju area congressmen Kang Gil Bu leaped head on into issuance of the legislation.
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First Presidential Appointment Ceremony
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On September 2007, President Moo Je Cho was appointed as the first president of UNIST and the registration of the establishment of the University was also finished. With the support of the City of Ulsan, the First Presidential Inauguration of President Cho was held at UNIST on November, as well as the Groundbreaking Ceremony. The president revealed his intention towards making UNIST, a world leading university that is weighed alongside with KAIST and POSTECH.
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