Anyone walking around Anam would have noticed a huge building being built at the roadside. Although many new buildings were constructed at Science and Engineering Campus, some of the buildings that students used the most, like the College of Engineering Number 2 building, were outdated. However, with the construction of new buildings at Korea University (KU), including Hana Science Hall and Future Institute of Engineering, the overall level of quality has begun to heighten significantly.

Hana Science Hall, which was completed on December 18, 2014, is located next to the College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology West Building, across from the KU Medical Center (KUMC). The building was named after Hana because Hana Bank has donated 12 billion won to KU. Daewoo Engineering & Construction also took part in the donation, and took charge of the whole construction. The site was formerly the place for Athletic Training Center and student’s tennis court.

 

The building is divided into two sub-buildings, in which the A block and the basement floor are used by the College of Health Science, and the B block is used by the College of Life Sciences and College of Science. Most of the building would be used for research and experiment purposes, yet there are amenities for undergraduate students as well. There are a number of group study rooms, a study hall to accommodate over 76 students, and lounges. There are lecture rooms, seminar rooms, conference rooms and student affairs departments at the lower levels. 

 

The most special feature of Hana Science Hall is that the College of Health Science is moving into the building. According to an interview with Kim Heung Duk, assistant manager of Design & Construction Department, the usage of the building is especially meaningful in that the College of Health Science, which formerly was separated from Anam campus, is moving in, and it also is a great step towards integration between colleges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another new building is the Future Institute of Engineering, which was completed this February. The building was built to foster the growth of the KU College of Engineering, so that they could fit into global standards. With the 50th anniversary of the KU College of Engineering, KU aims to make the college one of the top 20 engineering schools by the year 2030, and the Future Institute of Engineering was constructed in the same context.

 

The building is located next to Innovation Hall, across from the College of Engineering Annex. The Future Institute of Engineering was designed so that it could harmonize with Innovation Hall, and when looking at the exterior, one may easily notice that the two buildings are hard to distinguish. The Future Institute of Engineering was designed to be six stories high, which is identical to Innovation Hall. There is even an air walk between the two buildings.

 

The Future Institute of Engineering is expected to compensate for the current defects of buildings for engineering majors. Most of the building will be used for lecture rooms, laboratories, experiment rooms, seminar rooms, conference rooms, and professor’s offices. The most impressive feature is that it could accommodate some laboratories that were in the College of Engineering Number 2 building before, which was the subject of hatred to most engineering students.

Many engineering majors are welcoming the news. “I always thought more buildings were needed for the College of Engineering. Considering that the College of Engineering Number 2 building is seriously outdated, we hope the completion of the Future Institute of Engineering could solve some of those problems,” said Oh Hwan-Gyu (’11, Electrical Engineering). Another interviewee who wished to remain anonymous claimed that he was always in fear of going to the College of Engineering Number 2 building, and is delighted that to no longer having to use the building.

 

At the groundbreaking ceremony of the Future Institute of Engineering, Kim Jae-Ho, chairman of the boards of directors of KU education foundation, said the Future Institute of Engineering is expected to significantly raise the standard of experimental, research, and educational facilities. Thereby, the KU College of Engineering is expected to become one of the top 50 global institutes of technology.

 

So far, such goals of KU do not seem distant. For starters, there are two newly constructed buildings in the Science and Engineering Campus. Supposedly there was less support for the Science and Engineering Campus than the Liberal Arts and Humanities Campus, but the recent news contradicts such claims, and such actions of KU are promising. It is anticipated that the two new buildings will lead to more competent research performance and science education at KU.