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Tuesday, May 22, 2012 By Won Joon Choi and Ribby Suh
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As TCIS is finalized to start its new school year at the newly-built Techno Valley Campus in August of 2012, Hannam University will transform TCIS’ current O-Jung Dong Campus into Hannam’s new “Lantern Global College” sometime during mid-September of this year.
Hannam University’s long-awaited plan to expand its campus started when Hannam first held a conference with TCIS regarding the expansion of its campus two years ago. Hannam finalized this plan when it officially purchased TCIS’ O-Jung Dong Campus for 8.5 billion won in October of 2008.
Mr. Joo-Seop Lee, the director of Hannam University’s Planning and Management Office, said**, “[the] Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, which is the founder of Hannam University, donated 8.5 billion won to the University to make this expansion possible.” He also added that “As Hyosan Medical Foundation undertook the fiscal management of TCIS, the university was able to move forward with its original plan.”
The high school building, which is currently the flagship building of TCIS, will be used as the main building for the Hannam University’s upcoming college, ‘Lanten Global College.’ Most of the rooms in the building will be used as classrooms for the college. Lantern Global College’s primary focus will be to, “Provide the university’s students with quality international education through subjects like English and International Studies,” said Mr. Lee.
The secondary library, which has served as the only library for the high school and the middle school divisions of TCIS will mainly be used as a cafeteria. However, Mr. Lee also stated, “Other features of the library such as computer labs will be turned into a Korean Language Center for the university’s international students”.
The container boxes used as classrooms for the elementary, middle, and high school divisions will all be kept, but used as a storage space for Hannam. “None of the container boxes will be used as a classroom,” added Mr. Lee.
However, unlike the container boxes and the library, some of the buildings in O-Jung Dong Campus will continue to perform their previous functions. The TCIS Gymnasium will continue as an athletic center after a minor renovation. Also, the Midkiff and Stone dormitories will be used as an addition to the university’s dormitory program.
Lastly, the university will install an asphalt road within the O-Jung Dong campus. The road will connect places like “circle drive,” “grassy area,” and “parking lot.” Mr. Lee explained the purpose of the road was to, “lessen the heavy transportation traffic near the O-Jung Dong campus”.
Currently, Hannam expects all the schedules and deadlines regarding the moving of TCIS to be met. “Everyone has been working extremely hard including the headmaster [Dr. Penland] and the future of both TCIS and Hannam is bright.” Mr. Lee commented, “I am very satisfied with the situation and will be praying for all of us.”
** The conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee has been translated from Korean to English in the most direct manner possible.
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