SEOUL, 29 July 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez attended the farewell and inaugural ceremony of the outgoing and incoming presidents of Ehwa Womans University, Korea’s first educational institution and leading university for women,on Tuesday, 29 July 2014.

One of the select heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the Republic of Korea invited to the ceremony, Ambassador Hernandez recognized the accomplishments in the four-year tenure of the outgoing president, Kim Sun-Uk, in ensuring that Ehwaremained relevant to the needs of contemporary society.

In her farewell address, President Kim said Ewha was able to fulfil its vision of becoming the global hub for women’s education.

In her inaugural speech as 15th president,Dr Choi pledged to fulfil her mandate “to uphold Ewha’s mission for our times” and to carry on the dedication, high visions and efforts of her predecessors that makes up the university’s time-honored history of change and challenge.

Ambassador Hernandez lauded the slogan presented by President Choi ‘Innovation Ewha,’ to open a whole new era toward the school’s bicentennial.

Filipino students have attended Ewhafor decades. The university was founded 128 years ago as the Ewha Haktangschool for girls by Mary F. Scranton, a Methodist Episcopal Church missionary from Massachusetts.

The school was renamed in 1887 by Gojong, Korea’s last king and the first emperor, to Ewha “pear blossoms” due to its abundance in the area.