In Korea, having a great name can be a lasting trademark. Handong Global University is one such name. The otherwise humdrum word Handong (which means Korea East), when coupled with “Global” takes on an unusual significance and weight that seems inappropriate for a school nestled on a forested hilltop very far from Seoul or any other thriving metro pole. And yet over the past 13 years, Handong has been global in its color and has led the charge among Korean universities for globalizing education in Korea. As with any movement or idea ahead of its time, Handong’s globalization philosophy has had its detractors and skeptics, even among its own faculty and students. There are people who say: Why does the school need to have a global focus? Isn’t globalization inherently un-Christian? Why doesn’t Handong focus on just be a good academic institution with its limited resource pool? How is Globalization useful to us in the long run?

Handong is global because the gospel mandate is a global mandate. Christians are the first globalists as Christ called us to go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8). We will be as light unto the nations with the Gospel (Isaiah 49:6). Isaiah 58:12, which is President Kim’s favorite verse, says: Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. This verse reminds you and me that we are co-laborers in the business of sharing God’s powerful work of restoration and redemption to broken and despairing peoples all over the world. Truth changes lives and the truth about God changes lives better than prestigious ivy covered institutions and think tanks. God desires the whole world to be filled with the knowledge of Himself (Habakkuk 2:12-14).

So how is Handong doing with this formidable task? Let’s first try to understand what globalization is. One professor suggested this helpful definition: People connecting across the world, across cultural, linguistic, and political boundaries with the purpose of establishing relationships of value (whether capital or monetary, human, political, religious). So, when we connect across non traditional boundaries, obviously we will encounter new challenges that force us to change and adopt to new circumstances quickly. That’s why we require a strong knowledge of English, Chinese characters, and programming ? so that we can be minimally prepared for the challenges of a globalizing environment. We are not an international program because we are not interested in the traditional interests of international organizations, such as interlinking nations, bringing various people groups together, or being everywhere in scope or purpose. The global in our school name goes back to our global mandate and to Christ call to “go into all the world.” Our work is relevant on a global scale, not just one or two international locations. And while the global movement opens unprecedented new opportunities to share the gospel like never before. The question is: can Christians share the Gospel with more compassion, contextual connection (bringing the right things to the right people at the right time), and cultural sensitivity than ever before. Going to the Bible, Paul admonishes to the attitude with which to proceed:

There are many things Handong does right, but there is so much that it can improve.
For instance, it was noted that foreign faculty need to make an effort to understand Korean culture and learn some Korean. Local Korean faculty need to learn foreign culture and try to fellowship more actively with foreign faculty and students.
Furthermore, the school needs to identify the attributes that professors need to learn and exhibit that would demonstrate global attitudes, behaviors and actions.
Determine if we are doing things for the primary mission of getting the Gospel out.
Assess humanitarian objectives and partnership with Gospel objectives in mind.
Increase participation in missions and outreach.
Train professors to intentionally be more Christ-centered in the classroom.
Hire and integrate more internationally minded and trained faculty.
Encourage and help foreign professors to get involved in student activities and clubs.
More classes that inform the students about what is “global” and global Christian leadership.
Require students to work or study overseas.
Give students credit for service and missions overseas.
Provide cross-cultural training and de-briefing for all professors and students.
Provide more campus-relevant information in English
Require a one unit course on globalization for all students so they clearly understand the Christian global movement.

Handong tries to follow this mandate on campus and off campus. Handong students are some of the busiest in service among Korean students. On campus, we try to train the whole individual: a person developed and strengthen in mind, character, and spirit. This is done through a mandatory dual major requirement, team mentorship program, on campus live-in program, honor code, weekly chapel, and a host of para-church ministries and clubs devoted to service and missions. Handong tries to increase the number of courses taught in English and provides many scholarships to foreign students from various developing countries we seek to train godly leaders for. Out in the world, Handong partners with various universities to provide unique joint degree programs, sends out hundreds of missions-minded students that serve and teach in areas of great need around the world, and inform and educate people in the developed countries of the dire needs in the developing countries. President Kim encourages the students “to learn so you can give it away.”

As we think about globalization, we need to ask ourselves these questions individually and corporately:
Am I currently a role model for globalization?
Am I equipped with the intellectual, social and spiritual tools to be effective on a global sphere?
What are my strengths in this global framework?
What do I need to strengthen to be stronger in global work?

This article was contributed by Abraham Lee, Michael Fowler, Wesley Brewer and faculty team 10 at the Fall 2007 Faculty Retreat.