▲ President of CWNU, Park Min-won doing his speech during the ceremony (Source: CWNU Waagle)

On Monday, the 4th of March, an entrance ceremony congratulating the new students was held at 11 a.m. in the CWNU's Global Lifelong Learning Center (Building No. 98) auditorium. Until 2022, due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, attendance at offline entrance ceremonies was limited to those who had been confirmed in advance. However, since the relaxation of COVID- 19 prevention guidelines last year, local residents and alumni have been able to participate in the entrance ceremony. Accordingly, many CWNU alumni and local residents attended the 2024 entrance ceremony.
Prior to the main event, a pre- ceremony event was held at 10 a.m. featuring various performances by senior students congratulating the new students, along with school promotional videos. CWNU explained its direction as a university growing with the local community to advance into the world through creative research and education. At the same time, it promoted achievements such as joint research projects with outstanding local corporations in Gyeongsangnam- do province and selection for Gyeongsangnam- do Regional Innovation Platform project supported by the Ministry of Education, highlighting its efforts for industrial development in Gyeongsangnam- do province. Following this, the hip- hop club, '4Dabeatz,' and the CWNU cheering club, 'Phoenix,' illuminated the stage, and musical performances and school song rehearsals were also held. These performances, which are based on various musical genres, brought joy to the students.
The main event began with the emcee's (MC’s) opening declaration and introduction of attendees. The entrance ceremony was attended by the new President of CWNU Park Min- won, faculty members, Kim Seok- ho, Dean of the Graduate School, Jin Byeong- jin, Dean of Students, as well as Kim Jae- heung, President of the Alumni Association and Alumni, local residents, and many other guests. They congratulated the new students, who had become part of the CWNU family. President Park Min- won then declared the admission of 2,592 students who passed the entrance examination for the 2024 academic year. During the freshman oath, Lee Chae- young from the College of Humanities, Department of Early Childhood Education, and Hwang Seung- hyun from the College of Economics & Business, Department of Accounting, solemnly pledged as representatives of the freshmen to, "adhere to the rules during my studies and fulfill my duties as a student to further enhance the tradition of CWNU."
President Min- won expressed in his speech, “The freshmen, as members of the beautiful CWNU Class of 2024, would start with a sense of pride and respect for themselves as CWNU students,” and, “Above all, we will devote all our capabilities to education, and at the core of it are you: the students. We will continue to provide comprehensive future education that combines practical education and character- creativity unique to CWNU, and accumulate various experiences domestically and internationally.” At the inauguration press conference, President Park Min- won announced the, '3- stage plan for CWNU's innovation and change,' which focuses on the integration with two other universities, University of Gyeongnam Geochang and University of Gyeongnam Namhae. Through this plan, CWNU aims to carry out joint projects with over 2,600 companies, institutions, and government research institutes located within the Changwon Industrial Complex, fostering regional development and eventually completing a model similar to U.S. state universities. Additionally, they will strive to be selected as a ‘Glocal University Project,’ to solidify CWNU's position within Gyeongsangnam- do province.
The entrance ceremony concluded with all attendees singing the school song to the accompaniment of music and vocal performances by Shim Jun- ho, a fellow student. Jung Yeon- woo, a first- year student in the Department of Business, shared her thoughts on school life in an interview with The Campus Journal, saying, "I chose CWNU to pursue studies that I can consistently research and think about with interest, and the professors are enthusiastic about teaching me." She expressed her excitement for the future, stating, "I am most looking forward to the future that I will build through my choices." The Campus Journal hopes that CWNU freshmen will faithfully fulfill their responsibilities and roles as students and grow into proud members of CWNU, envisioning a bright future.

By Kim Min-seong, reporter  kms9494274@gmail.com

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