Under the title of the 4th President of Incheon National University, Lee In-Jae visited the press room at Incheon City Hall on May 15 and held a press briefing where he presented the university’s future vision and key policy directions.

At the briefing, President Lee stated that “Incheon National University stands at a crossroads of transformation and progress,” and proposed three directions for development: innovative education that draws out students’ potential, a research-oriented university based on industry-academic cooperation, and a representative national university that grows together with the local community.

President Lee emphasized, “We intend to become an innovative education university by introducing new teaching methods that expand the breadth and depth of students’ thinking, develop into a university that can conduct cutting-edge research in Songdo’s advanced industry sectors, and grow into a representative regional national university, especially considering the public support that enabled our transition to a national university.”

In response to questions from reporters regarding the use of the Jemulpo Campus, President Lee explained the functional roles of the Songdo, Michuhol, and Jemulpo Campuses, presenting a phased plan to transform Jemulpo Campus into a civic-centered campus that resonates with the public. He mentioned initiatives such as opening parking lots (which began last year), opening athletic fields this year, reusing the Seongrigwan building, and, in the long term, attracting a public medical school and using the campus as a medical school site.

President Lee particularly emphasized that “establishing a public medical school has long been a major goal for Incheon National University, and Jemulpo Campus is the ideal location for this,” and added, “While we hope to bring in a public medical school and use the campus accordingly, we are also preparing alternative plans such as developing an industry-academia complex in case that does not materialize.”

President Lee In-Jae, who took office on May 10, graduated from Seoul National University School of Law, received his LL.M. from the University of Chicago Law School, and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University. Since 2008, he has served as a professor in the Department of Economics at Incheon National University. His previous roles include Vice President for External Affairs at Incheon National University, President of the Korean Association of Labor Economics, President of the Korea Labor Institute, and Chairperson of the Minimum Wage Commission.