Yonsei University, in its 120 years of history, has striven to become a world-class institution of higher education. The effort has become a tradition and continues to this day. Society’s demands of higher education have changed with time, and today's society calls for measures different from those taken in the past. Yonsei University makes great efforts towards adapting quickly to today's fast-changing society. To meet these demands, various interdisciplinary research projects have been launched, a great number of international exchanges have been initiated, and the Yonsei Institute for Leadership Development has been established.

For the past few decades Northeast Asia has been the most vibrant region of the world, both politically and economically. Politically, while the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989 marked the end of Cold War in Europe, ideological confrontation and military tension continue in the Northeast Asian region. Economically, Northeast Asia is a source of supply and demand for the entire world. Since 2002, the Yonsei Institute for Leadership Development has been providing a venue for discussion among the brightest students in Northeast Asia, and high-caliber delegates from each country have gathered to hold heated debates on issues concerning the region's future.

NEAN 2010, like previous NEAN forums, will offer noted specialists in each field as panelists and participants in high-level discussions. I would like to strongly encourage all delegates to take an active role in mapping the future of Northeast Asia, thus making the most out of their short time at Yonsei. I would like to remind all participants that the future of Northeast Asia is in our hands.

Sincerely yours

Han-Joong Kim.
President, Yonsei University