Professor SHIN Seung Il (right) and President SUNG Nak-in

On September 19, it was announced that SHIN Seung Il, co-founder of the pharmaceutical company CELLTRION Inc. (founded in 2002), donated 10 billion won towards the Amgok Scholarship. According to Shin, “I feel a sense of responsibility as a man of Korean roots who blossomed as a scholar at SNU, and I am thankful to my colleagues.”

Dr. Shin played a vital role in helping establish the International Vaccine Institute at SNU founded by the United Nations Development Program. The International Vaccine Institute specializes in biochemistry and cytogenetics. After graduating from SNU, Shin received Ph.D Biochemistry from Brandeis University in the US. Afterwards he served as Chief Consultant of the UNDP and worked at various research centers in Europe such as the Genetic Research Laboratory at Leiden University (Netherlands), the National Institute of Medicine (London), and the Basel Institute for Immunology (Switzerland).

This is not Shin’s first major donation towards education. In 2011, his 5 million won donation to SNU established the Shin Seung Il Scholarship Fund. He also donated 10 billion won to Wonju Middle School in Gangwon Province.

Shin’s donation will support the development of scientists who are also knowledgeable in the humanities and also humanities scholars who are familiar with the basics of science. According to Shin, “I hope that Korea is a place that will foster a new paradigm for civilization and encourage academic debate seeking a convergence between the sciences and the humanities.”

Written by: Yu Young Jin, SNU English Editor coin1234@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by: Professor Travis Smith, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations tlsmith@snu.ac.kr
Original article published in Yonhap News