Why Did the President Become a Barista? ... Dongmyeong University Offers 1,000 Cups of 'Doing Americano' Made with 'Practice' Coffee Beans for the New Semester

Jeon Ho-hwan, President of Dongmyeong University.

Coffee Food Truck.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] On the first day of the new semester, a 60-year-old “President” treats students to coffee. The coffee is called “Doing Americano,” and since the beans named “Practice” are ground in it, the president is indeed a barista.

Despite the harsh COVID-19 situation and cold weather, the president decided to share the passion contained in the coffee cups with the students. It symbolizes his intention to communicate through that warmth.

Busan Dongmyung University, which has adopted the slogan of an “experiential university,” has embarked on change and innovation. President Jeon Ho-hwan, who took office last year, is effectively opening the first new academic year under his leadership.

President Jeon is the founding inaugural president of the “Doing University,” which bases its innovation philosophy on challenge, experience, and practice. As the “Doing President,” his first performance meeting students in the new academic year is the “Doing Coffee” time.

With the raising of the anchor of the so-called “Do-ing” ship of challenge, experience, and practice, the university decided to fully implement a “Motivation Semester” across all departments. The president is even spending his own money to serve coffee and attract students to adapt to this semester system.

President Jeon Ho-hwan will personally take on the role of food truck manager. On March 2, the first day of classes, starting at 8:30 a.m., he will greet students arriving at the Dongmyung University fountain book tower and in front of the central library. The president will serve 1,000 cups of “Doing Coffee.” This may become a historic scene in the world of university history.

President Jeon is refining his message: “Let’s have confidence and courage, and even if we fall, let’s not give up but get back up. That is the spirit of Doing Talent.”

The coffee time is a moment to warmly comfort and encourage both new and returning students this year. He also hopes students will participate in the motivation semester, which is being expanded to all departments this year. The motivation semester, which started about ten years ago in some departments, has now been spread across the entire Dongmyung University campus.

It is reported that the president spent 3 million KRW of his own money to serve Doing Coffee. Naturally, there will also be a hashtag event.

On February 16, President Jeon learned bowling from Jang Ga-young, a freshman at Dongmyung University and a youth representative of the Korea Bowling Association (Department of Global Cultural Contents).

Since he was a beginner, he received a handicap of 100, making it a close game. The comical bowling experience between the teenage representative player and the 60-year-old president is being shared on YouTube and other social media as a “comic video.”

Dongmyung University will conduct a motivation semester system for 1,548 freshmen across 41 departments from March 2 for one month, totaling 15 sessions. It will be carried out in a hybrid format combining face-to-face and metaverse methods.

There will be meetings between professors, seniors, and peers by department, as well as ▲ campus tours ▲ department explorations, senior lectures, major experiences, group activities to enhance cooperation and belonging ▲ and various experiences such as producing song, dance, and theater UCCs by college.

There will also be a “special talk show” involving the president, the university’s distinguished professor and national singer Insooni, college deans, freshmen, and returning students.

This is the only credit-recognized motivation semester system in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions. It marks the launch of Korea’s first Doing (Do-ing) innovative education as an experiential university.

President Jeon often says, “By changing, one can communicate and endure (變則通久). Without action, nothing can be achieved (弗爲胡成).” This motto is the “Leper (indicator)” of the Doing University he pursues.

He said, “It is an important era where it is not enough to just accumulate knowledge, but to find and solve problems on your own. One act of practice is more meaningful than a hundred words.”

The university explains that Doing (Do-ing) education is practical education that goes beyond textbook-based theoretical learning to allow students to experience things themselves.

However, the curriculum is also unique. Required courses include reading classical masterpieces, writing, speaking, preparing financial statements, stock investment, YouTubing, singing foreign songs, and mountain climbing.

There are many distinctive elective courses such as drone operation, photography, yachting, horseback riding, and light aircraft flying. Among about 70 courses, students can graduate by completing 110 credits of “Doing.” Grades are not given as A to F but as P (pass) or NP (not pass).

At this innovative university, the university president will get on a food truck and serve “Doing Americano” to welcome the new semester.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.