The University of Seoul is a public university funded and supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Seoul is the economic, political, and cultural center of Korea. It is also the 600-year capital of Korea, a historical city with social, cultural, and physical layers spread out along a vast and complex landscape. The character of the university the faculty, academic programs, and research institutions is shaped by Seoul’s metropolitan dynamic. Its faculty, students, and administrative body are distinguished by a commitment to civic values and a dynamic urban civilization. Along with basic research, it functions as a think-tank in formulating and supporting the major policy goals of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. With diverse and specific programs that integrate research and policy, practice and education, the University of Seoul seeks a balance between academic and professional concerns, between visionary goals and practical research.