Incheon National University

Incheon National University (INU), previously also known as University of Incheon (UI), is a national university, operated by the legal entity (법인, 法人) established by the Government of the Republic of Korea, aiming for a world-class flagship university in the city of Incheon, part of Seoul Capital Area. INU stands in the new and young international city of Songdo which is also known as the New Songdo City, located in IFEZ (Incheon Free Economic Zone). The university operates multiple campuses across the Incheon metropolitan area at Songdo, main campus, and also at Michuhol and Dohwa-dong, satellite campuses. INU has been reputed as one of the most innovative universities in the world, ranked 18th in the world, and 2nd in South Korea next to Seoul National University from 2023 World Universities of Real Impact (WURI) ranking. INU's Matrix College system is recognized as one of the most efficient ways to bridge academia and industry, preparing students for immediate impact in their respective fields after graduation. INU is also one of the leading universities for student start-up establishment and support, partly owing to the national industrial park nearby (Namdong Induspark) and bio-cluster in Songdo. Brief history INU was first founded as a private college known as the Incheon Technical College in January 1979 as a part of Sunin Academy. Later, it was renamed Incheon College in December 1979 before getting chartered as a comprehensive university in 1988. In 1994, the university was renamed to University of Incheon, which was a city council funded university. INU was relocated from Dohwa-dong in Nam-gu to a new location at Songdo in 2009. In February 2009, Incheon Institute for Korean Language Studies was opened. Also In 2009 Jul, construction of Sondgo campus (Main Campus) was completed. In 2010, the university merged with Incheon City College. As a result, many new departments were opened with larger student capacities. In February 2013, the university was nationalized and renamed as Incheon National University. INU is regarded as the epitome of democratization of large educational institutions in South Korea, resisting the influence of internal and external political pressure on academic and governmental freedom along the history of the university.