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While the world continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the climate crisis, including sudden and extraordinarily severe fluctuations of temperature and rainfall, the preventative and remedial countermeasures that should come forth from governments, corporations, and markets in addressing these life-threatening events are frequently absent and essentially inadequate, blinded by myopic self-interest that lacks the necessary long-term vision for the future of the planet. Yet the solidarity of global civic society is still too fragile to produce an effective solution on a global scale. In this time of crisis, it is crucial for universities to assume a leadership role, as they are not only institutions of higher learning but also the conscience of society which raison d'être is to create a better future for humanity at large.

Kyung Hee University, with its founding philosophy of "Creating a Civilized World," embodies this commitment to ensuring a bright future for all mankind. The “Civilized World” Kyung Hee strives for is one in which people can live with dignity, respect, and hope. It means constantly envisaging and working to prepare how we can ensure and defend the civilized way of life that is worth living for all humanity in the face of the challenges of life and the universe and the turmoil of history and civilization. The University's founding spirit is to dream of a "better human" and a "better world" and to take concrete steps towards creating a peaceful global society and a sustainable future civilization. As a leading institution of higher learning, Kyung Hee has a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead the way in this critical effort.

Kyung Hee has, by upholding its founding spirit, consistently delivered on its social responsibility as an institute of higher education. Since the mid-1950s, when the University was established, it has endeavored to modernize Korea still reeling from the devastations of the Korean War, by starting Rural Enlightenment Movement, Literacy Movement, and Better Life Movement. In 1965, the University expanded its horizon beyond the Korean Peninsula and led the creation of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP). In the 1970s, Kyung Hee University Medical Center (KHUMC) was founded to promote public health, and the University's social responsibility was more actively articulated through the Bright Society Movement and the Reconstructing Human Society Movement. After the establishment of the KHUMC, the University’s mission of a global community of peace and prosperity has been maintained by all-out medical volunteer activities joined by medical departments. Kyung Hee's practical values spread globally in 1981 when it was instrumental in the institutions of the International Year of Peace and the International Day of Peace.

Kyung Hee's effort to ensure peace continues through education, research, and practical activities. In 1983, the University opened the Graduate School of Peace and Welfare on the Gwangneung Campus, and in 1986 it published the world’s first book on world citizenship and the Encyclopedia of the World Peace (published by Pergamon Press, UK). Since then, Kyung Hee's peace movement has spread globally through the World Peace and Neo-Renaissance movements. In 1993, in recognition of these efforts, the University became the first educational institute to receive the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.

Kyung Hee's practical activities have taken off to a new level since the University's 60th anniversary in 2009. Kyung Hee declared a new vision, "Toward Global Eminence," and expanded global practice in which academic achievement contributes to society and the world, by putting human values first. To translate words into a concrete action, it created the World Civic Forum (WCF) and the World Civic Youth Forum (WCYF) in May 2009. At the WCF and WCYF, the UN, UNESCO, Non-Governmental Organizations (CoNGO), global academic institutions and students around the world discussed global issues in order to devise action plans.

The Kyung Hee Spirit of “Academe and Peace” resulted in the foundation of Humanitas College in 2011 and creation of Global Service Corps (currently Global Volunteer Team) in 2012. They support students to have a comprehensive understanding of human beings and the world, enabling them to have global citizenship and contribute to tackling global challenges.

Kyung Hee sends out many overseas volunteer groups every year. The Global Service Corps dispatched to Mongolia during the summer vacation of 2012 was awarded Mongolia Presidential Medal for the first time in Korea in recognition of desertification prevention and medical volunteer services. At the end of that year, Kyung Hee was selected for the “International Development Cooperation Project in Partnership with Universities” promoted by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and it researched and developed a model for rural development in Cambodia. The University focused on the creation of a sustainable development environment by nurturing the self-sustaining capacity of local residents and has sent volunteers overseas every year even after the end of their two-year projects. Thus, Kyung Hee is building a global action model that can work in overseas hubs in a long-term, sustainable manner.

Additionally, Kyung Hee co-hosted an international conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the UN International Day of Peace with UN Academic Impact (UNAI) in 2011. It holds international conferences and special lecture series throughout the year, including the Peace BAR Festival (PBF), the Miwon Lecture, special guest lectures by esteemed scholars, and the Civilization Transformation lectures in order to pursue solutions to world problems with international organizations such as the UN and global civil society.

Kyung Hee University is building strong partnerships between the government, industry, and universities in the world through academic excellence and the five connective cooperation clusters. The University remains committed to addressing global challenges and continues the efforts to create a solid foundation for a sustainable civilization, which is what our society and the times urgently require.