Korean Emigration to Hawaii and Establishment of 'Inha Institute of Technology'

하와이 이민과 '인하공과대학'의 설립

'Inha University' (Inha Institute of Technology) was founded on April 1954. The establishment of Inha University has several special meanings. First, I tried to examine the establishing process of Inha University in the context of emigrations and nationalist movements. Inha University was established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of emigration to Hawaii, with the seed money of $150,000 which came from the sale of 'Korean Christian Institute' in Hawaii. Korean Christian Institute had taken charge of teaching the children of Korean residents in Hawaii. Rhee Syhngman, the fist president of Republic Korea was the leader in founding Korean Christian Institute and Inha University, but behind him there were donations of both Korean residents in Hawaii and common Korean people of the 1950's. The establishment of Inha University has a nation-wide and national meaning in that the spirit of nationalist movements in Hawaii and donations of Korean people at home and abroad were linked together. Second, I tried to examine the economic and educational policies after the liberation in 1945. In the 1950's Korea planned to set up self-supporting economy with the aid of America. Accordingly, the educational policy had to be considered in view of economic independence, too. 'Inha Institute of Technology' was the result of these national economic and educational demands. Consequently Inha Institute of Technology took a special position of carrying out national policies with the intervention and protection of the Government, including the president Rhee Syungman in person, even though it was neither national not public but private college. Third, I tried to examine the local history of Incheon. How did Inha Institute of Technology come to be built in Incheon? That's because the emigrant ships departed from Incheon. For those Korean emigrants, it is quite natural that the city of Incheon has a symbolic and commemorative meaning. In addition, Incheon is a port city neighboring the capital Seoul and has 'Seoul-Incheon Industrial Complex' in it. Graduates from Inha Institute of Technology were expected to act as competent scientists and technical leaders of that complex. Really Inha Institute of Technology trained many a good technicians with short-term courses and re-educated them after. The history of university has been usually underestimated as that of mere institution. In dealing with the history of Inha University as an example, I tried to re-examine the history of university in the context of Korean history and to emphasize the importance of keeping any all records relating universities.