The knowledge and information society linked with the logic of globalization is pushing all of us, in -dividuals and organizations, into the arena of global competition. This changed environment enta -ils the hard logic that all universities have to engage in and win out global competition pursuant to the new paradigm of knowledge society compatible with the nature of globalization.

With the beginning of 2003, our University, long in tradition of being a regional center for oriental medicine, undertook a series of efforts to cope with the dictate of environmental change and to play a leadership role in regional development strategy.

First, we initiated and led the regional development plan to make the Daegu Gyeongbuk area a center for the newly emerging future industry of bio-technology in oriental medicine.

Second, we undertook restructuring education system under which congeries of diverse departm -ents were streamlined into a specialties - oriented structure concentrated around the 3 technolo -gies of BT(Bio Technology), CT(Cultural Technology), and IT(Information Technology), to meet the challenge of the knowledge society.

Third, we have renamed our University as the Daegu Haany University, symbolizing a leadership role in managing the age of bio-technology in oriental medicine.

Finally, we are standing in front of the effort to establish a new governmental agency administering the control of oriental medicine (Oriental Medicine Office), an institutional arrangement guaranteeing the scientification and globalization of oriental medicine, to be located in the city of Daegu, and to promote the scheme of regional industrial clusters of the bio-industries in the areas of Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

With a future-oriented education system presented here to train new and competent human resources capable of meeting the task of globalizing scientific oriental medicine and managing the requisites of the related bio-industries, our University consolidated dispersed faculties into 5 colleges with specialties in BT, CT, and IT, composed of 9 faculties and 23 departments. In the realm of BT, the College of Oriental Medicine and the College of Public Health and Welfare concern with academic disciplines in medical research and industrial profession related with bio-industries in oriental medicine. In the field of CT, the College of Cultural Sciences includes the traditional humanity sciences as well as cultural technology called for in the age of knowledge industries. In the area of IT, the College of Business and Information focuses on the management education of human resources able to meet the demands of digital information society, and the College of Digital Information and Architecture deals with studies in the fields of digital information, media, art, architecture, and interior design.

In order to train human resources meeting the challenge of the new era, and with emphasis on pragmatic academic disciplines, the University redesigned an education system offering quality off-line education to all of the students participating in the digital campus project. The University has also formed a demand-oriented life-time continuing education system by which all of the students can acquire knowledge and information in all disciplines free from the constraints of time and place.

I welcome all of you to the Daegu Haany University once again and I hope this opportunity helps you better understand the picture of our university to evolve for years to come.