Dr. Kwang-Sup Lee
President, Hannam University, Korea
2022-2023 ACUCA President

For two long years, we have all dealt with uncertainty and anxiety. We have seen destruction and chaos in forms we never imagined. We have seen the loss of so many lives, countless children suddenly orphaned, wives unexpectedly widowed, and parents swiftly became childless. It had seemed that the future looked bleak and that the dark tunnel we were in seemed as if it had no end. With new variants popping up faster than they could be detected, COVID-19 seemed unstoppable. The past two years have been very much like the events we remember during this season of Lent— yes, it has been like a two-year Lent. At the onset of the pandemic, it was very much like Ash Wednesday, the first outbreak became the ashes on our foreheads—a reminder of our humanity, how we, regardless of stature, were subject to pain, suffering, and death.

During the pandemic, we had carried on with our organization’s mission, albeit in ways our founding members may have never imagined. It has tested our resolve as a family and as a Christian organization, continuing our mission in advancing Christian higher education and making sure that no one in this family of institutions is left behind. With God’s grace and mercy, we have overcome.

But also like the season of Lent, it concludes with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. After two long years, what appeared to be a vicious cycle of disease and death now appears to come to its end. Our faith in Christ’s deliverance, paired with our cooperation with the government in its vaccination efforts has led us to this day. This is God’s faithfulness in action.

Like Christ’s resurrection, there is new hope for everyone, and we are all invited to bask in this promise of a brand-new day. As an educational organization, we are tasked with the mission of making this message heard even in the remote of all places. It is for us to find ways of making an impact in our respective institutions. This is us bearing witness to His faithfulness.

As we continue to commemorate Lent, may we look forward to this realization of our own symbolic resurrection, just as the rough path towards Christ’s suffering and death ultimately led to his resurrection. May this hope and trust in the faithfulness in our God become the anchor and strength of our days. May this hope in His faithfulness become our motivation to continue to work for our respective communities, for our fellow humankind. May this promise of His faithfulness become the certainty in this time of great doubt.

“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” -Lamentations 3:22-23.

Truly, his faithfulness is renewed in every waking day and like every dark night, his faithfulness is as sure as the sun rising in the east.

About the Author: Dr. Kwang-Sup Lee currently serves as the President of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA). He obtained his doctoral degree in Polymer Chemistry from Freiburg University, Germany. Dr. Lee served as senior research scientist at Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology from 1987 to 1992 and as director of Brain Korea 21 Center for BT-IT Hybrid Nanomaterials from 2006 to 2014. Dr. Lee is currently the President of Hannam University in Daejeon, South Korea.

About Hannam University: Founded in 1956 in Daejeon, South Korea by American Presbyterian missionaries, Hannam University’s goal is to achieve and maintain academic excellence in every area of learning, teaching, and research — an integral part of Hannam education. Guided by its motto “Truth, Freedom, & Service,” Hannam has maintained a special Christian campus atmosphere by developing its students into becoming competent leaders strongly molded with Christian character.