Renata Czekalska, head of the Korean Studies department at Jagiellonian University, presents the "Plus Ratio Quam Vis" medal to Shin Il-hee, president of Keimyung University. [Keimyung University]
Renata Czekalska, head of the Korean Studies department at Jagiellonian University, presents the "Plus Ratio Quam Vis" medal to Shin Il-hee, president of Keimyung University. [Keimyung University]

Keimyung University announced Wednesday that its president, Shin Il-hee, has received the "Plus Ratio Quam Vis" medal — the highest honor bestowed by Poland's Jagiellonian University, an institution with more than 660 years of history.

The medal presentation ceremony was held Tuesday at Adams Chapel on Keimyung University's Seongseo Campus.

Renata Czekalska, head of the Korean Studies department at Jagiellonian University, introduced Shin's achievements and presented the medal, while Jagiellonian University President Piotr Jedynak delivered a video address explaining the significance of the honor.

"Plus Ratio Quam Vis" is Latin for "reason is stronger than force."

Jagiellonian University established the medal in 1997 to mark the 600th anniversary of its refoundation, and awards it to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to scholarship and the advancement of higher education.

Past recipients include Pope John Paul II, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and James D. Watson.

The university cited Shin's long-term support for cooperation between the two institutions and for Korean Studies education and research, as well as his efforts to promote student and faculty exchanges and the internationalization of research.

Keimyung University has supported Jagiellonian University since 2017 through the provision of educational materials, faculty and researcher exchanges, and expanded student mobility. The university also established a scholarship program for Polish students and created a dual-degree master's program in Korean Studies, giving students the opportunity to live in Daegu and study and conduct research on Korea firsthand.

Shin's philosophy of international exchange is captured in the Latin phrase "Mutamus ergo sumus" — "We exchange, therefore we are" — reflecting his belief that cultures can discover new possibilities through engagement with one another. He studied at Trinity University in the United States and Heidelberg University in Germany, and received his doctorate in German literature from Princeton University in 1966.

His ties to Poland run deep. Shin received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2000 and the Gloria Artis Medal for Cultural Merit in 2008. He was appointed honorary consul of Poland to South Korea in 2005 and was elevated to honorary consul general in 2012, since which time he has worked to advance diplomatic, cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries.

"Shin's dedication has been instrumental in strengthening academic ties between Poland and Korea and in helping Jagiellonian University develop into a leading center for Korean Studies in Europe," President Jedynak said.

Czekalska added that "the most precious thing Shin and Keimyung University offered when our cooperation began was trust," describing him as someone who "opened countless doors for us."

Shin said the medal "goes beyond a personal honor — it is the fruit of the trust, friendship and academic exchange that our two universities have built over many years." He added that he would continue working to connect future generations of Korea and Poland by enabling students and researchers to learn and collaborate across borders.

Meanwhile, Jagiellonian University, located in Krakow, Poland, is the country's oldest university, founded in 1364. It counts astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Pope John Paul II among its notable alumni and is regarded as one of Europe's foremost institutions of higher learning.


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