Ewha opened the Institute of School Violence Prevention selected by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) on Aug. 5 at B207 of the Ewha Campus Complex. The institute will mostly carry out in-depth analysis on school violence, which has surfaced as a severe social problem. Besides studying causes and phenomenons of school violence, the institute also plans to help alleviate such issue by suggesting a guideline for improving character education. Research will be funded with approximately 300 million won a year for the next nine years by the MEST. Out of five organizations applied, the MEST selected Ewha to operate a research institute of school violence after examining its research plan. According to the MEST, Ewha can contribute in preventing school violence by providing expertise in various subjects such as psychology, law and medical field. Also, as Ewha affiliates with elementary, middle and high school, they can provide practical cases and sources for research. As the Institute of School Violence Prevention belongs to the College of Education, it will receive participation of professors and students from the College of Education. “In terms of preventing school violence, teacher training takes an important role,” said professor Chung Jae-young, a director of the institute’s project. “Thus, the College of Education will have its teaching staff participate in the research and share our expertise.” Since the Institute of School Violence Prevention officially opened, it has been working on six research projects with seven professors and a research team along with experts from related fields of study.