Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

이화여자대학교
Motto	진(眞)·선(善)·미(美)
Motto in English	Knowledge·Goodness·Beauty
Type	Private
Established	1886
President	Song Deok-Soo(Acting)
Academic staff	997
Administrative staff	543
Students	19,503
Undergraduates	16,166
Postgraduates	6,102
Location	Seodaemun, Seoul, South Korea
Campus	Urban 547,788  m²
Colors	Green
Nickname	Idae (이대·梨大)
Website	www.ewha.ac.kr

Coordinates: 37°33′42.72″N 126°56′48.60″E / 37.5618667°N 126.9468333°E / 37.5618667; 126.9468333

Ewha Womans University (Hangul: 이화여자대학교; Hanja: 梨花女子大學校) is a private women's university in Seoul, South Korea founded in 1886 by the American Methodist Episcopal Church. It is the world's largest female educational institute and is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea.

While the lack of an apostrophe in "Womans University" is unconventional, the use of "Woman's" rather than "Women's" was normal in the past.

Τhe use of "Womans" carries special meaning. The early founders of the college thought that every woman is to be respected; to promote this idea, they chose the word "woman" to avoid lumping students together under the word "women."

Ewha Womans University traces its roots back to Mary F. Scranton's Ehwa Haktang (Hangul: 이화학당; Hanja: 梨花學堂) mission school for girls, which opened with one student on May 31, 1886 (Lee, 2001). The name Ewha, which means “Pear Blossoms”, was bestowed by the Emperor Gojong the following year. The campus was covered with them, and historians speculate that a grove of pear trees near Scranton home's inspired the name. The image of the pear blossom is incorporated in the school's logo.