Kim Hei-sook (; born c. 1955) is a South Korean academic and university administrator. She has been a professor of philosophy at Ewha Womans University since 1987, and was elected president of the university in 2017.
Education Kim began her studies at Ewha, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1976 and a Master of Arts in Christian philosophy in 1979. She completed a doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1987, with a thesis on epistemology. Kim subsequently returned to Ewha to take up a professorship in the philosophy department. She specialises in the philosophy of art, epistemology, and women's studies,김혜숙(金惠淑) 교수, Ewha Womans University. Retrieved 21 November 2017. and has served as an associate editor of the International Feminist Journal of Politics.International Feminist Journal of Politics. Retrieved 21 November 2017. She won a Fulbright Scholarship in 1995.Kim, Hei-sook, Ewha Womans University. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
Career As co-chair of the faculty council, Kim was one of the leaders of protests against Choi Kyung-hee, who resigned as president of Ewha in October 2016 over corruption charges and was later sentenced to imprisonment.Ewha gets first directly elected president, The Korea Herald, 26 May 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.Jail terms set for Ewha university admissions favours, University World News, 24 June 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. In early 2017, Kim was elected as Choi's replacement as university president, winning the first-ever direct election for the post. In a ballot of the university's students, faculty, and alumni, she won 33.9 percent of the first-round vote and 57.3 percent in the final round.‘청문회 눈물’ 김혜숙 교수, 이대 첫 직선제 총장 당선, The Hankyoreh, 25 May 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. The election process was somewhat controversial, as there was initially an age limit of 61 for candidates; some commentators accused the university board of setting this limit specifically to exclude Kim, who was 62.Different stances collide on electoral reform that will determine Ewha’s 16th president, Ewha Voice, 28 February 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. Kim took office on 31 May 2017, to a term expiring on 28 February 2021. During her election campaign, she promised to "return Ewha to its original state and restore its honor".Ewha president vows open leadership, The Korea Herald, 15 June 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. She become president of Ewha in 2017 and stepped down in 2021.
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