Handong Global University (HGU) opened its doors of higher education in 1995 at Pohang, South Korea, the world's Capital City of Steel. Cognizant of the accelerated pace of globalization with the onset of the emerging IT age, HGU introduced many innovative programs in the undergraduate educational programs. For example, HGU admitted students without declaring majors and required all students to study English, Chinese, and computer during the first two years. It has also required them to double major in allied fields, such as language and international relations, business and economics, biotech and food science, electronics and computer, and so forth. For character development, all exams are conducted without supervisors. These were previously unheard of in Korea. For these innovative programs, HGU received excellence awards for educational reforms from the Ministry of Education of Korea for 1996?1998 as a model university for the 21st century. HGU was established with a global reach and impact. The academic mission of HGU is uniquely positioned to educate honest and competent global leaders for the technology-driven marketplace of the 21st century.

HGU has also introduced IT-intensive curricula, including the most advanced Geographical Information System (GIS) Center in Korea. The Ministry of Information and Communications of Korea awarded HGU excellence awards for pioneering and advancing the IT education for globalization in 2001 and 2002. In 1998, HGU was privileged to establish Handong Institute of Information Technology (HIIT) in Argentina.

In 1999, Handong Global University started its joint MBA program with the Institute of Finance and Economy at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. Currently, HGU is exploring a number of similar opportunities of cooperative educational ventures in other countries with the objective of meeting the needs of host countries and the region. In 2004, HGU opened the Uzbek-Korean MBA program under the ISTEDOD Foundation of the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In 2001, HGU held the first Intellectual Properties (IP)-Information Technology (IT) International Conference, the first of its kind ever in Korea, with 22 outstanding speakers well versed in IP and IT laws and in business and education. The conference speakers included stellar figures, such as the Honorable Judge Zhipei Jiang of the Supreme Court of China in charge of the chamber responsible for international trade, technology and intellectual property, and Dean G. Robert Johnston of the John Marshall Law School, noted for introducing the Center for Excellence in IP, IT, and IBT (International Business and Trade).