On 25 July 2006, Kermit L. Hall, the President of State University of New York at Albany, visited Yeungnam University (YU) at the invitation of Woo Tong-ki, the President of Yeungnam University. On this occasion, President Woo proposed an students interchange program between the two universities. So far, it is known that any program to exchange students between YU and a university in the States has not been successful due to the lack of interest on the part of U.S. universities.
  To promote an exchange program, YU proposed a short-term cultural study program with which President Kermit L. Hall expressed his sympathy. However, President Hall suggested an annual meeting under the auspices of a symposium.