Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (abbreviated as HUFS; Korean: 한국외국어대학교) is a private research university based in Seoul, in South Korea. HUFS consistently ranks as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university currently teaches 45 foreign languages. In addition, it contains studies in humanities, law, social sciences, business, medical science, natural sciences, and engineering. History In April 1954, HUFS was founded as a college for studying foreign languages in by Kim Heung-bae with its first students studying English, French, Chinese, German, Spanish and Russian. In 2012, U.S President Barack Obama, during his visit to Korea, spoke at Hankuk University in Seoul about global progress toward nuclear non-proliferation. Throughout its history, the university has been visited by numerous foreign dignitaries, including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Joko Widodo of Indonesia, Viktor Orban of Hungary, Abdullah Gul of Turkey, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia, Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland, and many others. Education Hankuk University of Foreign Studies has over 50 departments covering Social Sciences, Eastern European Studies, Humanities, Asia-African Studies, and Natural Sciences. The university contributes to regional studies, with graduate courses in international and regional studies. Since 2004 the closely associated Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, based at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, has been offering online courses in English, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, as well as business administration, journalism, and mass communication. HUFS runs a foreign language examination system (FLEX). The FLEX Center is developing examinations for 19 languages in addition to the seven languages currently administered (English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese). It plans for 26 languages more. As of October 2014, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies has academic exchange program agreements with 431 universities and 139 institutions throughout 88 nations. Academic reputation HUFS regularly ranks among the top universities in South Korea, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences. In 2020, eight HUFS students passed the Korean diplomat bar exam, the second most in the country behind only Seoul National University. In 2019, the school ranked third in the country with six successful examinees. FLEX Under the foreign language certification system, students who have double majors are required to achieve certain scores on the FLEX (Foreign Language EXamination) test for graduation, apart from graduation certification. In principle, students need to receive certification on their proficiency in foreign language. There are many languages in FLEX, including English, Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Russian,