The Seoul National University Cooperative Project contract was established in September, 1954, to assist in the strengthening of education and research at Seoul National University through a program of faculty exchange, rehabilitation, and re-equipment in selected Colleges, including the College of Medicine. The University of Minnesota College of Medical Sciences faculty, under the leadership of Dean Harold S. Diehl, agreed. to the feasibility of the activities proposed for the SNU College of Medicine after stuqying the observations made in Korea earlier in 1954 by Dr. Gaylord Anderson. Dr. Anderson, Director of the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, has served continuously since 1954 as the Project's Adviser in Medicine on the Minneapolis campus.

Most of the plans agreed upon in the original negotiations were put into effect within the first year. Included among them was a decision not to send Minnesota staff to Korea until a majority of the Korean faculty scheduled for exchange had returned to Seoul, or until the major rehabilitation and re-equipment steps had been taken. Progress made during the period covered by these early policies has been described in the Semi-Annual Reports submitted between April 19, 1955 and April 19, 1956.