Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or simply Seongdae, Hangul: 성균관대학교; hanja:成均館大學校) is a private research university with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. The institution traces its origins to the historical Sungkyunkwan founded in 1398 by the Joseon Dynasty located in the heart of central Seoul. As the foremost educational institution of the Joseon kingdom, it was governed by the great code of the state administration[5] with royal assent.[6] It was restructured into a university in 1895 and has since greatly expanded its course offerings.