SNU has a proud tradition of proven excellence, but changes at our noble institution are needed to continue to educate our nation’s best talent to become unparalleled forces in an ever globalizing world. Our students are extraordinary in many ways, and we are lucky to have such a smart, diversified, and international student body in our campuses. Our duty is to take our mission seriously, to teach and support them to become more creative, thoughtful, open-minded, and caring members of Korean society, as well as the global village. Through our inter-disciplinary approach, emphasizing problem-solving skills, global perspectives, and social responsibility awareness, we can achieve this.
My focus will be on the undergraduate-level study programs. A direct hands-on approach from the leadership of SNU is necessary to overhaul the undergraduate programs in their entirety, and to raise them through extensive review and auspicious investments. Along with a new curriculum, programs run by the Faculty of Liberal Education will be expanded and upgraded. Life science and health care disciplines also need to be integrated into the programs offered in the Gwanak Campus.
To meet these challenges, we should start by thoroughly understanding the nature and role of university education in our rapidly changing societal and economic environments. A carefully-designed and realistic action plan for sustainable funding will be an integral part of our ambition. Stable and assured financial resources will help us recruit and invite world-class, top-quality faculty members from around the world, make them welcome, and assist them to achieve their utmost for Korea and the world.
Faculty members of SNU have historically demonstrated some of the world’s most distinguished and eminent research and development capabilities. We want, however, to make sure that our efforts to produce cutting-edge research have more efficient infrastructure and institutional backing.
In the future, among other things, individual research funds will not be restricted to specific topics and areas of research. Further, support for research projects will be determined by us, not outsiders, and selected solely for their academic value. Improvements to equitable research leave arrangements and enhancement of performance-linked financial and other incentives must also be instituted. Likewise, red-tape and counterproductive administrative hassle must be eliminated.
The core of my plan is the “SNU Global C&D” structure. C&D (Connect and Development) is an extension of the concept of R&D, referring to the intelligent consolidation of some existing units within SNU, including the SNU R&D Foundation and Seoul Techno Holdings, Inc., creating synergies. The R&D arms of global business organizations will be invited to participate in this structure and will constitute an indispensable addition to the SNU body. This new framework, implemented and managed by a standing organization, will serve SNU’s efforts to secure outside research projects, protect intellectual property and commercialization, support start-ups, and fund other arrangements. Our new flexibility and efficiency will carry over to our work-products and put us in the Global Top Ten well within a four year timeframe.
Our financial and budgetary strength will keep us independent of outside interests, and guarantee quality and integrity in our teaching programs and research projects.
The overall SNU fund raising campaign will be carefully maintained and expanded. We want to ensure that an average of at least 120 billion Won is raised annually for the next four years. My primary goal, however, is to secure a fund in the amount of 50 billion Won annually out of discretionary financial resources. This fund will be exclusively invested and spent in various individual research projects and yet to be created welfare programs.
The core of the overall funding plan is also the SNU Global C&D. This unique feature not only facilitates academic research but also enables us to fund projects by generating 210 billion Won in the next four years. These combined will give SNU total financial resources for the four year period amounting to 6,550 billion Won.
We at SNU are all deeply indebted to our country and society. To repay that debt, we need to be keenly aware of our social responsibilities and develop meaningful programs for local and global communities. In particular, we will build a community research hospital to provide the local community high quality health care. For education, we want to invite a middle/high school in our neighborhood to partner with us, to give local residents an opportunity to benefit from first-class education.
Economically weak members of the community will have our assistance in their efforts to improve their lives. Launching such ICT programs as MOOC and edX will help them learn skills they need. Also, SNU will implement plans to help minorities, both in and out of the campuses, and foreign members of SNU and the local community.
SNU consists of individual colleges and schools. Their self-regulatory status will be maintained and strengthened in terms of academic affairs, personnel policy, and budget and accounting. These will be promoted on the premises that efficiency, transparency, and collaboration with the SNU leadership is warranted. Faculty evaluation, hiring, and tenure decisions will also fall within the authority of individual colleges and schools. The university headquarters will provide them with top-quality services and logistical support through cooperative and accommodative working arrangements.
A new governance structure for SNU is badly needed. Such a governance structure will be built on the proposition that a democratic and open system creates the most productive and collegial educational and academic environment. In particular, the SNU Senate will be asked to play a more active role in mobilizing and communicating the voices of SNU members to the SNU leadership and outside.
The safety and health of our students and the SNU community on the university’s premises, including the labs and hospitals, is our top priority. We will ensure that our campuses are declared as zones free from asbestos and other hazardous materials.
Because we all want to feel at home while we spend our precious time on campus, we need to improve accessibility to our campuses and buildings through safe and efficient transportation arrangements, barrier-free construction, bilingual signs and information boards, and intelligent layout of the campuses.
The corporatization of SNU has created unique challenges and brought about many difficult and complicated problems that we need to solve together. But, we must not forget that the primary purpose of corporatization is to move SNU forward to an unprecedented degree, so that we may enjoy the benefits of independence and efficiency that only the corporate form brings. It was never meant to simply expand our comfort zone or maximize self-interests of the members of SNU. Corporatization is the ultimate test for us, it is an uphill battle that we must fight and win.
It is a difficult journey but one I look forward to taking with you.
Together, we can make the changes we need and come out where we wish to be.
