After almost two years of discussion, the SNU Future Research Committee released on March 27 its plans on how the university can play a role in the betterment of Korean society.

This committee is composed of experts from many different fields and focuses on 20 topics organized into seven main categories: globalization, population change, the fourth industrial revolution, digital economy, economic inequality, environmental crisis, and national security. This scheme is meant to serve as a guideline for research programs for other universities to meet the challenges of the future.

As an example, globalization, one of the seven categories, is making our society increasingly multicultural, which has the potential to lead to cultural conflict. To alleviate this inevitable tension, universities must implement guidelines to become more tolerant and integrating.

Similarly, the fourth industrial revolution will feature an influx of new technologies that will usher in large-scale changes in society. To better anticipate and prepare for the challenges that these changes will precipitate, the committee has designated biotechnology, aviation technology, cultural content and cultural contents, artificial intelligence, and the development of gene control technologies as some of the core research topics. This integrative and multidisciplinary approach aims to avoid the potential pitfalls of developing these topics in isolation.

With this framework, the SNU Future Research Committee will continue to lay the groundwork for Korea’s future.