Professor Jang Ho-wan, the Chairman of Long-term Planning and Development Committee, Seoul National University, Announced 12 plans to develop itself as a leading world university. Jang said that to gain competitive advantage academically, the school should control all major policies and projects.

Professor Jang Ho-wan, the Chairman of Long-term Planning and Development Committee, Seoul National University said that SNU should be allowed full control of policy governing student admissions, opposing regulation by the government.

Announcing 12 plans to develop itself as a leading world university, Jang said that to gain competitive advantage academically, the school should control all major policies and projects.

In the future the university will have more than two vice presidents at the school for effective business management, and a new development committee will be formed.

The announcement of Jang is seen to oppose to the government's ``three nots'' policy for equality and fairness of education: Universities are banned from ranking high schools; they cannot administer entrance tests of their own except in essay form _ only the government's test can be used; and they cannot accept donations in exchange for admission.

The school has asked the government for years to give it autonomy over student selection, but its requests have been rejected.

Along with the autonomy issue, the school announced that it will invite foreign scholars to give lectures to raise students' academic abilities as well as to bring up the school level. The invited professors would be of high caliber such as Nobel Prize Winners or the equivalent.

Also, programs to enhance foreign language study, science and mathematics will be adopted and many students will be able to choose their own majors after admission.

The SNU also plans to increase its number of foreign students to create a globalized academic environment. By 2025, 40 percent of students and 900 staff will be foreigners. More than 20 branch campus or studying facilities would be established abroad, too.

``The project aims to bring the school's level up to the world's top 30 universities by 2015, and the top 15 by 2025,'' Nam Hye-kyoung, the school's public realtions manager, said.

March 22, 2007