Barely a decade ago, the sight of a foreigner in Seoul would have induced whispering, gawking, and maybe even some frenetic pointing. Even a year before the 2002 World Cup, foreigners in Seoul rarely ventured beyond particular pockets near military bases or hakwon-filled neighborhoods. These days, it's a whole other story. With an ever-increasing influx of foreigners ranging from tourists to teachers and exchange students, Korean society is rapidly becoming much more heterogeneous than ever before, so it makes sense that the number of foreign professors at SNU is at its highest since the school's foundation in 1947. SNU currently boasts 86 foreign faculty members, 22 of whom are associate professors. So what is it about SNU that is drawing renowned scholars from abroad?

It`s all in the body? the academic body, that is

SNU's staff and faculty are largely to thank for the recent rise in the number of foreign professors. It is clear that their encouragement and persuasion played a pivotal role in convincing many foreign scholars to join SNU's academic community. Professor Seung-Ah Cho of the Department of Business was guaranteed a position at Rutgers University upon her completion of a one-year visiting professorship at SNU. However, she chose to stay on at SNU as an associate professor after enthusiastic convincing and encouragement from her colleagues here. Professor Anthony Woodiwiss, a highly-respected expert on sociology of law, traded his position as dean of City University London after being won over by SNU's head of Social Sciences.

But the faculty didn't do all the work. Another huge merit was the student body itself. Foreign professors are given the opportunity to sit in on classes for a week before deciding to settle on SNU, providing them with the chance to interact with and observe the students here firsthand. Professor Olivia Milburn - who at 33 is the youngest professor appointed this semester - marveled at the brightness and devotion that SNU students displayed during class:"I got to see the students give some excellent presentations. Everyone was enthusiastic to learn, question, and debate the given subjects. They also showed a keen interest in my current field of instruction." She was particularly moved by the academic zeal exhibited by the students during the open class. Professor Milburn holds degrees from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. She was searching for a university near China - which she frequently visits for research purposes - when she decided on SNU as the optimal place to stay, despite more lucrative offers from other universities.

Professor Andrea Pearson of the Department of Archeology and Art History was also wowed by SNU students. Teaching Art History in English, she said that she was delighted with the hard work students put into their studies, and was particularly impressed that even the students who were only auditing came to class fully prepared and completed all of their assignments. While Professor Mark Siderits of the Department of Philosophy initially found it difficult to adjust to life in Seoul, and required quite a bit of help from his assistant, he did not fail to mention that his students’ outstanding performance was the silver lining on the cloud.

But why, you might ask, is it so important that SNU acquire more foreign professors? Bringing in professors from abroad will no doubt lead to the development of a more diverse and specialized faculty, giving students both a broader and more in-depth education that is essential to survival and success in this age of globalization. For example, Professor Pearson was already recognized in the United States for her sexual-sociological approach to the interpretation of 16th century Western art in her book The Portrait and Women in the Early Europe, which earned her associate professorship here at SNU. Also among SNU’s newest faculty members are Professor Siderits, who majored in European Buddhism, and Professor Woodiwiss, whose area of focus is sociology of law. Both are well-known and esteemed for their research and publications in their respective fields of study.

Acquiring expertise in sub-fields that are perhaps less developed within SNU's current curriculum will allow SNU's student body to develop vertically as well horizontally. This is one of the reasons why SNU chose Professor Robert Fouser, who majored in Second Language Acquisition in the United States and was an associate professor at University of Kyoto. The Department of Korean Language Education appointed him as associate professor based on his experience in teaching a second language from an American educational standpoint, which will surely prove valuable in teaching Korean to foreign students. Professor Maria Claudia Macias Rodriguez, who worked at the University of Guadalupe for over ten years, has internationalized the Department of Hispanic Language and Literature by involving SNU firsthand in many international seminars, contributing to the translation of Korean masterpieces - among them the works of authors such as Young-Un Han =, and introducing them to Hispanic countries.

As one of the top educational institutions in Korea, SNU should constantly strive to provide its students and faculty with as many constructive and beneficial opportunities as possible. If it adopts an open-minded stance toward the acquisition of foreign faculty, this will surely contribute to its emergence in the global academic community as an innovator in higher education.

September 18, 2008
Written and Edited by SNU English Editors: Lee-Kyung Kim and Boram Kim