The Cabinet meeting on Dec. 8 approved a bill on the incorporation of Seoul National University. If the bill passes the National Assembly early next year, SNU will become an independent corporate entity. 

The purpose of incorporation is to make SNU more competitive as a global university.
“By incorporating Seoul National University, established and managed by the nation, we intend to step up autonomy and responsibility in university management and strengthen educational and research capacities, thereby fostering it into a world-class university,” the government announced.

The current rigid national university system puts considerable constraints on budget execution and improving educational quality. SNU must gain prior ministry approval to reshuffle its organizational structure and use state budget only as designated by the government under current system.

Incorporation will give SNU greater autonomy in management and finance. If it incorporated, 15 members of SNU board of trustees will be top decision makers. The president, who has thus far been appointed by the president of the country after being nominated by the education minister, will be picked by the board members.

It will be easier to spend larger budget to recruit higher-paid academics. Currently SNU professor receives only designated amount of money, no matter the quality of their research achievements, because of government regulations. The increased flexibility in budget execution also benefit students, as more spending on student welfare will become easier. SNU will be also allowed to operate as a profit-making business. 

Dec. 9, 2009
SNU PR Office