President LEE Jang-Moo had an interview with Martin Ince, former deputy editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement. LEE tells Martin Ince that Korea is depending for its future prosperity on the human resources produced by the higher education system.

Let's think first about the Korean education system as a whole. Are Korean universities producing the right people for the next phase of the country's development?

In my view, too many Korean universities aspire to become research oriented institutions. And their curricula are too identical. I believe that to produce global leaders who can contribute to the nation and to the international community, we should establish a system of higher learning that reflects external changes and provides us with insights into the future. This means that each university must endeavour to secure areas in which it can excel.

Does Korea have a large enough higher education system for the needs of a growing high-technology nation?

The fact that 84% of high school graduates advance to college means that university education is almost universal and vibrant in Korea. Specifically, substantial weight is accorded to engineering in Korean college education. The development of Korean industry has depended on the competent engineers that Korean colleges have produced.

Yet it is also true that highly talented Korean students are being lured away from the natural sciences and engineering. To cope with this challenge, the efforts of university alone will not be sufficient. Heightened awareness and support at the national and social levels will also be needed.

The fear that too few students are studying science and engineering is expressed all over the developed world. It is a major social issue. Our approach begins by institutionalizing a system that encourages young students who are highly talented in science to continue to pursue these academic interests as they move on from secondary to higher education. We must also make sure that graduates with BS degrees get good jobs and that there are employment incentives to create a workforce which is qualified in science and engineering. Co-operative measures by government, industry and academe to heighten social awareness of the importance of engineering, and its relevance to a sound economy, are vital. All three parties must work closely to achieve balance in the supply of and demand for scientists and engineers.

We must also enhance convergent and interdisciplinary studies. The significance of thinking across frameworks - involving science and engineering in the arts and humanities and vice versa - is beyond words. It is vital to let students know that the demand for science and engineering goes beyond their own boundaries, and that their career opportunities are far greater than they realize. This is why SNU recently established the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and the Advanced Institute for Convergence Technology.

How confident are you that the government will protect Korean universities from the current world economic downturn?

It is the duty and responsibility of the government to extend its support to the higher education system. SNU and its fellow universities in Korea expect consistent support from the government. In 2009, the government launched the World Class University (WCU) program with a budget of approximately US$120 million per year. The aim is to invite world-renowned scholars to pursue their research and teaching in Korea. SNU has been allocated more projects within this program than any other institution.

The Korean economy has shown relatively strong figures during the current world economic downturn, and the government acknowledges that our future depends on the quality of the human resources produced by the higher education system.

How can Korean universities be more attractive to international students?

Many foreign students find Korea attractive and are willing to pursue their degrees in Korean universities. But to meet this demand, Korean universities should take further steps to globalize themselves. The number of classes given in foreign languages, and the number of foreign faculty and staff, must be multiplied, and more measures should be taken to improve both on- and off- campus living for foreign students.

How many world-ranked universities will Korea be able to have?

There are a number of outstanding universities in Korea, such as Yonsei University and Korea University, to name just a couple besides SNU. Considering the amount of energy Korean institutions are putting into promoting their names in the global arena, the prospect that Korean universities will hold top ranks in the near future seems promising.

Does Korean higher education have unique problems, or are they shared with Japan, Taiwan and other East Asian nations?

Korean families spend a huge amount of their household income in the private education market, because parents feel that public education may not be sufficient for their children to compete in our highly competitive college admission system. This reality has imposed a unique obligation upon Korean universities, particularly SNU, whose students are from the most selective pool, to pursue excellence on the one hand and the principles of equity and diversity on the other. It is the latter that makes Korean universities unique in comparison to those of other Asian countries. Another distinguishing feature is Korean students' frequent desire to go abroad and to pursue their studies in other world-renowned institutions.

Turning now to other Asian universities, do you think that China will turn from a source of international students into a country that attracts them, from elsewhere in Asia and from around the world?

Having been at the centre of Asia for many centuries, China is known for its rich cultural heritage. And now, China also boasts rapid economic growth. So I expect the number of international students willing to study in China to increase gradually.

More generally, what does the rise of China mean for Korea's position in the world of science, technology and culture?

As the Chinese economy booms, SNU acknowledges that there will be a need to foster more exchange programs with Chinese universities. I believe other Korean universities will take measures to pursue strategic ties with their Chinese counterparts as well.

What do you think of the potential emergence of new and well-funded universities in the Middle East?

The fact that oil-producing countries in the Middle East are focusing resource on college education testifies that the global community is taking a step toward a knowledge-based society. With generous support from their governments, the prospects for universities in the Middle East are promising, and their growth potential seems to be without boundaries. This growth can be achieved on a firm foundation of national enthusiasm for higher education.

SNU has already initiated relations with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KASUT) in Saudi Arabia and is looking forward to extending its ties with other Middle East universities.

Are Asian nations represented adequately in existing ranking systems? Will there be more of them there in five years' time?

Universities in Asia, including the universities of Korea, are showing great progress thanks to state support and their people's enthusiasm for education. In the coming years, we will see many Asian universities achieving world-class standards.

Lately, some questions about SNU itself. How do you see SNU's position in Korean higher education?

We are the first national institution of higher education, and Korea's flagship university. SNU has played the leading role in Korean higher education overall and in the development of Korean society, in particular by providing excellent human resources to various sectors of the Korean economy and Korean national life. In the business sector, 26% of the ten leading companies' CEOs are SNU alumni. In the political sector, 157 of 299 members of the National Assembly are SNU graduates. In the academic sphere, SNU has produced 56% of the members of the National Academy of Science.

According to the international Professional Ranking of Higher Education Institutions produced in 2009 by the Ecole des Mines in Paris, SNU ranks fifth in the world for the number of its graduates working as CEOs of the top 500 global companies. Some of our celebrated alumni include Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon of the United Nations and Judge Song Sang-Hyun, President of the International Criminal Court.

What are the big challenges that you face every day?

The most crucial task is to secure outstanding faculty and to enhance interdisciplinary communication and co-operation by lowering barriers between disciplines. More particularly, the task I face the present moment is to further promote globalization that can serve as a foundation for our leap towards becoming a world-class university. For that purpose, securing the autonomy and flexibility of the institution is an absolute priority. For this reason, we are in the process of transforming our legal and institutional status into a corporation, which will make us administratively independent from the government. Under the current law, SNU needs the Ministry of Education's approval for every administrative action, including hiring a member of faculty or even a staff member. This means that we are subject to too many restraints.

However, this does not mean that SNU will give up its position as national university, or the social responsibilities which its status entails. Instead, our intention is to transform our legal and organizational status to help us enhance our global competitiveness. The recent change in status of the National University of Singapore is a good precedent.

Professor Jang-Moo LEE, a mechanical engineer by background, has been the President of Seoul National University since 2006. A frequent spokesman for Korean universities, Professor Lee was chairman of the Korean Council for University Education in 2007/2008. He has been responsible for a significant internationalization of SNU's faculty, programs and student body. SNU is Korea's best-regarded university on the world stage, and was 47th in the 2009 THE-QS World University Rankings.

May 26, 2010
From QS WorldClass Shocase