SNU Development Proposal
October 2018
We Shall Innovate and Act Reponsibly
Over the past seventy years, Seoul National University (SNU) has earned its reputation, receiving undeniable trust and expectation from the nation. We have never neglected our mission, presenting the vision for our country. It is a serious challenge for us to be a top 10 global university. However, even after eight years of incorporation, the goals and promises of incorporation have yet to materialize. Facing lots of challenges, we should not just settle down to the reality. We should confront the changes and challenges, and find the breakthrough to evolve. At the same time, we should keep our core assets, the excellence in education and research. We should preserve the mutual trust among members and the spirit of SNU community.
We must realize the core values and mission of SNU. Our ultimate goal is to become a world-leading university. SNU has the sufficient capacity to stand along with the world's leading universities. In order to overcome and challenge we face, we need to remind ourselves of the SNU mission and core values, which are education, research, and community service.
SNU innovations starts from regaining autonomy and excellence. While the excellence of individual members and fields exist, the excellence of SNU as a whole is at stake. We attempt to thrive through the connecting and developing (C & D) strategy, which connects education, research, finance, administration and social contribution.
We need a leadership to overcome the crisis. I, Kang, Tae Jin, will innovate the SNU and will be devoted to this role. We will overcome the crisis by sunstantially expanding our sustainable financial resources. Every member of SNU will work together for the mission of SNU. The development plan that I propose is as follows.
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We will cultivate the creative talents by taking the education as the top priority.
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We will promote the research excellence through connecting and developing (C & D) strategy.
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We will establish a sustainable financial base by operating the SNU Platform.
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We will achieve innovation of university administration, improve community welfare, and create live campus.
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We will communicate the shared values with the people, and fulfill the social responsibilities.
1. We will cultivate the creative talents by taking the education as a top priority.
The evolving world is driven by innovations, and the innovation is led by creativity and diversity. However, the whole attention of this country is focused on the university entrance examination, and the importance of nurturing creativity and diversity is often neglected. We need to have the right to select our own students to educate them toward future leaders. SNU should be reborn as the genuine national best to cultivate the talented individuals as responsible and cultured citizens who will open a thriving future of the country and the world.
Reform of Student Admission System I will reform the student admissions and education system of SNU. Now is the time to bring back our right to select SNU students who will lead the future. We must be able to choose our students independently, who would fit our educational mission to serve the country and the global community. I will establish the Admissions Committee and will make an envisioning new admission policy. Cooperating with the Diversity Committee, the admission system will promote the diversity of the SNU community and the fairness of educational opportunity.
Emphasis on Undergraduate Education My focus will be on the undergraduate-level study programs. Over the years, undergraduate education has been relatively neglected for the emphasis on research. Strong undergraduate education is essential to foster future generations of scholars. SNU citizens should grow with dedication to country and the global village. It is imperative to build an educational system that can culture social responsibility and empathy.
Improvement of Students Welfare To improve the students welfare, we will introduce customized scholarships and welfare, expand psychological counseling, and build a comprehensive healthcare system. At the department and college levels, we will expand the counseling and advising for undergraduate students. we will strongly support for SNU students to get diverse experiences and opportunities through the College Life Culture Center, Career Center, Sports Complex and Global On-site Learning.
Cultivation of Next Generation Scholars Education and research are interdependent and complementary. We will build a life-time education system encompassing undergraduate programs, graduate courses and career life. The graduate program is continuation of undergraduate education at the advanced level, and it bridges education and research. We will focus on fostering next generations scholars by innovating graduate education and maintaining the military service exemption.
Building a Gwanak College We will focus on 'open education beyond the walls of a major' rather than 'education buried in individual majors'. By establishing 'Gwanak College' (tentative name), we will realize global convergence, global education, and social responsibility and public education beyond the walls. New students will board in Gwanak campus for one year and will grow the capacity and capability through basic education in leadership, teamwork, and foreign language intensive programs. To this end, we will create a cohesive guidance system. We will make the most valuable one-year for students through this educational experience, inside and outside the classrooms. We aim to make Gwanak College a knowledge community that students and professors work closely.
2. We will promote the research excellence and equity through connecting and developing (C & D) strategy.
While the SNU faculties have the world-class research capabilities, the infrastructure to support the research is not yet sufficient. Collaborative research opportunities among academia, industry and government are not actively channeled through. Convergence of knowledge and interdisciplinary research are suffering from various institutional obstacles. We need to build a quality-infrastructure that can fully support the research.
Build a World-Class Research Infrastructure The research in the rare field is often being neglected. SNU should provide a long-term support for the rare research field regardless of the immediate gain. I plan to provide basic research funding for all faculties. I will also expand the funding support for the fundamental research field. I will advance the infrastructure that can support and manage administrative work related to research. I vision that our world-leading SNU faculties can concentrate on their research in a fully supported research environment.
A New Research Paradigm SNU should lead a convergence of research by the creative destruction. The core of the 4th industrial revolution is convergence and connection. I will implement the "SNU Global C&D" platform. The C&D is an extension of the concept of R&D, referring to the intelligent consolidation of some existing units within SNU, including the SNU R&D Foundation and SNU Techno Holdings, Inc., to create synergies. The R&D arms of global business organizations will be invited to participate in this structure and will constitute an indispensable addition to the SNU body. This platform will bring about the virtuous circle of education, research, service to community, financial support and administrative innovation. The flexibility and efficiency of this platform will put us in the Global Top Ten well within a four-year time frame.
3. We will establish a sustainable financial base by operating the SNU Platform.
SNU will accomplish 4th industrial revolution model.
Science and technology are making a big impact on society. With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the role of university becomes very important in preparing future generations for a step forward. We will fulfill the basic philosophy of the university, pursuing the truth and criticism. At the same time, we will actively respond to the changes and will achieve the sustainable innovation.
We need a university platform as an educational testbed for the time of digitalized information and intelligence. As a new framework of education, I will build the innovative 'SNU Platform,' and we will make a big leap through this platform toward the world-leading university.
Through this Platform, SNU will integrate the entire capabilities and qualities of SNU members and will channel them to society and country. The platform shall also provide the 2,200 faculty members with an intellectual environment under which all departments of our knowledge society can work together and communicate with outside of SNU. The platform will assist and support student life and education as a lifelong companion. The platform will be utilized for public online education, providing health counseling, literacy education, certification education, and professional education. I will let this platform into the life of the citizens. I will make the educational model of the 4th great industrial revolution in SNU.
Increase of government contributions and amendment of taxation policy We can enjoy the academic freedom only when sufficient funding is secured. For SNU to become the Global Top Ten University, funding is essential. The current financial situation of SNU is challenging; the government funding has been cut for the last two years, and the tuition has been frozen and cut for the past nine years. Corporation of SNU also adds to this financial challenges.
To secure sufficient financial resources, we need to leverage the strong leadership to communicate with the government and political parties. We will improve the current disadvantage of taxation and strategize to receive stable government funds. We will carefully review the current financial structure and will realize the fiscal efficiency by the transparent accounting and financial management. We will solve the issues on the SNU's unregistered properties including academic forest and arboretum within a short period of time.
Financial Independence I will build a sustainable system that will increase the independent funding through the SNU Platform. SNU Platform will be a place to integrate education, research, administration, and the community service, and this platform will foster the convergence of education and research. More importantly, SNU Platform will serve as an intellectual reservoir where all SNU members can share and test their brilliant ideas. This Platform will be utilized for exploring funding opportunities, protecting intellectual property and commercialization, supporting start-ups, educating citizens, and channeling to communities. Through this platform, we will maximize the profitability and the publicity.
Securing financial resources and reinvestment The SNU fundraising campaign will be carefully managed and expanded. I want to ensure that an average of at least 100 billion won is raised annually for the next four years. My primary goal is to secure a fund in the amount of 60 billion won annually out of discretionary financial resources. This fund will be invested and spent exclusively in various individual research projects and create welfare programs.
4. We will achieve innovation of university administration, improve community welfare, and create live campus.
This crisis should be overcome through the democratic and shared governance among the trusted SNU members. Above all, self-regulation of college and department level is important. SNU shall strongly advocate the conscious and reflective efforts of culturing the diversity and including everyone regardless of ethnicity, race, gender and age.
Amendment of incorporation law We must solve tax problems through the amendment of the local tax law, and ease various government restrictions related to the Higher Education Act. We will make an effort to amend the incorporation law to create a vibrant SNU that fulfills public responsibility for higher education.
Administrative Reform We will strengthen the planning and support functions of the university, and simplify administrative procedures. We will enhance the budget efficiency and invest on reinforcing the staffs' expertise. We will realize the self-regulated, responsible administration at each college. The headquarters will coordinate each unit's interest and will maximize the autonomy and efficiency of administration. I will introduce a predictable evaluation system for fair assessment of individual performance through the 'HR and Education Innovation Department.'
Decision-Making Process A new governance structure for SNU is badly needed. The new governance structure will be built on the proposition that a democratic and open system creates the most productive and collegial educational and academic environment. In particular, the SNU Senate will be asked to play a more active role in mobilizing and communicating the voices of SNU members to the SNU leadership and to society at large. SNU staffs and students will be invited to actively participate in decision-making process.
Expanded Welfare Self-esteem and the betterment of each and every member's life are the priority for the world-class university. We will raise the compensation of the faculty and staff step by step to the level that t is appropriate for SNU incorporation. We will expand the training programs for high-potential staffs. We will remodel the family residence for faculty/staff and will expand the students welfare. We will establish an faculty/staff welfare office that will support medical expenses, congratulatory and cultural activities.
Fostering Campus Network I will make a safe and pleasant campus with a long-term master plan. I will improve the campus network so that Gwanak-Yeongeon-Bundang- Pyeongchang-Siheung campuses can make the maximum synergy. I will revive the Gwanak campus to a place where people want to stay. I will revisit the multi-campus master plan of SNU and develop Siheung campus as a base for future research and education. I will make the decision-making processes clear and transparent with the Siheung Campus Promotion Committee and will have a thorough review on proposed projects.
5. We will communicate the shared values with the people, and fulfill the social responsibilities.
SNU will grow together with the community. We at SNU are all deeply indebted to our country and society. To repay the debt, we need to be keenly aware of our social responsibilities and become actively involved in developing meaningful programs for local and global communities. In particular, we want to share with local residents an opportunity to benefit from first-class education.
AI-based Social Welfare We will build 'AI welfare net' on the SNU platform. The AI welfare net is a technology-based counseling system that will be open to public. Expertise in SNU will work together to build this public net. This system, serving 10 million members, will contribute to disease prevention and public health/safety in the nationwide. Eventually, this platform will reduce the total national medical expenditure and protect the current medical insurance system. The SNU Platform will be used as a window of public communication, and will serve as a database for the national policies and researches. This platform will become the pride of SNU, and make us expand our positive influence on society and the nation.
Sharing Knowledge with the Community I vision that SNU becomes a center of knowledge sharing to communities. As the aging society comes, we need to meet the demand for lifelong education. Economically disadvantaged members of the community will have our assistance in their efforts to improve their lives. Launching such ICT programs as MOOC and edX will help them acquire the skills they need. Also, SNU will implement plans to help minorities, both within and without the campuses, and international members of SNU and the local community.
Together, we will make a great leap forward.
With the 72nd anniversary, SNU is on the road to prepare for the 100th anniversary. As a leading educational institution, we must fulfill our mission to lead the country. We will strive for the independence and excellence under a new governance, of which fruits will be shared with our society. SNU will become the nation's pride and trust. It is critical to protect our independence declared by Article 31 (4) of the Constitution. The corporatization of SNU has created unique challenges and brought about many difficult and complicated problems that we still need to solve together. We must not forget that the primary purpose of corporatization is to move SNU forward an unprecedented degree, so that we may enjoy the benefits of independence and efficiency that only the corporate form brings. It was never meant to simply expand our comfort zone or maximize the self-interests of SNU members. Corporatization is the ultimate test for us, it is an uphill battle that we must fight and win. I will leverage this challenge as an opportunity to leap forward. SNU has given me a lot. I want to give all back to the next generation of SNU. It is a difficult journey but one I look forward to taking with you. Together, we can make a great leap forward and come out where we wish to be. Thank you.