On February 13th, President Yoo Ji-beom’s conference was held with three official press outlets of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) – SKKU Weekly (SKKUW), the SKKU Broadcasting Station (SUBS), and the Sungkyun Times (SKT). Around 20 people participated, including President Yoo, Hyun So-hye, the Dean of Student Affairs, and students of the campus press. During the conference, President Yoo asserted that SKKU should leap forward to become a pioneer university under the slogan of “Inspiring Future, Grand Challenge.” Based on the conference, the SKT will convey the future of SKKU that President Yoo is sketching.
Q1. Congratulations on your inauguration as the 22nd SKKU president. How do you feel?
I truly appreciate this honorable position. On the other hand, I feel a lot of responsibility and pressure. When I first got the phone call that I was elected, I was very glad on that day. But the following day, I began to think seriously about what I had to do. Today’s society, technology, and culture is changing so fast. Accordingly, my primary concern is how I should lead SKKU in this fast-changing, dynamic world.
Q2. You presented the slogan of “Inspiring Future, Grand Challenge” for the upcoming four years. What does it mean, and which directions will SKKU take?
It means that every little contribution helps a big dream come true. When the grand dreams of students and school get together, contributions to an inspiring future are made. From the school’s perspective, there can be real-life problems, such as declination in university evaluation indexes and financial difficulties caused by a long-term freeze on tuition fees. However, to decide where the university’s future must head, we must not obsess over such things. Instead, we must look further to maintain a win-win relationship with society, which is our grand challenge. When it comes to students, they have to think about what they want and must do. Kingos should consider their true dreams, which are about living with others, not only for themselves.
Q3. You said you would create the brand impact of “SKKU-like.” What is “SKKUlike” to you?
We should be able to express SKKU with our own values. In Ui Ye Ji – benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom – is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of SKKU. It is a lasting and fundamental value in a society where the recognition of humanity’s inherent dignity is weakening. Pursuing such dignity and values of the human family forms “SKKU-like.” However, more new elements are needed apart from following the traditions. We should seek the attitude of “noblesse oblige” and create an impression as the leaders of the tumultuous period.
Q4. You focused on reinforcement and expansion of research as the main value of the university. What is needed now at SKKU to successfully achieve this primary value?
SKKU must be where Kingos can show off their talents to their heart’s content. For this to happen, students’ research abilities must be reinforced and expanded, and for now, communication and cooperation are required. Students should be able to strengthen their abilities through active discussions with anyone, including professors. The ability to talk less and listen more is necessary to interact with people from diverse fields. To achieve these, SKKU is attempting to open more converged research projects, which must happen more frequently. In the future, it will be essential to boost the communication process and implement converged research programs as part of the regular curriculum.
Q5. You emphasize the importance of training future talents who meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Please explain the reason and purpose for seeking innovative educational systems.
The reason is simple. It is the university’s job to do that. Higher institutions must supply leaders that society needs through proper education. However, the world changes so fast, so I ponder what steps are required to make that happen. Although permissions from the Ministry of Education and discussions with professors are needed, I wish students could choose to learn what they want. For now, creating new curriculums and regularizing extracurricular programs to the existing curriculum is important, as it will innovate the educational system by allowing Kingos to have richer experiences.
Q6. It was impressive to hear that “SKKU must jump beyond SKKU” to overcome limitations for development. What limits do you think should be solved as a top priority?
The main limitation we should overcome is sticking to the memory of past success. Though memories of success can motivate us, we must not copy the past’s methods entirely, as SKKU’s situation has definitely changed from previous years. For example, in 1994, fewer than 100 international research papers were published by SKKU. However, since 1996, we have stacked up the number of academic papers to 6,000. This has lifted SKKU in several global rankings. However, now, it is time to emphasize quality rather than quantity.
Q7. You said you would build an industry-leading platform that creates new academical values through impactful research, which develops research fields by converging multi-dimensional fields. Please elaborate more about the platform’s plans and its educational effect on SKKU.
Research projects in Korea rarely fail. In other words, we tend to invest in topics likely to bring success. However, the world needs more challenging and innovative research. For instance, the global positioning system (GPS) was not created for its usage today. It was invented for military purposes, and there was uncertainty about whether it would develop successfully. Hence, even if many say they will fail, I hope more innovational studies will carry out, leaving a significant impact when they succeed, as that is how new industries are born. To realize this, the university should provide various support to faculty members. For students, I believe creating more opportunities to participate in actual research is vital, regardless of the field. Bachelor’s & Master’s degree programs are one example of that.
Q8. You mentioned “Reinforcing Industry- Academia Cooperation” during your inauguration speech, which seems to hold the same value as “Win-Win Partnership” – one of the visions for SKKU’s Outgrowth Strategic Direction. Please share your thoughts regarding these two values.
Win-Win Partnership refers to the co-existence cycle where we technologically contribute to society, then receive support in return. To elaborate, a well-educated student would enter an industry after graduation. Therefore, designing a curriculum to foster these graduates also requires assistance from industries. Moreover, the term includes the interrelationship where an excellent student donates to the school with the profits earned after providing convenience and service to our society. Therefore, I believe Industry-Academia Cooperation is an inseparable relationship in all aspects.
Q9. You also shared that you would build a solid “SKKU’s Data and Convergence Education System.” What direction should it take to be developed?
We are in the fourth industrial revolution, with big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) leading the times. I believe strengthening the pre-existing education on AI must be done as much as possible. As big data is now used in every research area, one should bring data analytics as a tool if knowledge of a major is a domain. Therefore, I wish there to be a recognition where all SKKU graduates have basic knowledge and grounding in AI and data science by creating a converged academic system that teaches data-related courses to students of all majors.
Q10. Do you have any words for Kingos, who will thrive together with you to make SKKU more extraordinary?
Have confidence and move forward. You are probably anxious since nothing has been decided yet. This anxiety might lead to the idea that the best route is what many choose. However, deep down in your heart, you might want something else. Just do it. It is okay even if you fail. For now, every single year feels too precious to lose, but later on, your experiences and times of anguish will all nourish your growth. Therefore, it is always right to have confidence, like what a young person would do. Later on, when you look back, you will proudly think, ‘I have done what I wanted and finished what I had to do.’
