Korea University to raise ratio of foreign students to 30% in 5 years

Korea University President Kim Dong-one speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office at the university in Seoul, Aug. 17. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

President of school strives to narrow gap between university and industry

By Jun Ji-hye

Korea University will drastically raise the ratio of foreign students and teaching staff to 30 percent each to create a more cosmopolitan and diverse campus.

This is the strategy of its President Kim Dong-one to boost the school's global competitiveness and overcome difficulties stemming from the country's falling population.

"The current ratio of foreign students at the university stands at about 10 percent, and that of foreign teaching staff is far lower," Kim said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "I am aiming to raise these figures to 30 percent each within five years to strengthen our global positioning."

Kim, who took office in March this year, noted that Korea was among the world's top 10 economies in 2020 and 2021, but not many domestic universities have entered the top 100 of the world university rankings.

"Competitiveness of the domestic universities is quite low, compared to the country's economy," Kim said. "That is why I want to make Korea University a globally prestigious school."

As part of efforts to achieve that goal, Kim recently toured South American countries to discuss methods of cooperation and student exchange with heads of major universities there.

Kim said diversifying the nationalities of foreign students coming to Korea University is as important as increasing the number, vowing to strengthen cooperation and exchange with educational institutions in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa.

"I will actively attract extraordinary foreign students and teaching staff and fully support them, so they can settle well here," Kim said.

Foreign students pose at Korea University's campus in this undated photo. Courtesy of Korea University

Another important task Kim has been focusing on is bringing the university closer to industries by adjusting curricula and expanding field training opportunities for students.

He has been also pushing to increase the number of professors who have had industry careers.

Kim said that, amid technological changes in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there has been a major mismatch between what universities teach to students and what kind of human resources industries need in reality.

"So now, IT and bioscience-related curricula are included in our compulsory courses. And almost all departments require students to gain field experiences before graduation," he said.

In a bid to better adapt to the technological advances, the university created its guidelines for ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in March in a first for domestic universities.

The guidelines are aimed at encouraging students to rationally accept AI and learn more actively, rather than constraining the spread of the technologies.

"Historically, most technologies have been helpful for humans, helping them overcome their limitations. Humans have not blocked the advancement of technologies," Kim said.

"What the university needs to do is teach students how to better utilize ChatGPT and how not to misuse the technologies."

Korea University's main building / Courtesy of Korea University

Practicing altruism

Kim said Korea University emphasizes altruism, the power of unity and contribution to humanity, and focuses on nurturing talent that can practice those values.

In this respect, Korea University became the first among domestic universities to announce a decision to recognize one's school violence history as grounds for disqualification from admittance to the university.

The decision, which will take effect in 2025 in the regular admission procedure, came as several serious school violence cases have made media headlines in recent years.

Disciplinary actions against school violence are classified into nine stages in Korea.

Among them, Kim said, those, who encountered stage seven to nine disciplinary measures, need to be taken seriously. Stage seven to nine measures include change of class, transfer to another school and expulsion.

"Those who use intentional and serious violence against classmates are far from something that we intend to pursue," Kim said. "So, we will take those cases seriously during the admission process."

Following the university's decision, other schools have followed suit, with Yonsei University, Hanyang University and Chung-Ang University having announced similar policies.

Korea University has also made efforts to contribute to the local community by carrying out a variety of programs, aimed at resolving challenges faced by local residents and growing together.

One of these programs is a project to create a "campus town" in Anam-dong, where the university is located.

Kim said the campus town is aimed at offering necessary resources for young people seeking to start a new company and revive the area.