Responses of Leading University in Asia for Globalization &Regionalization of Higher Education
COE-GIARI,Waseda University
January 17, 2008

The Making of World-class ResearchUniversities and Renewal of Asian Values ofHigher Education in Korea: SNU
Ki-Seok “Korbil” Kim
Fulbright NCS of Higher Education 2007,
Education Professor of SNU &Chief Fieldwork Officer of Educators without Borders

1. A Glance at HEd in Korea•Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Quantitative expansion

Progression rates 81% & universal completion of secondary
education (top among OECD),

Simultaneous transition from elite to mass & to universal accessin secondary & tertiary education ( M. Trow’s term),

Close to reality of “tertiary education for all,” (OECD report)

Extremely limited public funds & over-privatization,•Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Quality assuranceConflicting conceptions on the idea of the university:
Japanese imperial university (Humboldt's idea), American
research university, & indigenous intellectual traditionHighly stratified schools and huge gabs in quality among them:from top-class to diploma mill schoolLess diversified system: SNU as a leading & defining institute or“meandering procession” (D. Riesman’s term)

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Critical issues
 A lack of a “system” of tertiary education,
 A shortage of applicants for scientists & engineers Repeated reforms of college entrance examination system
by MOE and less autonomy in selection of the students

 Enhancing international competitiveness of graduate
programs in a knowledge-based economy

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

2. Self-strengthening initiatives :“agreat leap forward” to Excellency inresearch at SNU

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

“World-class” research universities?
according to Altbach, 2004


Excellence in research, Academic freedom & intellectual excitement, Autonomy: students admission, curriculum,degree program, recruit of new members, &etc..
 Adequate facilities: Lab., ICT, libraries, & etc.
 Long-term funding, especially public supports.
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Leading research universities in Korea
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 23, 2004

University
Name

Students

Graduate
Students

Funds
in million $SNU

32,058

9,479

$209

KAIST

7,162

4,261

$100

POSTECH

2,800

1,600

$58

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

SNU’s road to “World-class”
Upgrading graduate education to attain excellence inresearch & teaching,Enhancing the research competence of graduateprograms,

Building infrastructure for academic research,

Bench-marking, monitoring and continuous selfevaluation of self-strengthening initiatives, &

Fostering international cooperation (e.g. internalization)with top-class world universities

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

The BK (Brain Korea)21 Projects,1999-2007
 Building “World-Class” research universities:- Large scale funding: the second the 7-year cycle ofcompetition among leading universities since 2007
- In return, major reforms proposed by universities:
Flexible admission system;
Rigorous faculty performance review system (e.g.,tightened tenure); & others

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Some progress at SNU graduate programs

A remarkable increase in the quantity ofacademic papers by professors & juniorscholars(e.g. SCI papers),
 Building infrastructures good for research &teaching: Labs, ICT, international house etc.,
 Gaining self-confidence in researchcompetence & publications among students,
 Noticeable improvement of the quality of thepapers(e.g., cited times, school rankings)
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Financial supports for graduate students
8,000
7,000

5,000
Mater
Doctorate

4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000tal
To

p.
So.
&
Segi
RH&
Tonal-S

No. Recipients

6,000

Programs

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

New positions for young scholars
600

400
Post-doc
300

Contracted
Porfessor

200

Total

Specialized
Area

Regional Univ

0

Human/SocialSc

100

Science/Tech

No. of Recipients

500

Programs
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Oversea training for graduate students350300

No. of recipients

250

200
ST(LT 6 months)
LT(One Year)
150

100

5001234Year

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

The rise of unofficial ranks of SNU
Year
Yr. 1 (1999)

Yr. 2

Yr. 3

Yr. 4

Yr. 5

111Ranks

2131
4151
6171

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

The 2004 ranks by SCI papers
Rank
SchoolPapers1
HAVARD
9,421
2
TOKYO
6,631
3
UCLA
5,232
4
UW-SEATTLE
5,193
5
MICHIGAN
4,951
6
TRONTO
4,942
7
KYOTO
4,751
8
STANFORD
4,633
9
JOHNS HOPKINS
4,468
10
Upenn
4,446
11CAMBRIGE
4,129
12
UCB
4,049
13
OSAKA
4,040
14
UCSD
3,979
15
UCSF
3,959
16
CORNELL
3,915
17
WISCONSIN
3,846
18
TOHOKU
3,809
19
PITTSBURGH
3,805
Univ-London-Imperial-Coll-SCI-Thchnol-MED
20
3,721

Rank
School
21
UCD
22
YALE
23
OXFORD
24
DUKE
25
MIT
26
FLORIDA27
COLUMBIA
28
SAN-PAULO
29
UMM
30
UNC
31
SNU
32
PENN ST.
33
OSU
34
NW
35
WU
36
MCGILL
37
UBC
38
UIU
39
Univ-Coll-London
40
Munich•Papers
3,685
3,683
3,647
3,558
3,511
3,506
3,489
3,454
3,371
3,211
3,116
3,063
3,061
2,999
2,989
2,955
2,893
2,755
2,629
2,617

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Productivity among top schools adjusted forexpenditures, 2004
Money unit:I B KW
Research funds

Runningcosts incl. Rfunds

SCI #papersSCI ranks

SCI #
/RF

SCI #
/RC

SNU

2,701

6,466

3,116

31

1.15

0.48

KAIST

977

2,600

1,136

187

1.16

0.44

Postec

810

1,834

823

272

1.02

0.45

Harvard Univ.

6,481

28,574

9,421

1

1.45

0.33

Tokyo Univ.

4,257

17,3276,631

21.560.38

UC Los Angels

6,107

36,510

5,232

30.86

0.14

Stanford Univ.

8,602

26,024

4,633

80.54

0.18

UC Berkeley

4,395

16,9104,049

120.920.24•

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

An index on the quality of SNU undergraduate
program
The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 7, 2005

Among all the students who earned doctorates
from American universities between 1999 and2003, more received their undergraduate degrees
from the University of California at Berkeley
than from any other institution, … But perhaps
the more surprising news is the identity of thesecond most common source of undergraduates:
Seoul National University, in Korea.”

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

New findings on the quality of researchindexed by cited numbers, 1994-2003
According to the quality index of cited times, during
1994 – 1995, SNU showed 35% of the top university and
66% of a group of high-ranking universities. Since then,there has been a significant and steady improvement andtoday the same index reached 74% of the top university.
In comparison with the group of high-ranking
universities, SNU’s figure is even higher than theirs by37%.
Judging by the quality of published journal articles, thegraduate program in science and engineering of SNU is
about the 20th among high-ranking universities in theU.S.
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Maths
140
120
10080

SNU
Stanford
Indiana

60
40
200
1994-1995

1996-1997

1998-1999

2000-2001

2002-2003

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Pharmacy
350

300
250

200

SNU
UCSF
Michigan

150

100
500
1994-1995

1996-1997

1998-1999

2000-2001

2002-2003

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Factors led to a great leap forwardSelection of top caliber students from the strong
secondary education system. (i.e. PISA results)

The impressive quality of undergraduate program ofSNU( “only second to UC-Berkeley..”)Indigenous intellectual traditions of higher learning( The Gates and strong mentor-disciple relations)Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

3. Renewal of Asian Values of Higher
Learning in the era of globalization

The dominance of Eurocentric perspectives
The selective traditions :some traditions never or rarely
mentioned in history of higher education, (cf. C. Lucas,
American Higher Education: A history)

Chinese tradition, (& Korean indigenous one)
 Oral tradition of the Vedantists,
 Ancient India, Nestorian, Muslim scriptoria,
 West cities of Jennie, Gao, Timbuktu•Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

The Origin of Asian higher learning: Confucius

Gates as the relation of a mentor-disciples


A passage to Confucius
Ways(道),Integrity of character (修己),

Scholastic networks as nonformal and lessinstitutionalized (NFLI), &

Private education as thecenter of academic excellence)An indigenous school for literati in Korea

An archetypical academic linage in China
Confucius, BC 551-479

ChuHsi, 1128-1200

Manchu, BC 372-289?
•Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

A representative academic linage in Korea
 Revival of Chuhsi’s Neo-Confucianism Taegye the Korean Confucius, 1501-1570

 Hangang, 1543-1620
 Misu, 1595-1682

 Sungho, 1681-1763•

Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Taegye’s school for Neo-Confucianism

Toegye and the shaping of JapaneseConfucianism

Misu, 1595-1682

Sungho, 1682-1763

The Three schools of Sungho from the 18C

12

3

Self-learning ofbooks onScholasticism, early
converters led by Yi
Pyok, (1754-1785),
andthe birth of KoreanCatholic church
without the foreign
missionary works.

Critical to the ideaof the European
Medieval University
and the order ofknowledge &empowering
nationalistic
movements
opposing to opendoors policies.

The blossom ofSirak (實學,Practical Leaning)
led by Dasan(1762-1836) &applications ofpragmatic methodof inquiry into thereal conditions ofsociety.

•Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

Remaining issues for globalization

How to sustain self-strengthening initiatives forexcellence in research and education,

How to sustain the levels of public & privatefunds,

How to stay away from external pressures fromgovernment and profit-driven private sectors aswell, &

How to make a tertiary education system withfunctionally diversified and differentiatedcolleges and universities
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim

New challenges for regionalization

How to free from overemphasis on a WRU
membership, e.g. academic hype,

How to resolve the conflicting ideas of theuniversity (research university with indigenous
intellectual tradition),

How to be independent from deepening
dependence on Western ideas of the university, &

How to cope with globalization without becoming
a victim of the neo-colonialism of the 21st century
Seoul National University Ki-Seok Kim감사합니다
Thanks for your attention.