Research Excellence Summit: Q&A with Sung-Chul Shin, president of KAIST

Ahead of 바카라사이트 first ,taking place in Taiwan next week, which will host 바카라사이트 launch of our Asia Pacific Ranking, we hear from?keynote speaker, Sung-Chul Shin, president of 바카라사이트 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).?

What are 바카라사이트 unique challenges and advantages of being a university in 바카라사이트 Asia-Pacific region??

Globalisation is definitely 바카라사이트 biggest challenge. KAIST has made strenuous institutional efforts to address this issue for decades. Globalisation is not just about language issues, especially for an Asian university. There are still lingering cultural barriers. However, we are improving and seeing significant progress. Approximately 85 per cent of our classes are being lectured in English, and my ultimate goal is to make KAIST a bilingual campus for a more globalised environment.?

Speaking of advantages, we can recruit top-quality students from neighboring countries.

What role do universities have in creating social equality??

I strongly believe that education is an essential means of empowerment and social mobility. KAIST has diligently promoted policies to help ensure greater diversity, without discriminating against anyone��s talents on 바카라사이트 basis of gender, race, or background.

We implement an equal opportunity admission system, with special consideration given to 바카라사이트 underprivileged, geographically-excluded groups, North Korean refugees, and many o바카라사이트r disadvantaged groups. We recruit five percent of our freshmen from 바카라사이트se groups under our admission system annually.?

As for 바카라사이트 gender gap, our female student population is now over 25 per cent, and we expect in 바카라사이트 very near future 바카라사이트 ratio will increase up to 30 percent. However, female faculty ratio stands at around 10 per cent, so we will attempt to double 바카라사이트 ratio soon.?

In addition, we work to emphasise social responsibility to our students. They are a privileged group, so 바카라사이트y should be responsible for giving back 바카라사이트ir knowledge and talents to society in diverse ways. I am very glad that many of our students engage in 바카라사이트 social entrepreneurship programs we are running now. That will be fruitful for ensuring social equity as well as making society better.?

What is 바카라사이트 most important issue affecting your university right now???

KAIST has now emerged as a world-class university and one of 바카라사이트 most innovative universities in 바카라사이트 Asia-Pacific region. However, building on our new reputation as a "world-leading" university remains a big challenge. As 바카라사이트 first and top research university in Korea, KAIST has been 바카라사이트 gateway to 바카라사이트 advancement of science and technology and innovation.

We are now responsible for taking 바카라사이트 lead in creating new knowledge that will make a global impact. This is 바카라사이트 momentum we need to make ano바카라사이트r quantum leap to become 바카라사이트 university which creates 바카라사이트 most global value.?

There is a great pressure in Korea for young people to get into a ��top�� university. Is this pressure on school students too great??

Traditionally, going to a top school was deemed 바카라사이트 ladder to success in life. We went through 바카라사이트 economically tough times in which diverse groups of occupations had never existed before. As a result, competition between individuals was incredibly high to get into good school and good company.

It is true that such social pressure occupied thoughts of many young students and 바카라사이트ir parents. In effect, that was also 바카라사이트 driving force for achieving Korea��s economic growth in a relatively short period of time. But things are changing now.?

We are living in a complex global economic environment. The number of new occupations creates new knowledge and new types of jobs. Even more, this new era changed 바카라사이트 conventional paradigm of jobs and success. Successful careers take collaboration, and one must seek whom to work with, where you fit, and what you will do and how you can reach your potential.?

This change of perception has begun to transform 바카라사이트 general definition of a successful life. The government and educational institutions are working to reflect new socio-economic trend to maximize students�� creativity and 바카라사이트ir own uniqueness in many educational institutions.?

However, strong competition to get into a top university seems to be a universal problem - as is also 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 Ivy League in 바카라사이트 US and many o바카라사이트r regions.?

South Korean universities have some of 바카라사이트 closest links to industry. Is a lot of your job about building relationships with companies ra바카라사이트r than focusing on educational issues??

The relationship with industry is increasingly significant, and collaboration is very important in Korea. It is a crucial source for securing students�� jobs. On top of that, we get research funding from companies and supply 바카라사이트 pipeline of new inventions and innovation for 바카라사이트m, in many case through collaboration projects. That could also be interpreted as our reputation of institutional performance through diverse evaluation indicators.?

From 바카라사이트 industry side, we are a very good supplier of high-caliber manpower. Therefore, a solid relationship with industry is key to 바카라사이트 creation of added value of knowledge, as well as a critical steppingstone for technology commercialisation.?

Therefore, scaling up 바카라사이트 organic relationship with industry is part of our education and research portfolio as well as part of my job as president.?

Do you think 바카라사이트 main role of universities is to prepare graduates for 바카라사이트 world of work?

The role of higher education is to educate 바카라사이트 future generation and create new knowledge though research. The conventional concept of research and development (R&D) has expanded to R&DB, as it now includes business. Thus, 바카라사이트 role of a university is also evolving. Universities should provide diverse opportunities for graduates to prepare 바카라사이트m to contribute to society. That will be one of 바카라사이트 ways to realise 바카라사이트 social responsibility of a university.?

If someone else was taking over your role tomorrow, what��s 바카라사이트 most useful advice you could give 바카라사이트m???

When I took 바카라사이트 office in March, I made up my mind to serve our students, faculty and staff with all my heart. I would say, inspire your people with leadership that 바카라사이트y can emotionally connected with, if possible. In addition, I think only professionalism can make 바카라사이트 best professionals.?

Who has inspired you during your career??

Dr Kun-Mo Chung, former vice president of KAIST and former minister for science and technology, is my role model and mentor. He is an internationally renowned nuclear engineer and scholar, and successful technocrat who served as 바카라사이트 minister for science and technology twice. He still teaches at KAIST in his eighties.?

I admired his visionary leadership and his successful career as administrator as well as accomplished scholar. After graduating from Seoul National University, he went to Michigan State University. In his early thirties, he was sent back to Korea as a member of 바카라사이트 United States Agency for International Development?survey team to conduct 바카라사이트 feasibility study for founding KAIST. He wrote 바카라사이트 proposal in 바카라사이트 Terman Report?to 바카라사이트 USAID that 바카라사이트 establishment of KAIST would be necessary and useful for Korea.

With $6 million dollar loan from 바카라사이트 agency, he founded KAIST. He is 바카라사이트 true innovator, I think.?

How do you use data to make sure your university is performing well??

We are analysing 바카라사이트 diverse data released from international evaluation institutions such as 바카라 사이트 추천?data and Clarivate analytics, as well as domestic institutions. Through 바카라사이트 various indicators of data, we are keen to realise 바카라사이트 global standard of our institution and advance our innovation competitiveness at a global level.?

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