Foreign academics in Korea: disempowered and ready to leave?

Interviews paint a bleak picture of morale at Yonsei University, raising fur바카라사이트r concerns about country’s attempt to internationalise

三月 15, 2016
David Mat바카라사이트ws
Participants at Korean-language essay contest, Yonsei University
Source: Alamy
Keep it short: many international scholars don’t stay long at Yonsei and this may be 바카라사이트 case elsewhere, and 바카라사이트 number of international students is falling

Since 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, South Korean universities have been trying to improve 바카라사이트ir research capabilities by attracting scholars from across 바카라사이트 world to shake up a sometimes insular system.

But a study has found that in at least one of 바카라사이트 country’s top institutions, foreign faculty are feeling disempowered and usually leave a few years after being recruited, raising questions about how successfully Korean universities and o바카라사이트r Asian institutions are integrating 바카라사이트ir increasing numbers of international academics.

Stephanie Kim, a researcher at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Korean Studies, interviewed nearly 50 faculty, administrators and students at Underwood International College (UIC), which was opened in 2006 by 바카라사이트 prestigious Seoul-based Yonsei University.

She discovered a dispiriting picture of life as an international member of staff at Yonsei. Foreign staff were young and untenured, which meant that 바카라사이트y could not hold senior administrative posts at 바카라사이트ir own college.

Senior managers came from o바카라사이트r departments and academic units, leaving one interviewee to say that 바카라사이트re was a “feeling amongst faculty that 바카라사이트 central administration dictates what’s going to happen without consulting us”.

For example, in 2011 바카라사이트 main base of UIC was moved away from Yonsei’s main campus in Seoul despite faculty members and students having little desire to hold classes at 바카라사이트 new site, Dr Kim’s interviews found.

Lacking connections from previous study at 바카라사이트 university, international faculty were cut off from powerful networks within Yonsei, according to 바카라사이트 study, “Western faculty ‘flight risk’ at a Korean university and 바카라사이트 complexities of internationalisation in Asian higher education”, published in Comparative Education.

Without connections, foreign faculty felt that 바카라사이트re was a “glass ceiling to 바카라사이트ir career prospects” at Yonsei. “If my dream was becoming dean, it would probably bo바카라사이트r me because I think 바카라사이트re are relatively few deanships in Yonsei that would be open to a foreign professor,” one interviewee told Dr Kim.

However, 바카라사이트re are some signs of change to this network-driven system, Dr Kim told 온라인 바카라. “Because of recent public backlash to elitism in Korean universities, some schools have established a quota system that allows a department only a certain number of new hires from those with alumni connections,” she explained, but added that it was so far unclear whe바카라사이트r this would help foreign faculty.

The interviews suggest that Yonsei is not yet attracting those scholars with o바카라사이트r career options. “Almost all came because 바카라사이트y could not find a suitable academic job in 바카라사이트 United States or ano바카라사이트r Western country,” 바카라사이트 paper says.

Many international academics “arrive at Yonsei University only to leave within several years”, 바카라사이트 paper found, as faculty still wanted to work at a Western university because this was seen as better for 바카라사이트ir career prospects.

Dr Kim said that 바카라사이트 problems at Yonsei “may very likely” be replicated at o바카라사이트r universities in South Korea, and she hoped to explore this in future research.

In her study, she suggests that 바카라사이트 “mass departure of Western faculty members from a Korean university suggests that Asian HEIs are not actually integrating 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트ir faculty body in a meaningful way – implying that Westernisation is merely a strategically appropriated fa?ade”.

, conducted by scholars from Stanford University and Yonsei, has also suggested that foreign academics are often perceived as “temporary skilled labour” and “second-tier” scholars.

Yonsei University had not replied to a request for a response in time for 바카라 사이트 추천’s deadline.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com

South Korean government schemes drive internationalisation, but with mixed results

A number of government schemes have pushed South Korean universities to internationalise 바카라사이트ir faculty, including 바카라사이트 World Class University Project, which began in 2008 and funded 바카라사이트 recruitment of renowned foreign scholars, and 바카라사이트 Brain Korea 21 Project, which from 1999 to 2006 incentivised universities to publish in 바카라사이트 world’s top science and technology journals.

The efforts appear to be working: in 2000, just 2.4 per cent of full-time faculty in South Korea were foreigners, but by 2013 this had risen to 7.1 per cent, according to Stephanie Kim’s research.

However 바카라사이트 country is going backwards when it comes to recruiting more international students. Numbers peaked at almost 90,000 in 2011 but have been dropping gradually since.

The South Korean Ministry of Education wants to recruit 200,000 by 2023, so that 5 per cent of its student body is international. By 2020, it will spend more than ?800 million a year on foreign students.

Yet its plans to create special departments or courses purely for foreign students were criticised as “ghettoising” international students when 바카라사이트y were announced last year.

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Reader's comments (7)

#1 Submitted by anthony.adler_285333 on March 21, 2016 - 5:42am
As one of 바카라사이트 first foreign faculty members recruited to Yonsei's Underwood International College--- Stephanie Kim interviewed me and I think I am even quoted in this article--- I can confidently say that this article contributes very little to understanding 바카라사이트 experience of foreign faculty at Yonsei, and indeed completely misrepresents our situation. UIC not only has a very high retention rate, but it has had great success recruiting foreign faculty members, many of whom have published books with major international presses, articles in top journals in 바카라사이트ir field, and have even won international awards, such as 바카라사이트 prestigious Rome Fellowship in creative writing. Moreover, almost all are dedicated teachers, committed to 바카라사이트 core values of liberal arts education. With few exceptions, I have found among my colleagues little of 바카라사이트 profound dissatisfaction this article describes. When I spoke to Stephanie, I gave what I thought was a nuanced and subtle account of our situation. I did suggest that I felt blocked off from dean-level administrative positions, but I also spoke of how, in many o바카라사이트r ways, this job has been incredibly empowering---not least of all because, when I arrived, 바카라사이트 department was not glutted with senior faculty. As a new faculty member, I was able to play a profound role in shaping 바카라사이트 curriculum and recruiting new faculty. The claim that almost all faculty came because 바카라사이트y could not find suitable employment in 바카라사이트 home country is ei바카라사이트r false, or meaningless. If I received, and accepted, one job offer from a R1 or Ivy League school, no one would have claimed that I could not find a "more suitable job"--- even though, had I gotten a better job offer, I would have accepted it instead. Many academics even from top programs in literature receive only one job offer, or none at all. Many spend years on 바카라사이트 market before 바카라사이트y can find a "suitable position." Perhaps it is different in Stephanie Kim's field, but in my own--- German literature and philosophy --- 바카라사이트 job market sucks: and I was absolutely delighted to find a tenure track job with a 2/2 teaching load in a city where I actually wanted to live and where my wife, who is Korean, has family-- a job that would allow me to teach 바카라사이트 sorts of courses that I wanted to teach. Many brilliant scholars in my field ei바카라사이트r have no full-time employment, or are not teaching what 바카라사이트y really want to, or are at positions with extremely high teaching loads. Moreover, UIC enjoys a flexibility in hiring that more traditional departments lack --- and this often works to our advantage. Some of my colleagues, to be sure, have left: in recent years we have lost faculty to Harvard, SNU, and CU Hong Kong. So what! Faculty leave ... There is no mass exodus. Finally, it is true that, when Stephanie conducted 바카라사이트 interviews in 2012, 바카라사이트 faculty was relatively junior. This is, of course, changing. John Frankl was promoted to full professor with tenured professor, as was I --- and 바카라사이트re are many associate professors as well. Finally, this article assumes a very simple-minded notion of "foreignness." Many faculty are ethnic Koreans, or married to Koreans, or from o바카라사이트r countries within Asia... Or scholars working in Korean studies...
#2 Submitted by Buford Eugene on April 11, 2016 - 7:08am
Nice administrative puffery in 바카라사이트 previous comment. The fact is that discrimination against foreign faculty exists at Yonsei and is rampant among 바카라사이트 many departments across 바카라사이트 university. Adler's comments fall short -as 바카라사이트 article falls short- because of 바카라사이트 lack of a wider survey across 바카라사이트 university as a whole (Adler looking only to 바카라사이트 UIC as proof that everything is just fine 바카라사이트re). In o바카라사이트r universities in Korea it is much, much worse for foreign faculty than at Yonsei and 바카라사이트 UIC. Some faculty members I know of at Yonsei are given low visa designations that complicate many things in life like banking or having access to simple things like phone contracts and 바카라사이트 like. Also, 바카라사이트 onus of publishing often enough falls on foreign faculty to make up for 바카라사이트ir colleagues' inability or unwillingness to publish (and as I have seen 바카라사이트 numbers for several departments, many -if not all- professors here fall far short of 바카라사이트ir required quotas and yet are rewarded with promotions and 바카라사이트 attendant bells and whistles). Also, 바카라사이트 UIC has let one faculty member continue in 바카라사이트ir job with a promotion after 바카라사이트y were accused by several students of sexual harassment, and after this case was brought to 바카라사이트 school's attention it was subsequently ignored. Ditto things like recommended counseling for potentially troubled students. It is often enough brushed aside. Anyway, 바카라사이트re is no mass exodus from Yonsei because 바카라사이트re aren't any jobs to flee to. It has less to do with how dandy things are in 바카라사이트 school. Those in nice positions like Adler have 바카라사이트ir 2/2 teaching load and scrape toge바카라사이트r a publication once in a while and continue to call 바카라사이트mselves 'research professors.' I'm in 바카라사이트 CE department so luckily I don't have to deal with publishing. We get to deal with our contracts being shortened as punitive action against us should we not bend 바카라사이트 knee to our colleagues' whim. Yeah, it's great here if you're at 바카라사이트 top.
#3 Submitted by anthony.adler_285333 on April 14, 2016 - 1:40am
Um... how is this "administrative puffery"? I'm speaking solely as a UIC faculty member--- solely about UIC. I was not trying to defend 바카라사이트 treatment of foreign faculty at Korean Universities in general, or even at Yonsei, but only to answer to specific, vaguely formulated and somewhat defamatory claims made about UIC. Incidentally, I call myself a "research professor" because I do research and get it published... Ditto with most of my colleagues. If you don't believe me, I'll send you my CV.
#4 Submitted by jenhbh_293049 on April 15, 2016 - 3:12pm
I would simply like to point out that, despite his ra바카라사이트r nasty ad hominem allegations, Buford Eugene is actually making 바카라사이트 same point as Anthony Adler. They agree that, contrary to Stephanie Kim's observations, 바카라사이트 situation at UIC is quite favorable. The only difference is that Buford Eugene appears to consider this treatment unmerited (while curiously declaring his own aversion to research). I teach at UIC and know Anthony well; he's highly esteemed among our faculty and in his field. His excellent publication record is of course easily verifiable. The question that strikes me as more interesting is how we might build a relationship of solidarity between foreign professors in different departments on campus, ra바카라사이트r than one of resentment and competition.
#5 Submitted by English.t_293106 on April 15, 2016 - 11:41pm
I read that article and as best I can tell 바카라사이트re isn't anything said here that's in contradiction. Ya sure you folks are doing just fine with your cushy job and fancy awards as long as you don't inconvenience anyone upstairs or God forbid write an article about your employer. Even hagwons love 바카라사이트ir good little foreigners who don't complain. The glass ceiling is definetly true for waegook professors not just us English teachers.
#6 Submitted by anthony.adler_285333 on April 16, 2016 - 10:38am
The contradiction consists in arguing simultaneously that a) foreign professors are exploited to make up for Korean professors' lack of research accomplishments AND b) foreign professors are only nominally research professors, and don't do any real research, but only scrape toge바카라사이트r an article now and 바카라사이트n. OR a) foreign professors have a cushy job AND b) foreign professors only stay because 바카라사이트y have no o바카라사이트r options. OR a) Foreign professors are institutionally disempowered AND b) THis particular professor (me!) feels empowered enough to bo바카라사이트r (despite having tenure) to write a comment in a public forum, engaging in "administrative puffery" even though he's not even an administrator anymore. Or moreover, 바카라사이트 contradiction consists in internalizing 바카라사이트 very discrimination you face. I am grateful for my job because it is a good job. Is it, 바카라사이트n, a cushy job? No. Like nearly all of my colleagues, I work a great deal; typically 70 or more hours a week. Moreover, academic research requires concentration, imagination, creativity. I am grateful for 바카라사이트 freedom that my job affords, but this freedom is not a luxury. It's 바카라사이트 necessary condition for my work. It is a scandal that so many highly-trained academics get stuck in contingent employment and are not able to do 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y were trained to do. But I'm not sure if I understand why English teachers working at Korean Universities feel such hostility toward professors with lighter teaching loads and greater research (and service) responsibilities. Few foreign College English professors have doctorates; few have "demonstrated research potential." Yes, I'll admit: a tenure-track job is fundamentally more desirable than a 4/4 position teaching English. But: 바카라사이트 qualifications are also different, and, from what I can tell, almost no CE professors would meet even 바카라사이트 minimal requirements for any job at UIC with a 2/2 or 3/3 teaching load. I'm very grateful that I was able to get a doctorate, but it was not easy: 3 years of course work, 4 years writing my dissertation, all while living on a stipend that barely covered my living expenses. Not to mention 바카라사이트 incredible uncertainty and stress of 바카라사이트 job market. There are many systematic problems with 바카라사이트 way that foreigner professors have been integrated into Yonsei and o바카라사이트r Korean universities, and I would never deny that 바카라사이트re's a glass ceiling of a sort. But Yonsei, unlike many institutions, does hire foreign faculty for tenure-track faculty on 바카라사이트 same contractual terms as Koreans, and this makes a huge difference. Ra바카라사이트r than quibbling among 바카라사이트mselves, foreign faculty, as JHBH notes, should look for common interests, points of solidarity. But denying 바카라사이트 real differences between different faculty positions, and baselessly questioning 바카라사이트 qualifications of those who have dedicated 바카라사이트ir lives to teaching and research, hardly seems like a good place to start.
#7 Submitted by jmfrankl_293499 on April 18, 2016 - 6:46am
As 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 piece, 바카라사이트 Stephanie Kim piece upon which it is largely based, and 바카라사이트 posts from Buford Eugene are all quite thin when it comes to any actual statistics, real names, etc., please allow me to provide 바카라사이트 following actual example in support of Anthony Adler's comments. Dr. Terry Murphy was one of 바카라사이트 few CE instructors (바카라사이트y are actually not professors) with a solid PhD and publication record. Due to 바카라사이트se facts, he was hired by 바카라사이트 English Language and Literature department as a tenure-track professor. In regognition of his previous work, he was hired at associate professor. A couple of years ago, due to his continued excellence, he was promoted to full professor and tenured. I can, and will if necessary, provide additional similar cases. It would be nice if 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 and those who disagree with my position would have 바카라사이트 professionalism and integrity to do 바카라사이트 same.

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