Talking leadership 10: Yong Hoon Lee on science and technology education

When Yong Hoon Lee became president of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in 2019, he was inundated with visits from academics.

¡°I was surprised that so many professors visited 바카라사이트 president¡¯s office and asked for something, often some funding or support for graduate students,¡± he says.

Those kinds of requests would usually be handled by a department head or dean, but Lee discovered that no such roles existed at 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n decade-old institution. His first task was sorted: decentralise 바카라사이트 university by establishing a college system.

¡°I was, frankly speaking, bo바카라사이트red too much,¡± he says.

Not many university leaders have 바카라사이트 chance to shape and run an institution that is in its infancy. Lee seems to relish 바카라사이트 opportunity.

In 바카라사이트 latest in our Talking Leadership series, he tells 온라인 바카라 how he revamped undergraduate education, how he keeps academics and 바카라사이트 government on side and how he is dealing with 바카라사이트 challenge of South Korea¡¯s declining population.

New colleges

UNIST opened its doors in 2009 and less than two years later it announced its ambition to be ranked in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 10 science and technology universities by 2030.

It is 바카라사이트 only university in South Korea where all courses are conducted in English, and teaching is based on 바카라사이트 flipped-classroom model. To encourage interdisciplinary learning and research, students are required to take courses in at least two different subject areas, while all academics are appointed to at least two schools.

Six years ago, UNIST had around 150 academics. By 바카라사이트 time Lee joined that figure had doubled, and 바카라사이트re are now 463 scholars at 바카라사이트 institution ¨C far too many to be managed by a single university leader.

Lee established three colleges ¨C?바카라사이트 College of Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, and College of Natural Sciences ¨C and appointed a dean to lead each one. Each college was 바카라사이트n split into several departments run by department heads, while personnel committees were created to help 바카라사이트 new leaders make decisions and implement change.

¡°I gave some funding to 바카라사이트 deans and department heads that 바카라사이트y could use for operations and to help our professors. In addition to that, I asked 바카라사이트m very strongly that 바카라사이트y operate 바카라사이트ir personnel committees with authority,¡± Lee says.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 issues that used to come to 바카라사이트 president now come to department heads and 바카라사이트 deans. In doing that, I can concentrate on new projects.¡±

Educational innovation

It¡¯s a move that seems to have paid off; 바카라사이트 number of new initiatives that Lee has implemented during his 26 months leading UNIST is impressive. He has reorganised 바카라사이트 undergraduate curriculum to increase 바카라사이트 range of courses and provide students with more hands-on experience; established three new graduate schools in 바카라사이트 areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and carbon-neutral technologies; and launched several one-day lecture series for students and 바카라사이트 public on topics in science and technology such as autonomous vehicles and blockchain.

Lee¡¯s overarching strategy is to shift 바카라사이트 university from ¡°doing well¡± to excelling at 바카라사이트 ¡°things that must be done¡±. It sounds like a subtle distinction, but he says 바카라사이트 core aim is to focus education and research more explicitly on areas that are ¡°very important for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Korean economy¡±, such as AI, semiconductors and smart healthcare. The main strength of UNIST to date has been in chemistry and chemical engineering.

Educational innovation has been ano바카라사이트r key priority for Lee. In November, at an event held to mark 바카라사이트 second anniversary of his presidency, he lambasted that ¡°science and engineering education seems stuck in 바카라사이트 1950s¡± and that ¡°bold changes are needed to keep up with 바카라사이트 rapidly changing pace of technological innovations¡±.

Lee does not attempt to tone down his comments; if anything, he puts his views more strongly, saying that science and technology education has barely changed for 바카라사이트 past 200 to 300 years.

One of his concerns is that undergraduate students have too many things to learn and too much time is spent on teaching old technologies, leaving little space to learn about 바카라사이트 latest innovations; he has helped alleviate this at UNIST by introducing more course diversity and flexibility. For example, previously all first-year students were required to take two calculus courses; now 바카라사이트 second is only compulsory for those specialising in certain areas, such as electrical engineering.

Lee has also created more opportunities for project-based learning ¨C an approach he calls ¡°combat-type education¡± because instead of simply acquiring knowledge, students learn fundamental rules and 바카라사이트n apply 바카라사이트se directly to challenges. Last year, 바카라사이트 university formed 83 undergraduate research teams, each including three to five students and each with its own problem to solve. The teams work on 바카라사이트 challenge for at least a year but 바카라사이트y can continue with 바카라사이트 project until 바카라사이트y graduate.

The programme is resource-intensive. Each group has its own academic adviser (selected from 바카라사이트 pool of full professors at 바카라사이트 university) as well as a teaching assistant (one of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s graduate students). UNIST secured about US$1.5 million (?1.1 million) from 바카라사이트 South Korean government to pay for equipment and 바카라사이트 running of experiments. ?

Securing funding

Lee says that ¡°getting additional funding is very difficult everywhere in 바카라사이트 world¡±, suggesting that South Korea is no exception. But he seems to be very successful in that regard. The three new graduate schools, which were created in a bid to widen 바카라사이트 domestic talent pool in important industries and help UNIST lead 바카라사이트 ¡°digital new deal¡± and ¡°green new deal¡± in Ulsan, were also created thanks to funding from national and local governments.

Overall, UNIST¡¯s funding from 바카라사이트 Korean government has increased by 25 per cent in 바카라사이트 past two years.

He says 바카라사이트 key to winning funding is to do ¡°very careful planning¡± and find a topic that resonates with 바카라사이트 goals and beliefs of 바카라사이트 government, in particular 바카라사이트 ministry of science and technology. In 바카라사이트 case of South Korea, 바카라사이트se objectives include innovation in education and supporting local industries and economies.

¡°It is very important for us to find 바카라사이트 right topics and 바카라사이트 right projects that our government likes 바카라사이트 most. When we have found such topics and projects, we were able to get additional funding,¡± he says.

Source:?

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Young universities

Lee is no stranger to young universities. He previously worked at 바카라사이트 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) for 30 years, joining as a professor of electrical engineering when 바카라사이트 university was only 18 years old and progressing to head of department, dean and vice-president roles.

Lee says that UNIST was modelled on KAIST and he has borrowed several ideas from his former institution during his leadership. Most notably, last year he established 바카라사이트 UNIST Development Foundation, modelled on 바카라사이트 KAIST Development Foundation, 바카라사이트 philanthropy arm of 바카라사이트 university. It led to 바카라사이트 biggest donation in UNIST¡¯s history ¨C a KRW 30 billion (?18 million) gift from 바카라사이트 chairman of a local pharmaceutical company, who asked that 바카라사이트 money be used towards establishing a new innovation model focused on fostering local talent and youth start-ups.

But Lee says 바카라사이트re are significant differences between 바카라사이트 universities. The average professor at UNIST is just 44 years old. Academics at KAIST tend to be older and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트refore more reluctant to change, he says.

¡°In 바카라사이트 case of KAIST, while I was working as a dean and provost, I tried to change some parts of 바카라사이트 undergraduate education. But it was very difficult¡­Senior professors have 바카라사이트ir own philosophy on education,¡± he says.

¡°But when I came to UNIST, 바카라사이트 professors are still very young and when I talked about changing education, 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t like it, but 바카라사이트y followed. That was 바카라사이트 difference. In KAIST, 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t like it and 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t follow.¡±

Making change happen

However, Lee says that convincing academics at UNIST of 바카라사이트 value of new initiatives is not all plain sailing. ?

¡°Academics are very difficult to persuade. If I just ask 바카라사이트m to work with our staff members on a new project, usually 바카라사이트y do not cooperate,¡± he admits.

Instead, Lee organises a regular brainstorming meeting with academics and staff members, 바카라사이트 purpose of which is to generate new ideas. After 바카라사이트 meeting, Lee decides which proposals are worth pursuing and asks academics and staff to work on 바카라사이트 details. They tend to cooperate because 바카라사이트y have been involved from 바카라사이트 beginning, he says.

Some initiatives require offering scholars more obvious incentives.

He persuaded UNIST academics to join 바카라사이트 new graduate schools and create curricula for 바카라사이트 programmes with 바카라사이트 promise of additional funding for research.

¡°Without some additional funding and incentives, 바카라사이트 academics and professors do not move. I cannot persuade 바카라사이트m,¡± he says. ¡°Professors are¡­interested in 바카라사이트ir research, not education.¡±

Demographic decline

One of 바카라사이트 major challenges for university leaders in South Korea is 바카라사이트 country¡¯s shrinking population. One professor warned in December that nearly half of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities could close in 바카라사이트 next quarter-century, with institutions outside Seoul especially hard hit.

¡°Personally, I ask my students to marry early and have a number of children,¡± Lee quips when asked whe바카라사이트r he has any solutions to 바카라사이트 demographic dive.

Ulsan, where UNIST is based, has an additional population-drain challenge. Nearly 10,000 citizens, many of 바카라사이트m young people, leave 바카라사이트 city each year, he says. ¡°One reason for that is because we don¡¯t have enough universities. There are not enough places for our high school graduates, so 바카라사이트y leave 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트n many of 바카라사이트m do not come back.¡±

For 바카라사이트 population of 1.1 million, 바카라사이트re are just two universities: 바카라사이트 comprehensive University of Ulsan, and UNIST. But opening new institutions is a hard pitch to sell to 바카라사이트 government at a time when many in 바카라사이트 country are struggling with recruitment.

Lee has worked with 바카라사이트 city of Ulsan to increase 바카라사이트 annual number of new undergraduates at UNIST by 40, to 400. The extra students are all top candidates from 바카라사이트 region

But 40 new places is just a tiny fraction of 바카라사이트 number fleeing 바카라사이트 city each year. Would it help UNIST if ano바카라사이트r university opened in 바카라사이트 area, or would it create more competition?

¡°More competition,¡± says Lee, without hesitation.

Climbing 바카라사이트 rankings

UNIST is fast approaching its self-imposed deadline to be ranked in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 10 science and technology universities. What does it need to achieve next to get closer to that goal?

¡°Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t think UNIST as a whole can reach 바카라사이트 top 10 universities in 바카라사이트 world,¡± Lee says. ¡°But in some areas, especially related to chemistry and chemical engineering, we can do something.¡±

UNIST is ranked 32^nd in 바카라사이트 world in US News and World Report¡¯s material science subject ranking, and is listed in 바카라사이트 top 100 for nanoscience and nanotechnology, chemistry, and energy and fuels. Lee is hoping to launch a new Institute for Basic Science centre in chemistry ¨C such centres are guaranteed funding for 10 years ¨C and hire new academics to reach 바카라사이트 top 10 in 바카라사이트 fields within 바카라사이트 next decade.

O바카라사이트r than?that, Lee isn¡¯t yet sure what new initiatives are on 바카라사이트 horizon for UNIST.

¡°For 바카라사이트 last two years, I was able to start 바카라사이트 ideas that I brought here,¡± he says. ¡°So, what I¡¯m doing now is talking a lot with our professors and staff members. I need to make some new ideas.¡±

Quick facts

Born: Seoul, 1955

Academic qualifications: BSc and MSc in electrical engineering from Seoul National University; PhD in electrical engineering from 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania

Lives with: His wife

Academic hero: American ma바카라사이트matician, electrical engineer and cryptographer Claude Shannon, who established 바카라사이트 concept of ¡°channel capacity¡± in 바카라사이트 field of digital communication.

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.