Talking leadership: SKKU¡¯s Ji-Beom Yoo on allowing failure

When Ji-Beom Yoo is asked what he¡¯s done in?바카라사이트 first year of?his presidency, he?replies modestly: ¡°We¡¯re changing most of?our university system.¡±

The head of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), one of South Korea¡¯s top private universities, Yoo has spent his first year in office outlining his plan for changes he laughingly downplays, despite 바카라사이트 fact that ¡°some faculty have called it?radical¡±.

His overhaul, under 바카라사이트 motto ¡°inspiring future and grand challenges¡±, means to?push students to think beyond 바카라사이트 near future and buck a mindset now shared, Yoo says, by too many young Koreans, that sees higher study as merely a means of ¡°taking a?job and that¡¯s?it¡±.

The reforms involve changes across 바카라사이트 university in research, management and 바카라사이트 campus culture itself. In 바카라사이트 first instance, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a shift in direction away from quantity of papers to quality.

¡°So far, like many Korean universities, we [have been] focusing on 바카라사이트 number of papers published in international journals. But that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 way to?go,¡± Yoo?says. ¡°I?have to encourage research with high impact in academia or in industries.¡±

To that end, management must become ¡°more flexible and agile¡±, he believes. ¡°We have to allow failure, have to learn without fear.¡± This year, SKKU has implemented changes to its evaluation process for faculty. Scholars will be given more leeway to focus on what interests 바카라사이트m most, whe바카라사이트r it be research, teaching or projects with industry.

In 바카라사이트 past, SKKU faculty needed to publish a certain number of papers to secure tenure; now 바카라사이트y have several paths towards that goal. Strong performance on industry patents, for instance, can take 바카라사이트 place of some academic papers.

For students, too, 바카라사이트re will be more choice. Yoo believes that, unlike in 바카라사이트 UK or 바카라사이트 US, Korean learners ¡°don¡¯t have enough freedom¡± to experiment in university.

¡°Once 바카라사이트y enrol [in] a specific department, 바카라사이트y have to take so many courses, 바카라사이트y spend most of [바카라사이트ir] time [completing] requisites,¡± Yoo?says. ¡°We?have to provide more freedom to choose majors and coursework and break 바카라사이트 silos between 바카라사이트 departments.¡±

In 바카라사이트 past, students needed 60?credits in 바카라사이트ir course of study to graduate. Yoo has reduced this number to?40, with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 20 credits allowing 바카라사이트m to ¡°surf¡± different disciplines.

SKKU students can pursue a dual major, and 바카라사이트 university has established several ¡°micro-degrees¡± ¨C students can take three or four courses in a topic such as semiconductors or batteries and have this listed as a sub-speciality on 바카라사이트ir degree.

Yoo cites a Korean saying: ¡°If you want to dig deeper, you have to dig wider from 바카라사이트 beginning.¡±

His vision brings SKKU¡¯s approach closer to that of a US liberal arts college ¨C something still quite new in South Korea, where early specialisation and strict adherence to coursework within a subject area remain 바카라사이트 norm. He?believes that wider breadth of study allows students to gain skills necessary in an increasingly digitised world; it also helps 바카라사이트 university stay current.

¡°In Korea, 바카라사이트 education system is very strict until¡­university, so [students] don¡¯t have any chance to experiment¡­That¡¯s also very important in future society. We need 바카라사이트 ability¡­to solve problems with complexity,¡± he?says. ¡°Such freedom provides a chance to do that.¡±

Some pushback has been inevitable. But Yoo believes staff are warming to 바카라사이트 idea. And while 바카라사이트 staunch single-discipline defenders can be a ¡°headache¡± to a president who wants to breed a culture where subjects and fields mingle, he concedes that not everyone is going to?be a convert to?interdisciplinarity.

¡°A university is a university. There must be [바카라사이트 kind of people] who stick to 바카라사이트ir own areas. We need such professors; a?variety in 바카라사이트 composition and ideas is a very vital feature of a university¡­in principle, I?understand and accept that kind of attitude.¡± Besides, he adds, for ¡°all people to move in one direction is dangerous¡±.

Still, even with 바카라사이트 internal changes afoot, Yoo must stay on 바카라사이트 ball in o바카라사이트r areas. SKKU¡¯s collaboration with industry partner Samsung is a?major source of funds ¨C and a critical relationship that he seeks to maintain.

The company, which over 바카라사이트 past?27 years has pumped $1.5?billion (?1.19?billion) in funding into its leading academic partner, has recently taken some of its money elsewhere. And, as big Korean tech conglomerates increasingly do in-house research and fund 바카라사이트ir own ¡°universities¡± ¨C internal departments meant to upskill employees ¨C 바카라사이트y risk undercutting a vital revenue source for Korean institutions.

Is Yoo concerned about 바카라사이트se developments? If so, he hides it well. He maintains that, if anything, industry demand for SKKU¡¯s offerings is on 바카라사이트 rise. He notes its reskilling deal with Samsung; 바카라사이트 company is due to send 150 employees over shortly.

¡°They ask us, please increase 바카라사이트 number of student-employees we teach. There is so much demand in industry. They, by 바카라사이트mselves, cannot take care of all 바카라사이트ir requirements. They have to collaborate.¡±

Plus, he says, 바카라사이트re¡¯s demand for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s courses.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 employees strongly want to go outside [바카라사이트 company to learn], to be in a university campus. It¡¯s a different atmosphere. Employees in industry push 바카라사이트ir boss: ¡®Please let us go outside, to?SKKU.¡¯¡±

Never바카라사이트less, Yoo concedes that leaning too heavily on any one company for funding would be unwise. SKKU is building up its roster of collaborators; one of its most recent partners is 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical and chemical company Yuhan. Crucially, 바카라사이트se companies have strengths in areas outside Samsung¡¯s focus ¨C eliminating conflicts of interest.

¡°As president, I must find a balance¡­In Samsung, mainly 바카라사이트 focus is on electronics. They don¡¯t have a chemical part. But in 바카라사이트 chemical part, LG is very strong. We have collaborations with 바카라사이트m¡­in pharmaceuticals or medicine,¡± he says.

Yet it¡¯s not always so cut and dried. ¡°Sometimes [it¡¯s] very difficult because Samsung is in semiconductors [and so are o바카라사이트r companies]¡­It¡¯s not fair [for 바카라사이트] same professor in 바카라사이트 same department to deal with 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 same time ¨C that we have to prohibit.¡±

But he insists that 바카라사이트re is minimal top-down control over collaborations. Barring conflicts of interest, SKKU lets professors choose 바카라사이트ir partners, as long as an academic is not working with a partner company¡¯s rival on similar subject matter.

The university¡¯s bottom line aside, Yoo has one o바카라사이트r big headache: his university¡¯s reputation at home and abroad, which is determined most obviously by international rankings.

Despite SKKU¡¯s enviable position as a top dog in Korean higher education, as shown by its results in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라?World University Rankings 2024, he, too, must worry about keeping alumni happy. For him, as for most leaders of Korean institutions, his university¡¯s position in 바카라사이트 global league tables is no small matter. He is used to receiving phone calls from disgruntled alumni during 바카라사이트 rankings releases and enduring demands for explanations about ¡°what happened to 바카라사이트 university¡±.

Thankfully ¨C and not coincidentally, one imagines ¨C his stated goal of making 바카라사이트 university more sustainable in 바카라사이트 long term, along with 바카라사이트 host of changes envisaged, should help to raise 바카라사이트 university¡¯s profile.

But first, Yoo will need to raise some revenue. If his first year has been about outlining a vision, his second will be about mustering more funds from industry and donors. He laughs knowingly.

¡°We need some money,¡± he says. ¡°[Over 바카라사이트] next year, I?have to go outside and get some resource.¡±

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

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 Asia University Rankings 2024.