In August, “Seoul National University’s mid-to-long-term development plan report” was released. The report is composed of eight sections: vision, education, research, student support and welfare, globalization and social contribution, multicampus, finance, and university operation system. In addition, a total of 85 committees, including the faculty, students, employees, and external experts, participated with over 100 meetings, conferences, and surveys to include the voices and wishes of the members.  

According to a recent survey of Seoul National University’s professors, students, employees, and alumni, 30–40 percent of the respondents answered that the university’s reputation has fallen in the last 10 years. 

More than half of the respondents said that in the next 10 years, it will fall even more. Given the rapidly changing world situation, political and economic crises, and demographic cliff, in 20 years, the number of university students in Korea is expected to drop by half to approximately 1 million. Seoul National University’s mid-to-long-term development plan was established due to such concerns. The plan was prepared to respond to the changes accompanied by the rapidly changing world by fundamentally changing the basic principles of the university 10 years since its incorporation. The university tried to analyze its current status objectively and establish a consensus among the members. In particular, the report focused on the feasibility of the plan and the improvement of the driving force. 

Vision and responsibilities

Seoul National University promotes “an intellectual community that contributes to the future of the country and humankind.” With such a vision, it is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities of first, “raising global leaders who will lead the era of the great transformation,” second, “studying to solve the challenges that the country and humankind face,” and finally “realizing its social responsibility through inclusion and communication.”

Key initiatives

As the intellectual community contributes to the future of the country and humankind, the basic principles of Seoul National University should change for it to be a top world-leading university. The mid-to-long-term development plan suggests key initiatives that the members should strive for together.

1. Breaking down barriers between majors (departments), areas of study, and universities and graduate schools

First, the barriers between majors, departments, and colleges should be removed. To this end, above all, the growth and success of students should be the core value. The university should increase the number of freshmen who enter the university without choosing a particular major, strengthen the liberal arts education to nurture students’ core capacities, autonomize the selection and change of studies as well as the affiliation of professors, and promote education in everyday life through student dormitories.

2. Establishment of open education system across the entire lifecycle

The university should establish an open education system that spans the entire lifecycle. The university should expand the categories of students and change the method of recruiting students. It is necessary to adopt the open circular university’s model that allows going back and forth between the university, society, and work. Furthermore, the university should actively promote the recruitment methods considering social experience and class mobility.

３. Implementation of convergence research to tackle challenging issues facing the country and humankind

Convergence research should be implemented to address challenging issues facing the country and humankind. Cooperation between areas should take place in a practical manner to address the challenges of the era beyond segmented individual research or small-scale superficial cooperation. To this end, a system to support a large-scale convergence study is required. There should be a research environment for startups and technology commercialization as well as a research culture with strong fundamentals and system innovation.

４. Expansion of social contribution for the country and humankind

The university should expand its social contribution for the country and humankind. The paradigm of social values has emerged globally, and the social contribution of universities has become the new normal. Practical tasks of contribution based on knowledge, such as solving the climate crisis and social polarization issues, should be implemented through global cooperation. The university should develop a Seoul National University (SNU)-style social contribution model to suggest activities connecting both domestic and overseas networks.

５. Promotion of strategic and qualitative globalization

Strategic and qualitative globalization should be promoted. A global university cannot be built by simply maintaining the quantitative index in preparation for the university evaluation. The university should expand opportunities for students to study overseas, promote globalization strategically considering both inbound and outbound globalization and developed and developing countries, and encourage the building of overseas campuses in various forms. 

６. Realization of inclusive campus without barriers where diversity is respected

The university should establish an inclusive campus without barriers where diversity is respected. It should establish the goal of making SNU the standard for a good university for students and a good workplace for faculty, thereby becoming a campus that improves the sense of community and comprehensive wellness. It should work toward expanding the diversity of the members, removing the barriers of the campus facilities and systems, and creating an environmentally friendly campus.

７. Innovation of university operation system and increase in investment

The university should innovate the university operation system that supports all tasks and increase investment. To advance the governance, the university should strengthen the responsibility and authority of the board of directors to fit its incorporation status, innovate the university president election system so that it is future-oriented, and establish a balance between the central university’s function of adjustment and the autonomy of colleges and study units. Further, to secure funds for the improvement of global competitiveness, it is necessary to establish and implement a professional strategy to expand the development fund, research funds, and business profits on top of the stable government contribution.