Seoul National University (SNU) has increased the number of admissions to 218 this year for the first time in 30 years to open the SNUTI. To begin with, please introduce the School and describe the background of this foundation.

Department Chair Song There are three major reasons for this foundation, arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation. The demands of the times ushered in its beginning. To date, science and technology in South Korea have been focused on becoming fast followers, swiftly beating the achievements of others. However, this era requires first movers. In this respect, a question arose over what education should be offered to nurture first movers. Second, social demand has grown. As shown in the examples, such as the policy plan to nurture one million digital talents, this society is anticipating new innovations both quantitatively and qualitatively in terms of education and training in the high-end science and technology field. Third, there has been a demand for our university to cultivate convergent talents who can work across majors and disciplines. Under this situation, we have spent the entire last year recruiting faculty members, securing spaces, preparing entrance exams, and mostly importantly, devising a new curriculum for convergent education. The critical issues have been how to incorporate the concept of convergence into the undergraduate curriculum and how to create and facilitate an innovative learning community to appropriately establish an ideal paradigm for talents and nurture such talents.

The GSCST was established in 2009. Needless to say, Dean Ahn must have a keen interest in the foundation of the School.
What did the birth of the undergraduate program arouse within you?

Dean Ahn Our graduate school marked its 15th anniversary this year. I have been watching with renewed respect, reflecting on the efforts made 15 years ago. I revisited the documents related to the beginning of the GSCST, interestingly finding that the primary buzzword was "cutting-edge convergence." Various words and concepts, including convergence, integration, consilience, digital convergence, and super gap, have attracted widespread interest since that time. Then, our efforts mainly focused on graduate schools and research, whereas internal and social consensus on the preceding need to cultivate convergent ways of thinking has led to the opening of today’s SNUTI.

‘SNUTI Playground’

I’d like to hear the educational goals and objectives of both undergraduate and
graduate schools under the common theme of "convergence."

Song The GSCST and SNUTI may be serving a leading role in convergent education. These two institutions should become a platform to accommodate both education and research by professions from various disciplines. In instructing graduate students, I felt an urgent need for education to foster convergent knowledge gained by experiencing various fields and communicating across them. Our students excel in finding hidden solutions, while they commonly struggle to express their ideas in a sophisticated manner and listen to others. If these students were able to sharpen these skills at the undergraduate level, they would be able to produce excellent convergent outcomes in graduate schools, industries, and policy leadership positions in the future.

Ahn The superiority between single- and multi-discipline units has yet to be determined. Importantly, this conservative school is attempting a new strategy. It is commonly held that undergraduate and graduate programs are designated for education and research, respectively. However, under the current situation where this historical boundary is collapsing, some students begin their research at the undergraduate level, while some are pursuing their education at graduate or professional schools. I admire the diversity of organizations seeking various forms of education and training at SNU.

Convergence must be the keyword of the times.
Why do you think convergence is regarded as an essential value in this era?

Ahn Our system related to science and technology as well as our society are advancing in a more complicated manner. Convergence is key in that experts with deep insights and knowledge communicate with one another to resolve thorny problems in this era. To this end, a solid understanding of their field is crucial. Starting from this understanding, they need to maintain an open mind in dealing with others.

Song This is because there is an increasing number of challenges that cannot be solved through knowledge and experiences from a single field, such as the climate crisis and the COVID pandemic, and human knowledge is exploding. Furthermore, the rapid progress in digital transformation offers an opportunity for more people and disciplines to test new convergent ideas.

Convergence requires interactions and communication as preconditions. Please comment on their gravity.

Song Active interactions among students will become a basis for communicating and collaborating with others in the future. In creating a spacious and comfortable "SNUTI Playground," the first-floor lounge in Building 18, we intended to allow students to meet new friends and form a learning community as supporters and collaborators. This approach represents a new mode of learning that is as important as the education offered at the SNUTI. When the students start to work as experts in their respective fields, this competence in interactions and communication they learned in their 20s will serve as a foundation for convergence and allow them to grow as unprecedented talents.

Ahn SNU has formed various institutions and organizations. As each of these organizations performs its assigned missions and tasks, interactions are essential to provide feedback on the work process and share these evaluations with the entire organization. Interactions require a certain direction with the aid of a community for communicating with others and meeting new people. Anyone seeking convergence must be prepared in order to move forward. Thus, preparedness in interactions is essential.

Please share your knowledge on convergence, interactions, and communication.

Song Interaction ultimately needs respect for others. We tend to become reluctant to listen to whatever others say once we presume that they are strikingly different from us. As Department Chair, this idea applies to my communication with students. For my part, I am striving to foster relationships with students by actively utilizing Instagram (smiles); this attempt in fact requires courage from professors. However, when I open my heart and show courage in this manner, my students respond to my efforts with increased openness.

Ahn I agree with Department Chair Song. In this respect, we should speak less and instead patiently listen and react to others. However, we are usually tempted to interrupt others and speak more so that our voices are heard. This leadership issue is common around the world, not just in South Korea.

What are the major priorities and plans at the SNUTI and GSCST this year?

Ahn The GSCST has reached maturity over the last 15 years since its foundation. Under this circumstance, we primarily aim to dedicate ourselves to bringing convergence to fruition based on the rich research and educational achievements and capabilities of each member of the school. In the midst of ever-changing social needs and various attempts at change within SNU, our school is grappling with how to concretize our 15 years of experience consulting with various experts in diverse manners. Near the completion of Building 18, there will be additional construction works scheduled for the latter half of this year. I look forward to seeing this place that both the GSCST and SNUTI can utilize in their interactions.

Song My priority for the SNUTI’s first year is constructing a base for convergence education by forming a “learning community” with new students. To put it simply, students should become one another’s “friends and cooperators.” For this purpose, the department is striving to offer various opportunities, such as club/social contribution activities, guest lectures/events, and domestic/overseas field trips, to promote a solid "learning community." I expect the SNUTI to develop bachelor's-master's dual degree programs along with other departments and schools, colleges, and graduate schools at SNU. Through close collaboration between this "frontier of convergence research" and the "platform of convergence education", we look forward to SNU taking on a leadership role in convergence education.