Botanist Seeing Outside the Lab First

Looking at the SNU campus, whose color seasonally shifts, Dean Noh pondered, 'Why is a plant perceived as a plant?' As a botanist, he has considered this inquiry for a long time. His interest in plants began during his childhood: Born in the countryside, he would play across hills and fields, getting along with anything alive without preference and freely stretching his imagination.
After he was admitted to SNU in 1985, he studied botanical studies, actively voicing his opinions on both school and social issues. He often asked himself, ”Where should I go?”, which represented his untypical approach to deciding his career path. He believes that the process of meeting and interacting with many colleagues majoring in other fields such as politics and history has matured his personality, and this is why, as a current professor, he frequently emphasizes that “the formation of the right values is more important than achieving good GPAs.” Another turning point in his life, as he indicated, was the culture shock of experiencing students in the United States asking questions and discussing various topics in an open atmosphere.
“When I first went to study in the U.S. after completing my master’s program, I took pride in how hard I had studied—perhaps harder than anyone else.
However, I realized that my academic skills could easily be caught up with, depending on time and effort, while studying together with other students. In contrast, the difference in experience and growth between myself and my fellow students, who had been interested in various fields and explored many themes since childhood, was wide, and their experiences gave them the ability to develop unique questions through their flexible ways of thinking. Imagine the process Nobel laureates undergo until they reach their achievements. Most of them produced novel outcomes through odd imaginations based on their growth experiences, rather than well-devised plans. Studying alongside other international students made me realize that being able to experience and communicate freely is essential to creating great consequences.”

Why is a plant perceived as a plant?

As an authority in plant epigenetics, Dean Noh has been leading various research projects, as well as the Research Center for Plant Plasticity and the SNU College. He would acquire new inquiries and ideas in the midst of informally conversing with young students and other major researchers. His trademark question, ‘Why is a plant perceived as a plant?’ was also inspired by a conversation with one of his graduate students.
“One day, one of my graduate students visited me to seek advice on his plan to study abroad. When I asked which area of study he was interested in, he responded ‘I want to find out why humans are perceived as humans, and what factors enable people to become perceived as people.’ His answer was amazing. I thought 'People in other research fields can wonder about these types of themes!' Afterward, I raised the same type of question: Why is a plant perceived as a plant?”
His knowledge and attitude as a researcher became his strength in seeking answers as an educational administrator. According to plant epigenetics studies, the traits of different organisms may be determined according to inborn genes, while the DNA sequences between plants and animals and between animals and humans are insignificantly different. However, the characteristics of the species depend on the patterns of gene expression, rather than underlying DNA sequences. Dean Noh applied this insight to the educational field and believed in the potential that “experience related to various disciplines, as shown in the use of genes, creates new abilities.” This belief became a conviction about interdisciplinary education.
“Plants readily react and adapt to changing environments. They possess high plasticity. Similarly, people can adapt depending on their given environments. One student may become deeply immersed in a single field while another simultaneously develops an interest in various fields. This is not a matter of right or wrong. However, those who think broadly and strive to understand other values will obtain more opportunities. This description is the ideal profile for an interdisciplinary talent today.”

SNU College was officially launched in March 2025 with the goal of serving as a platform for SNU's educational innovation, including the upgrade of common core competencies and interdisciplinary education, as well as the expansion of global education.

SNU College Fostering Interdisciplinary Talents

SNU College’s curriculum is in contrast to a typical major-based curriculum that focuses on a specific area of study. This new type of educational platform fosters common core and convergent competencies beyond the boundaries of academic disciplines. As the first dean of SNU College, Dean Noh is pouring his efforts into establishing an educational system and building the overall educational content. He intends to support the full-blown growth of students' convergent thinking within the borderless educational field of SNU College.
“This year is a meaningful one in that it marks the 50th anniversary of the SNU Integration. Our university has achieved great progress during this period. The world has changed rapidly and so the profiles of ideal talents have further shifted, whereas the traditional educational approach based on liberal arts and specific majors that has been in place for 50 years has not changed. SNU College is the starting point for changing the flow of educational culture and aims to implement the value of convergence by demolishing the rigid walls of the department-centered system. If the partitions between majors disappear, students will be able to freely communicate with others of diverse interests, no longer staying in a single field.”