- 건국대학교

	[Interview-Monthly Joongang] President Sanggi Min, ‘Disruptive Innovator’ who changes Undergraduate Education
	관리자		1380		2019.11.01

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It is a blessing to have a spacious lake on our campus at the heart of downtown Seoul. Covering an area of 56,61 sq. meters and has a perimeter of 1.4km, forsythia and cherry blossoms bloom in the Spring and Autumn leaves are beautiful in the Fall. This lake is called Ilgam Lake of Konkuk University located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea. Universities with narrow spaces envy Konkuk University, where Ilgam lake itself can fit many of their buildings. Ilgam Lake, which means “lake as clean as a mirror” was created in 1955 when Konkuk University began to build its campus. The campus site was originally a low wetland with a lot of water and artificial lakes which were built in the ponds created during the digging of high quality loess in the middle of the site to build bricks for construction. Ilgamho is not just a space for founders. It has become a popular spot not only for local residents but also for other university students and citizens of Seoul.
Ilgam Lake remains the same, but the campus surrounding the lake is a perfect wall. This is a change in top-line expansion created by the Foundation's breakthrough investments over the past decade. Since 2009, there have been 22 new and enlarged buildings: ▷ Life Science Building ▷ Industry-University Cooperation Building ▷ Veterinary Medicine Building ▷ Biomedical Science Building ▷ Art & Design Building ▷ Sanghuh Hall ▷ The 2nd Life Science Building ▷Law School Building. In 2015, the cradle of real estate, “Haebong Real Estate Building,” was opened and in the following year, the “New Engineering Building”, a symbol of future engineering development, opened.
Konkuk University, which strengthened the educational environment and infrastructure, chose Sanggi Min, Professor of Biotechnology Engineering in September 2016 as the commander of creating new education and a new university model. As a student from Germany, he has been devoted to destructive education innovation by being devoted to debating classes and practical studies. Mr. Min, who has the conviction that “there is no change, there is no progress,” as American Laureate Robert Frost wrote in his poem “The Road Not Taken.” That was September 2016. What has changed since then? In higher education, where tuition freezes, school age population declining, and the huge wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are overwhelming, other universities tend to be “defensive”. Mr. Min, however, has gone a long way by leading to "disruptive innovation" by reorganizing his "aggressive" bachelor’s.
'Open learning space K-cube is crowded during vacation'
On July 12, Mr. Min made an unexpected proposal after entering the main office of the headquarters which passes the bull statue on the main square of the campus symbolizing the nation's demeanor and sincerity. Let's take a look at the K-Cube (K) reative Cube, a new open learning space created in the Memorial Library. Sang-ho is the first letter of “Island Founding, Heum-Ui-Ui,” with the independence activist Dr. Yoo Suk-chang (1900 ~ 1972), founder of Konkuk University. The Sangheo Memorial Library was built to honor Dr. Yoo's founding spirit. The new construction was opened on May 15, 1989, the 43rd anniversary of the founding of Konkuk University, and it has been 30 years. At the time of its opening, it was the largest university library in East Asia, with 3 million books from home and abroad along with 4,000 seats. As I entered the 1100m2 K-cube located on the 6th floor of the Memorial Hall Library, the expectation was quietness. Even though it was vacation time, it was full of students engaged in a passionate discussion in the hexagonal cube room. Third year Mathematics Education student Young-joon Cha said, “We are discussing the ‘analysis’ problem with our friends.” On the whiteboard, there were a lot of mathematics problems. On-site interviews were conducted with President Min. 
Q: The atmosphere is very different from the general library. A: Yes, K-cubes are noisy libraries, not quiet ones. 'Open, Creativity, Convergence, Communication' is the concept. It is not a closed space with partitions like the existing reading room, but a collaborative learning space where students can discuss and increase their creativity. Equipped with electronic blackboards, wireless screen sharer, portable beam projectors, camcorders, cameras, lighting devices, laptops, tablet PCs, etc. 
I looked around the library and realized it. It was like a shared office that combines a popular cafe, lounge, conference room, team seminar room, and library. Third year Mathematics Education student Joon-ho Kim said, “There is also a media shooting facility for single-person use, so students who dream of being a single broadcaster or a creator will enjoy it.” I spoke with Mr. Min again. 
Q: Why did you build this kind of facility? A: To provide a space for students to discuss and interact with each other, increase creativity, and express ideas. In short, K-Cube is a cutting-edge, open, creative and fusion learning lounge. Since the second half of last year, it has been opened to the Sangheo Memorial Library (1100m2), the Engineering Hall (1200m2), the Life Science Hall (287m2), the Sangheo Research Center (400m2), and the Animal Life Science Hall (186m2). I'm thinking of putting it in every building. I'm also building a professor cube. 
Mr. Min also wanted to visit the KU Smart Factory of the New Engineering Museum. It felt like being a field reporter again. The weather was hot, but it was pleasant when I entered the room. “KU Smart Factory” is a creative space and a production laboratory for students. It's a place where you can commercialize ideas and challenge startups.”
When I looked around the room while listening to Mr. Min's explanation, I was impressed with various spaces and high-tech equipment such as the virtual reality (VR) room, metal equipment room, woodworking equipment room, 3D printer room, design room, and drone operation test room. Students dressed in shorts were enthusiastic about making prototypes in every design room. Third year Business Administration student Mr. Ji Soo Kim was developing a personalized restaurant application. As a preliminary start-up package, the company aimed to commercialize this year by September after best testing. Jung-Hoon Jung (Business Administration Year 3) of the founding club said, “If you have an idea and passion, it's an open challenge stage where anyone can open the door,” while laughing brightly. The students took a souvenir picture, welcoming the president's unexpected visit. I hoped it was a precious memory.
Q: There are a lot of spaces with English names.
A: (Laughing) I tried to infuse my global mind. The law school’s 'Global Lounge' and the Student Union's 'Career Lounge' are also English names. The Global Lounge is an open space where you can interact and learn with international students. You can freely discuss English, tutoring, and team-based learning groups. The Career Lounge is your job helper where companies consult with recruitment briefings and job seekers use it for study rooms.
Q: K-Cube, Smart Factory, Global and Career Lounge are fresh. Adjustment to these facilities will not be immediate, but are the students changing?
A: That's right. There's a challenge spirit, a change of thinking, and a confidence. In the case of student business start-ups, the number of startups increased more than six times from four to 25 in 2016. Entrepreneurship courses have also increased from 27 to 122 and the number of students who have completed this course have jumped from 3197 to 6316. It's important that the mood is changing rather than numbers. 
'In the Fourth Revolution, we need Why and How education'
After looking around the scene, I returned to the president's office and started a full-fledged interview. He went through the Dean of Graduate School, Vice-President of Dean of Education, and Chief of the Prime Business Unit. Mr. Min said, “The most important thing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is creativity education. Creativity education is not teaching what is the right answer but how to get the answer through the question why.” He defined the Fourth Industrial Revolution as an age of technology convergence where the boundary between physical space, digital space, and biological space is diluted based on the digital revolution centered on ICT. The curriculum destruction through the reorganization of the bachelor's program is also a result of judging that the university can become an “island” that is isolated from social change if it is not prepared for such a trend. 
13 years of study abroad had a major impact on Mr. Min's educational values. The most difficult thing during his Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral studies was debating. It was because they had been trained in injectable education that only searched for the answer to the problem therefore, it was difficult to adapt to the class that constantly exchanges 'why' and 'how'. In particular, it was unfamiliar to take exams with professors. In Korea, the knowledge was forgotten immediately after completing the test. However, it was the opposite in Germany. The oral test is still vivid. “After I became a professor at Konkuk University, I introduced oral exams. The students found it to be very difficult. However, to raise creative talent, the debate class is basic and the test has to be debated. I thought we had to change the framework of the formal curriculum. Undergraduate education innovation was a natural calling because I became president.” 
Q: What is the key to undergraduate education innovation?
A: “Take off the partition. What is now split into dozens of departments is a product of the past industrial revolution. In the era of mass production based on the division of labor, the divisional strategy of each academic area was devised in the process of pursuing growth strategies for each area to support rapid development of technology. Now is the age of convergence. The creation of new knowledge through knowledge integration is important, not the total amount of knowledge.” 
Q: It is in that context that we united engineering colleges and social colleges in large units.
A: That’s right. The College reorganized 14 departments into 5 large departments and changed the curriculum into a job-oriented fusion-module cluster that the industry needed. For example, the Department of Social and Environmental Engineering, which combines the Department of Infrastructure Systems Engineering (formerly Civil Engineering), Social Environment Plant Engineering, and Environmental Engineering, completely breaking down the walls of three majors. There are 5 tracks with the aim of 'Technology convergence global construction and human resource development' along with 10 modules for the New Curriculum. Students are able to choose the courses they need for each of the five tracks so they can study and plan their careers freely. It is a system for on-site training, research activities, and individual creative activities, depending on your career.
 Q: I think social science is different from engineering college?
A: In 2017, we integrated seven departments of three colleges, including the Political University, the Sanggyong University, and the Global Convergence University into the Social Sciences. These majors include Cheongchi Diplomacy, Economics, Administration, International Trade, Applied Statistics, Convergence Talent, and Global Business. We operate a cross-departmental curriculum cooperative program and offer a variety of courses in order to provide a wide range of class options.
 
At Konkuk University, students design and carry out their own tasks and run a college of credit units, radically changing the semester system. It is the work of changing the framework that has been solidified for 4 years and 8 terms. This is because the educational framework, which is not surprising even when the world changes, cannot meet the needs of various consumers, such as the big flow of the Fourth Revolution, industry, and students. 
Q: What did you change specifically?
A: We introduced a flexible semester system that allows students to design three-dimensional semesters and curricula. The on-site study 2 + 1 semester system, the hiring linkage 3 + 1 semester system, and the 4 + 1 semester, master's integrated course for the field reinforcement are typical. There are many types, including the Dream semester, which allows you to be creative regardless of your school calendar.
Q: Dream semester sounds like a semester for students to realize their dreams?
A: Yes, it is a system for students to design and carry out self-directed creative tasks and earn credits. During one of the eight semesters, students can develop creativity, competencies and problem-solving skills through the Dream semester (7 + 1 self-design semester). There are five types: entrepreneurship, creative connection, social problem solving, knowledge exploration, and other autonomy. At first, students with doubts and fears worked in a variety of fields. We will continue to expand this program.
Q: Do you think the connection with industrial sites will be strengthened?
A: The theory that cannot be applied in the field is dead. Therefore, we increased the number of field practice companies from 155 in 2016 to 699 this year. The number of students participating in the lab jumped from 365 to 1014.
Q: Discussion Settlement is not easy, what are you trying to do?
A: We introduced flipped learning where students first learn online and then discuss it with the professor in class. Currently, 81 courses are available. In addition, I support pedagogical workshops by college so that different teaching methods can be applied according to major. There are also 77 debate class subjects. Combined with flipped learning, 158 courses will continue to expand.
Mr. Min is firmly convinced that there is no future for human resource development unless he breaks the wall. In the age of convergence, integration, and consensus, the boundaries of scholarship are meaningless. Therefore, starting from the first semester, transfer grade restrictions and completion credit criteria have been eliminated for all students, which break down the barriers between rigid majors and expand students' choices. I also told new students, "You are a Konkuk University student, so study and freely choose your major."
 
Q: There is an exceptional transfer system that allows you to change your major at the time of enrollment.
A: We revised the system to broaden our options and to promote convergence and research. In the past, students had to meet the average grade point average of 2.7 or higher and complete the grading criteria (31 credits in 1st grade, 62 credits in 2nd grade and 93 credits in 3rd grade). It is characterized by abolishing it and lowering its threshold. For example, in the previous year, students who were enrolled in 5 semesters and completed 4 semesters before the 3rd semester were only allowed to enroll in the 5th semester. Now, it is possible. There is no change in the number of admissions departments for each department, so there will be no need for students to flock to popular departments. Up to 20% of the enrollment capacity is in the second year, and the third and fourth year in the second year and the third year from the previous year.
'Abolition of Credit Limits for change of Major'
Q: Is there any problem in the implementation process?
A: This can be a problem because the tuition fees are different for each class and there can be an excessive number of students within a limited practice space. So even though the admission limit is 20%, some students allow 100%. Among high school candidates, the term 'university' is the most popular university in Seoul.”
Q: I understand that the liberal arts education for undergraduates has also revolutionized.
A: In order to develop creative and convergent human resources, we need to change liberal arts education. The number of liberal arts courses has been increased to 27 credits and the required software (SW) courses have been expanded to two. In the SW field, students must complete 6 credits including computational thinking and problem solving through programming. We also introduced “micro lessons,” where students study intensively for four weeks. It's a system where students can choose four weeks from 16 weeks of the semester, take intensive lectures, and earn one credit. For example, the humanities and social science students study 'Understanding of Artificial Intelligence' and the engineering students study 'Startup Corporate Law Practice' for 4 weeks.
Q: The important thing is that professors need to change. This may be negatively perceived by many professors.
A: Young professors are welcome, but senior professors don't like it. Naturally, it's destructive, not fine-tuning. Young professors lead and senior professors follow a lot.
Q: How successful are the open classes?
A: It's only about 10%. It's an attempt to record and publicize the entire professor's lecture. It is to allow students to listen to other majors they are interested in. This is the final stage of educational innovation.
Q: Can the whole class be released?
A: There are professors who are infringing on intellectual property rights and portrait rights. That claim doesn't hold because the class is open to students. Rather, realistic constraints are the problem. It's a huge job to record the entire lesson and post it on the site. I will try step by step. 
The restructuring is paying off but to reach a global university, you must also look to advances such as artificial intelligence (AI). The world's leading universities have already entered the endless competition to train AI talent. Son Jung-eop, chairman of Japan's Softbank, also stressed that "the first thing Korea should focus on is artificial intelligence, second, artificial intelligence, and third, artificial intelligence." Min had the same idea. “Big data, software, AI, and deep learning are at the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Experts should come out of the engineering-based education framework but Korea lacks AI-based experts. Even if SNU tries to recruit famous professors abroad, it is failing because it lacks the cost and the foundation to show its capabilities. The government should have a clear sense of purpose and roll its arms to human resource development.”
Q: How are you preparing for Konkuk University?
A: “We are going to create an AI graduate school next year. Not long ago, I created a committee at school. The key to driving graduate school and BK business is AI. We will focus on recruiting professionals for the next six months. That's the role of the president.” 
'AI graduate school will be established next year' 
Q: There have been many reforms, including curriculum destruction, but there are still areas where we are hungry.
A: The university must change constantly to survive. To do this, the constitution of the teaching community is important. A really good professor is a professor who keeps up with the times. We need to change the way we teach. Instead of being buried in your own major, you should broaden your horizons and give convergence education. Globalization, in particular, has a long way to go. 
Q: There are many concerns about Konkuk University's global brand power.
A: Although it was ranked 500th in the world university rankings and 100th in Asia (based on the QS assessment), it is acknowledged. We are also looking to expand Dual Degree, a joint degree system for 2 + 2 (2 years Konkuk University, 2 years foreign university). Currently, there are several places, including Nanjing University in China and Illinois Institute of Technology in the United States. There are over 600 exchange universities worldwide.
Q: Where do you want to put the future of Konkuk University?
A: As the industrial structure changes, engineering and bio-based characterization must continue. You must be in the top 100 in the world to join the prestigious private university class. Efforts to shave college are fundamental and government policies must change. In fact, the government's education policy doesn't fit the trend.
Q: Other university presidents say the government's direction for higher education is ambiguous.
A: In the socialist countries of Vietnam and China, higher education is booming. The advantage is that the system is stable and keeps pushing. But in Korea, when the Minister of Education changes and the regime changes, so does policy. I'm trying to solve the problem of college politically so there's no sustainable system. Personally, I would like to establish a higher education committee that deals only with higher education and takes responsibility for sustainable policies. If you have a problem with a private college, you can handle it judicially. Regulations and comprehensive audits don't fit the trend.
Q: In August, universities are having a hard time with the instructor law.
A: The instructor law is two-sided. Protecting the next generation of instructors, of course, is a good thing, but in reality, there are side effects of fewer job openings. The instructor must be recognized as part of the recruitment, but that's not possible. On the other hand, adjunct and visiting professors are recognized as recruiting teachers, which creates a contradiction that the university uses fewer lecturers. I want it to be flexible.
Q: How should we set the direction of future university education?
A: It's not the age of saying something to students. Demonstrate a vision that has been programmed from beginning to end, including clear curriculum and customized training. I think that the role of the university is to provide a 'designed future' provider that suggests the future, 'You can be like this.'
'Transformed into a embracing president from a cynical professor'
After studying in Germany, Min became a professor at Konkuk University and tried 1: 1 verbal exams like German universities. The students had a hard time. However, he still pushed. It was criticized for being rough and cranky. Many became nervous because such a professor became president. How is Professor Min Sang and President Min Sang different? I asked myself and answered: “Professor Min-Kee shined sharply and was tricky on the students. I was forced to think critically by taking oral exams, and the lab stressed the accuracy, readiness, and risk, making the students stress a lot. But after I became president, I changed my personality. To lead the entire student body and the whole staff, I thought that the leadership, consideration and respect of inclusive listening was important.”
Like Mr. Min's confession, Konkuk University has undergone intense reforms during his tenure, but has attracted huge national projects such as the “prime project” without much opposition. It was said that during his study abroad, the harsh professor became influenced by the German style. I was curious and asked about his study abroad story.
Young Min Sang Ki, during his first semester of Konkuk University's Animal Husbandry University, enrolled as an army soldier, completed his military service, and returned to second grade. Returning students fell into the German language. At the time, the wife of a Korean branch of a German company taught German at the Konkuk University Livestock University, because she was interested and dived. “I took a German test and had better results than the German major students. Everybody was surprised. But if I kept going to college in Korea, there would be no hope. The return of the returning students began.” So, I decided to study abroad. Because of family reasons, America was not an option. After studying German, Min chose to go to Germany without tuition. “In order to attend school in Germany as a freshman, you must complete 2 years of university in Korea. So, I finished my sophomore year and went to Germany in 1981. I was twenty-six and married but I left alone.”
In the second year, Mr. Min met a fourth-year female student and signed a hundred-year contract. “At that time, my mother-in-law was especially opposed to our marriage. I made a masterpiece with a liquor-loving artisan and got a seal and reported the marriage. But I could not go abroad to study with my wife. I decided to go there first, and then my wife finished her master's degree in Korea and decided to come to Germany as a graduate doctorate.”
Mr. Min said he had studied abroad without help. Although tuition was free, he needed a living expenses, but he had no difficulty getting a scholarship. His wife also came to Germany after she finished her graduate school, but their daughter, who was born in between that time, was left in Korea. He said, “it was not easy and very difficult”.
Q: So, was your dream a professor?
A: My dream was to enter a global company in Europe and become a CEO. I had an interview with as corporate chairman but kept failing. But the professor was different. In 1994, I completed my Ph.D. in Germany and became a professor at the University of Lyon in France. The following year I became a professor at Konkuk University. In the end, the professor's path seemed to be my way.
Mr. Min enjoys speed. I like motorcycles, skiing, and water skiing. 'If you don't challenge, you won't get anything,' and 'No pain, no gain' is his life motto. He chose kindergarten operations as a bucket list. “I want to go back and educate my children. In Germany, the basic education of the university started in kindergarten. They always ask kids 'why?' It is real growth when children grow up looking for the answer to 'why' when they have a hard time expressing what they have experienced and seen. I want to do that education.” This is one of many of Mr. Min’s dreams.

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