- 건국대학교

	[Interview] President Sanggi Min, ‘Disruptive Innovator’ who changes Undergraduate Education
	관리자		1683		2019.09.10

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Sanggi Min(64), the president of Konkuk University, loves the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (1874-1963). Every time he makes a big decision, he recalls the idea that Tow roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.' “I was stuck in a message that I had to go to a new way to change. That's why I went to Germany to study when I was an undergraduate, and then destroyed the curriculum after I became president. ” He became president in September 2016 after the Dean of the Graduate School and the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. He claimed that “We will find innovative ways to open new paths for students' employment and start-ups. ” In the face of growing financial hardships of universities, a decline in the number of students, and the wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he chose to go to a rugged road, instead of flat road. Mr. Min decided that in order to make students to study and get creative geeks out of them, we needed to be innovate how to derive 'How' through 'Why' rather than 'What'. The new paths were destruction of curriculum, the elimination of major division, industry-academic cooperation, and open classes. That's why he is called the "disruptive innovator" of higher education. Mr. Min, who we met at Konkuk University on the 12th, stressed that if universities go the same way, there is no future.
 <img width="293" height="367" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-left: 10px; float: left;" src="ArticleFile.do?id=11767599" />I can't forget about one-on-one oral exams when I had it in Germany  Q : The road to higher education is very rugged, but I think you are driving more aggressively. A : “Konkuk University has expanded its appearance with aggressive investment since 2005. There are 22 new and enlarged buildings, including Life Science building, Sanghuh Research Institutes, and new Engineering buildings. The infrastructure is now solid, so we need to fill it up. It's my fate to keep up. The reorganization eliminated department dividers such as Iron Ongseong. The intention is to combine the divided academic units and go on the path of convergence and dialogue. ”   Q : Why is destruction of undergraduate education important? A : “The school system, now divided into dozens of departments, is the product of the second industrial revolution. The academic partition strategy was designed as a growth strategy to support rapid technological development in the age of division of labor and mass production. However, in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, convergence and combination are competitive. This is an age when knowledge creation is achieved through integration between majors, not the total amount of knowledge by major. ”  13 years of study abroad in Germany had a big impact on Mr. Min's education. The hardest part was the debate class. It was unfamiliar to constantly ask why and to take the exam verbally with a professor. “Creativity, a German symbol, comes from here. I can forget about the written test right away, but the oral test is vivid even after 10 years.” Mr. Min said he could not forget the thrill of the time. He broke the standardized curriculum framework and began his education in 'Why' and 'How'.
 Q : Engineering units have been integrated into a large scale.   A : “The College reorganized its 14 departments into five large departments and changed the curriculum to focus on the jobs that the industry needed. The Department of Chemical Engineering, which combines the Department of Chemical Engineering, Organic Nanosystems Engineering, and Convergence Advanced Materials Engineering, has grown to 161 students as an entrance quota, 900 current students, and 24 full-time faculty members. Students cross the majors and leave the classroom to practice and create work. The professors are also actively converging and contributing research and research. ”  Q : There are also a lot of changes in Social Studies area.    A : “In 2017, we integrated seven departments from three colleges, including College of Political Science, Business and Economics, and Global Convergence, to create a social synergy in the field of Social Sciences. There are Department of Political Diplomacy, Economics, Administration, International Trade, Applied Statistics, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Global Business, and we are operating a cross-departmental cooperative program and operating various courses to ensure wide class choice options. ”   Konkuk University is changing the semester system dramatically. This is because it is necessary to break the framework of the fourth semester and eight semester system to meet the demands of industry, students, and companies. It is a flexible term system that allows students to design their own semesters and curriculum. '2+1 semester', 'recruitment linked 3+1 semester', '4+1 master's reserved admission' and '7+1 self-design semester', which includes one semester of field practice plus one semester of field practice. The 7+1 semester system is student choose one semester to design their own dreams. There are no restrictions on starting a business, on-the-job training or overseas internship.  Q : I think the students’ spirit of challenge will be stronger.   A : “Students who were scared at first are unquestionably challenged. The theory that doesn't know the field is dead knowledge. So we increased the number of field training companies from 155 in 2016 to 699 this year. The number of students who have participated also tripled to 1014. In 2016, there were 25 student who started business, and the start-up business club grew from 13 teams to 66 teams. It's very popular that over 6300 students have taken 122 start-up related courses. ”    Passionate discussion is being held in the open learning space K-cube Mr. Min said that he would show the students where they really study and guided me to the K-Cube (K'reative Cube) of the Sanghuh Memorial Library and the KU Smart Factory of the New Engineering Building. Sanghuh was pen name of Dr. Yoo Suk-chang (1900 ~ 1972), founder of Konkuk University, and the Memorial Library was newly opened in 1989. When I entered K-cube on the 6th floor of the library, it was crowded with students even during the vacation, and there was a passionate discussion in the cube room. It was a noisy library, not a quiet library. The KU Smart Factory of the New Engineering Building was an idea creation space. Virtual reality (VR) rooms, metal equipment rooms, 3D printer rooms, and design rooms were very impressive. Ui-Hoon Jung (Business Administration 4) said, "If you have an idea and passion, it's a stage of challenge where everyone can knock on the door." On-site interview with President Min was followed.   Q : I can see the change when I’m actually being in the field.    A : “It's a time when geeks with convergent thinking work. We need to get rid of the partitions. This is the background of abolishment of the regulation of grade limitation for change major and the completion of the credit standards which expand the selection of majors for students starting from this Spring semester. I also told freshmen that, “because I am a college student, choose whatever major you want.” I have a 20% admission limit, but some majors allow 100%. ‘Konkuk University = top of changing major’ is a popular word among high school seniors. "   Q : The important thing is that professors need to change.   A : “Young professors welcome, but senior professors don’t. It's a destructive adjustment, so of course they are not fine. The junior professors come out, and the seniors are responding. ”   Q : How are you planning to record and disclose the lectures of the entire professor?   A : “It's only 10% for now. I will start with a lecture that is in high demand. Students pay the tuition fee and they should be able to listen to the class they want, regardless of their grades. This is the final stage of educational innovation. ”   Even though Konkuk University is speeding up its reforms, brand power remains as a concern. This is especially true in the global sector. “To be a global prestige, you have to be in the top 100 of the world. I am planning to combine AI trends with lectures and research. Jung-Ui Son, the President of Softbank also said AI is the first, second and third. ” Q : What kind of preparation do you have?   A : “We're going to create an AI graduate school next year. The preparatory committee was also in operation. Recruiting professionals is the most important. The government must also actively support. ”   Q : Most university presidents are uncomfortable with government policies, such as tuition and admission. A : “Look at the socialist countries Vietnam and China. Higher education is rapidly growing because the system and goals don't change very well. On the other hand, in Korea, when the minister changes and the regime changes, the policy also changes. They see college as political perspective. I would like to establish a higher education committee and take charge of sustainable policies. Private university regulation and general inspection don't fit in the current trend. ”
 <img width="646" height="360" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;" alt="" src="ArticleFile.do?id=11767596" /> 'Process slowly, decide fast'    President Sanggi Min, a food engineer, likes motorcycles, skiing, and water skiing. Is that so? He has no hesitation and he is speedy. Self-achievement and goals are clear and practical. Even as a young man, and even as a Professor and President. He attended Konkuk University Department of Animal Resources until his sophomore year and left for study in Stuttgart-Hochenheim, Germany, saying, “I will try new challenges”. From 1981 to 1994 he completed his undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies. My dream at that time was to be the CEO of a European global company. I watched the interview with the chairman, but as I kept falling, I changed my career without regret and became a professor at Konkuk University in 1995.    I was rough when I was a professor. In the classroom, discussion was emphasized, and in the laboratory, accuracy and readiness were emphasized. One of the courses, A was offered to a student who stayed for a long time during the one-on-one oral exam. When he became the president, he showed the leadership of embracing and declining on the principle that 'process slowly and decide fast'. His motto is 'No pain, no gain'.   "Why" education in kindergarten is the starting point for talent development, and his 1st bucket list is operation of kindergarten. In 1955, he was born as the eldest son of six siblings in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do.  
This is a translated and edited version of a Joongang Sunday article published on July 20, 2019. 
The original article in Korean is available at
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