College of Seoul President Received Yong-kul speaks throughout an interview with The Korea Instances on the college’s most important constructing in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Sept. 26. Korea Instances picture by Shim Hyun-chul
The College of Seoul has gained worldwide recognition in city science, a area protecting metropolis planning, transportation, environmental techniques and digital mobility.
Its energy lies not in scale however in targeted experience and a sustained file of contributions to city coverage and training that stretch far past Korea.
“Our college is the nation’s solely four-year public college supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities and the primary in Korea to specialise in city science,” mentioned College of Seoul President Received Yong-kul, throughout an interview with The Korea Instances.
“We intention to perform as a suppose tank that helps remedy the city challenges confronted by a world metropolis like Seoul, whereas serving as a core instructional and analysis establishment that drives the town’s development in high-tech fields.”
Received highlighted that though the dimensions of the college is comparatively small, its duty ought to not be confined solely to Korea.
“We should perceive numerous cultures, embrace inclusiveness and contribute to the worldwide group as a developed nation,” he mentioned, underscoring the college’s worldwide outlook.
Whereas the college has traditionally been cautious in recruiting international college students, Received acknowledged the necessity to shift towards a extra globally engaged campus. Korea, he argued, ought to give again to the worldwide group, and universities should play a job in that effort by getting ready college students to work together throughout borders.
“College students should study to know, settle for and work with folks from completely different backgrounds,” he mentioned, describing this as a type of cultural inclusiveness that permits them to combine naturally into numerous environments.
College students focus on analysis in a collaborative synthetic intelligence workspace devoted to city science and massive knowledge on the College of Seoul. Courtesy of College of Seoul
On the core of Received’s imaginative and prescient is the college’s defining energy: addressing actual city challenges.
As Korea’s first establishment specializing in city science, the college has lengthy educated the civil servants, planners and technical specialists who maintain one of many world’s most complicated megacities operating.
Its School of City Science — one of many largest of its sort within the nation — brings collectively departments in city administration, planning, environmental science, transportation, structure and spatial info. The college additionally serves as a coverage engine for the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities, engaged on points from infrastructure and mobility to environmental sustainability and fairness.
Assured in its standing as one of many world’s main establishments in city science, the College of Seoul has turned that experience right into a pillar of its international engagement. A key instance is the Worldwide Faculty of City Sciences (ISUS), created to domesticate professionals who can sort out city challenges on a world scale.
Established in 2012, ISUS brings authorities officers from growing international locations to Seoul for graduate-level coaching. This system nurtures specialists in abroad city improvement and infrastructure, shares Korea’s improvement expertise and connects home and worldwide specialists by sustained skilled networks.
By means of 4 grasp’s applications, the initiative has welcomed officers from greater than 70 international locations, producing over 600 graduates up to now.
“We frequently see graduates return with senior colleagues — generally even deputy ministers — after listening to, ‘My life modified right here,’” Received mentioned. “For a lot of of them, the expertise is transformative.”
Contributors from the Worldwide Faculty of City Sciences pose throughout the International Pals Evening occasion on the College of Seoul campus in Dongdaemun District, Aug. 21. Courtesy of College of Seoul
On the analysis entrance, the college can be increasing its worldwide partnerships, collaborating with main students in city, environmental and architectural fields.
In 2024, the college’s transportation engineering division hosted world-renowned specialists in good mobility and concrete transport techniques as a part of its BrainLink initiative. This system introduced high researchers to Korea to trade findings, share long-term visions and strengthen worldwide cooperation geared toward driving technological innovation.
Received understands that specialization alone won’t safe the college’s future. City science, he mentioned, should evolve past conventional planning and infrastructure towards convergence with rising applied sciences.
“We can’t survive as a college if we don’t combine with superior know-how,” he mentioned. “AI, semiconductors, mobility and supplies science should merge with city techniques.”
Members of GLOW, the College of Seoul’s worldwide scholar ambassador crew, pose in entrance of the college signal. Courtesy of College of Seoul
Consistent with that method, the college has expanded its college in high-tech disciplines. Since Received took workplace, the college has employed 22 tenure-track professors throughout synthetic intelligence, next-generation semiconductors, superior supplies and knowledge science.
The campus itself can be being reshaped to help that agenda. The College of Seoul is advancing a high-density redevelopment of its most important campus and constructing new worldwide residence halls to accommodate future cohorts of international college students and researchers.
Received emphasised that the college runs a spread of applications led by its Workplace of Worldwide Affairs to draw high-caliber expertise.
“We choose companion universities based mostly on shared pursuits that differ by area, whereas introducing separate initiatives designed to recruit excellent international college students,” he mentioned.
European establishments, he famous, have a tendency to point out sturdy demand for trade and visiting scholar applications. North American companions are extra concerned with college analysis exchanges and dual-degree alternatives. In the meantime, college students from East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia — given geographic proximity — ceaselessly apply to the college for Korean language applications and undergraduate or graduate admission.
To additional increase worldwide graduate enrollment, the college has launched new initiatives. Professors journey abroad, introduce their departments and conduct interviews on-site to instantly recruit graduate candidates.
One other newly established initiative is the worldwide analysis internship program, which invitations third- and fourth-year undergraduate college students from abroad universities to spend a semester or trip interval working within the college’s analysis labs or affiliated institutes.
Regardless of the college’s analysis strengths and worldwide applications, Received pressured that authenticity issues most. Past techniques and partnerships, he mentioned, internationalization should be backed by real care for college students.
The college operates a strengthened one-stop help framework for international college students, designed to reply to their wants throughout their complete educational journey. To offer extra personalised help, the college runs a International Assist Middle, the place devoted workers can be found to deal with administrative questions, educational points and daily-life issues in actual time.
“What’s vital is that college students really feel we’re sincerely serving to them with no matter they should settle right here, give attention to their research and construct a secure life,” Received mentioned.
