The Seoul Nationwide College campus entrance in Gwanak District, Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Nationwide College
Martin Steinegger, a professor in Seoul Nationwide College’s Division of Organic Sciences
Even at Seoul Nationwide College (SNU) — extensively thought to be Korea’s prime postsecondary establishment — overseas professors say that globalization not often reaches the school ranks, regardless of the college’s broader push towards internationalization.
Whereas worldwide scholar recruitment is accelerating, efforts to draw, combine and assist overseas college lag far behind, with many pointing to entrenched “closed circles” as a serious barrier.
“The Korean system could be very network-driven, and if you’re not a part of the SNU alumni circle, you are usually excluded,” mentioned Martin Steinegger, a professor from Germany within the college’s division of organic sciences.
Uwe Fischer, an affiliate professor in Seoul Nationwide College’s Division of Physics and Astronomy at Seoul Nationwide College
For overseas college who’ve by no means studied or labored in Korea, that barrier could be steep.
“You begin with no community, and that makes it extraordinarily troublesome to even get your footing — as a result of who you recognize is essential for analysis success, grants, collaborations and every little thing,” he added.
Sascha Trippe, a German professor in SNU’s Division of Physics and Astronomy, echoed that the overwhelming majority of SNU’s college continues to be Korean, and lots of are both alumni or have beforehand labored within the college.
On this setting, key administrative processes, e mail communications, college conferences and college governance stay overwhelmingly Korean, limiting overseas professors from absolutely collaborating locally or taking up management roles.
“I needed to affix a school hiring committee, however I used to be solely accepted as soon as and couldn’t proceed,” mentioned Uwe Fischer, a German affiliate professor in SNU’s Division of Physics and Astronomy.
He famous that committee conferences are performed completely in Korean, creating an setting wherein overseas professors wrestle to interact in governance or contribute past analysis and educating.
In comparison with universities in Europe, North America, Singapore or Hong Kong, SNU has very restricted college variety. Most professors are Korean, and lots of are alumni of SNU.
A report launched in July by the college’s variety council discovered that, as of October 2024, 77.5 p.c of SNU’s Korean college members had been alumni of its personal undergraduate program.
The college has 118 full-time overseas professors as of this yr, representing lower than 5 p.c of your entire full-time college. Regardless of years of globalization efforts, that quantity has modified little since 2015, when there have been 104.
Overseas professors famous that even amongst these counted as “worldwide” college, many have Korean ties, corresponding to being Korean American or having Korean dad and mom or grandparents. Because of this, they estimate that the share of professors who’re really non-Korean is nearer to 2 to 2.5 p.c.
They are saying the scenario differs by division, however openings for non-Korean college are largely frozen. A number of professors informed The Korea Occasions that hiring committees nonetheless fill most positions with Korean candidates.
Sascha Trippe, a German professor in Seoul Nationwide College’s Division of Physics and Astronomy
“About 15 years in the past, there was a government-led program that gave universities further assist to create professorships particularly for worldwide hires,” Trippe mentioned. “In my division, two positions had been added. However since then, the pattern has reversed, and people sorts of openings have principally disappeared.”
In such an setting, the shortage of systemic assist from the college makes it even tougher for overseas professors to settle and combine.
This yr, SNU elevated its worldwide affairs division to the higher-level Workplace of Worldwide Affairs (OIA). However there’s nonetheless no equal unit devoted to aiding or managing overseas college members.
“There may be no person for overseas professors,” Fischer mentioned. “If we’ve proposals or want administrative assist, we will solely elevate it on the division stage — and there’s no assure it’s going to ever be addressed or resolved on the college stage.”
John DiMoia, an American professor in Seoul Nationwide College’s Division of Korean Historical past
John DiMoia, an American professor in SNU’s Division of Korean Historical past, identified that what overseas teachers want just isn’t mere translation, however assist in navigating Korean institutional tradition.
“The principle subject is that the system assumes everybody — even those that should not Korean — will suppose and function like a Korean,” he mentioned.
He recalled an expertise whereas signing his contract, when the college requested him to submit fingerprints for a police background examine — one thing directors considered as routine paperwork for an official process, however a startling request to him.
“For me, fingerprinting is related to felony processing and a violation of privateness,” DiMoia mentioned. “It was unusual, and it will have helped to have extra rationalization to grasp the context.”
Housing issues add one other main hurdle to the long-term keep of overseas professors.
The excessive deposits required for long-term leases, coupled with restricted entry to loans and the unfamiliar jeonse system, make securing secure lodging extraordinarily troublesome. Distinctive to Korea, the jeonse system is a rental association the place a tenant pays a big lump-sum deposit to a landlord in lieu of month-to-month hire.
“It means locking up most of your financial savings in a system you don’t perceive — a contract written in Korean, with a landlord you’ve by no means met. It seems like taking an enormous danger,” Fischer mentioned.
SNU does present college housing, which helps newcomers initially. However professors can solely use these lodging for a most of seven years. The college mentioned it has no plans to broaden or add further college residences.
“Latest coverage modifications limiting property purchases by foreigners have made issues even worse, creating extra uncertainty about long-term settlement,” Steinegger mentioned.
“Having a devoted college physique — or perhaps a particular particular person — to assist with these administrative duties from the beginning would make settling in a lot simpler,” he added.
SNU officers informed The Korea Occasions that though there is no such thing as a devoted physique for overseas college, the OIA gives varied assist applications to assist overseas professors settle and regulate to life on campus.
