Professor Kim Yong-hak Elected 18^th President of Yonsei

Four-Year Term Begins February 1

Sociology Professor Kim Yong-hak has been elected Yonsei’s eighteenth president; his four-year term will begin on February 1. At a December 21 press conference, President-Elect Kim spoke of his feelings upon being elected: “The joy is short-lived,” he said, noting the hard work that is in front him. He continued: “I have many thoughts on the role that Yonsei University should play in today’s society and what society demands from the university, especially as Yonsei has been at the forefront of modernization in Korea since its establishment.” Overall, his main goal is to have “Yonsei University provide a strong philosophy and firm foundation for today’s centerless society.”     

Building a Predictable Admissions System, Diversifying Fund Raising

During the question and answer session, President-Elect Kim addressed the university’s admissions process, stating that he agrees with the Ministry of Education’s efforts to reduce the reliance of high school students upon private cram-schools, while emphasizing that Yonsei’s own process “must be predictable and consistent.” He said, however, that he is “uneasy about abolishing the essay-writing system that is currently in place for Yonsei applicants,” indicating that it will remain in effect for the foreseeable future.

President-Elect Kim also highlighted his plans for fund raising, which include a 400 billion won development fund. One of his key ideas is to have Yonsei lend its patents to companies, becoming something like a patent bank and earning money by way of commissions. Other ways of “diversifying fundraising,” he said, “could include pension contributions and property donations.” At the same time, he stressed the need to enhance Yonsei’s Nobel Fund, which is designed to foster future Nobel Prize winners from the university.  

Creating Overseas Employment Support Network, Qualitative Evaluation of Faculty Research

President-Elect Kim laid out his plans for supporting startup businesses and creating an international alumni network to help Yonsei graduates find well-paying jobs overseas. Turning to the evaluation of Yonsei faculty members, he said that the current method is overly-quantitative, based upon the number of articles published. His belief is that faculty research should be evaluated qualitatively; as such, the evaluation process will take into consideration the quality of the journal published in and the number of times an article is cited in other articles. 

A University That People Respect 

To promote strong development throughout the university, President-Elect Kim emphasized the need for administrators, deans, and department chairs to work together in an integrated system. In closing, he said: “I hope that Yonsei University becomes a university that people respect, a university that is respected, by demonstrating unity through mutual respect and sharing the spirit of our founders.”