Goal is set to become a mecca of urban sciences
Published: 18 Sep. 2009, 02:34
Lee Sang-bum
University President Lee Sang-bum said he intends to strengthen the university’s long renowned studies in the area by adding further global research and scholastic exchanges with other prestigious universities.
The university currently conducts joint-research projects with universities located in cities such as in Berlin, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“My first goal is to make the university’s urban studies programs become a hub of urban studies education and research in Asia by nurturing experts,” Lee said. “As a long-term goal, the University of Seoul will become an international mecca of urban science studies.” Established in 1918, UOS has grown into a top Korean university with a specialty in urban studies.
Funded and supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, UOS offers 11 different urban studies programs, including urban administration, urban sociology, architecture, architectural engineering and urban engineering.
UOS is one of three universities in Korea to receive accreditation in architectural education by the Korea Architectural Accrediting Board. The KAAB grants accreditation to universities that meet requirements set by the Switzerland-based International Union of Architects, a renowned nongovernmental organization that encompasses 1.3 million architects in 124 countries.
“UOS provides more international exchange programs for students and professors in urban studies than any other university in Korea,” Lee said. “Since 1996, UOS has hosted an annual international urban sciences conference called Seoul Metropolitan Fora. The university also publishes the International Journal of Urban Sciences.” To nurture urban science leaders who can compete on the global stage, UOS established the Asian Coalition for Architecture and Urbanism. Seven Asian architectural and urban sciences universities participate in the program. “Each university takes turns organizing field trips and workshops for students and faculty members, enabling them to observe other country’s architecture and design styles,” Lee said. “In a separate program, the university also sends urban studies majors to study abroad.”
For example, urban administration majors will start internships at New York City Hall in the United States and Shizuoka Prefecture Government Office in Japan to study and experience policies in advanced cities. Lee, however, stressed that the university has been gradually increasing its scholastic exchanges with foreign universities in other departments. The number of partnerships increased 10-fold to 101 universities in 28 countries since he was appointed as the UOS president in 2003. UOS currently sends 650 students to study abroad annually, and 400 overseas students study at UOS.
The 57-year old president graduated in 1975 from Seoul National University with a degree in business and earned his Ph.D. in business at Columbia University in 1985. Since then, he has served as a business professor at UOS. He became UOS president in 2003 and was reappointed in 2007.
By Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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