[Meet the President] SeoulTech makes the Korean university experience affordable and approachable

K-campus

Published: 02 Mar. 2023, 13:55 Updated: 04 Mar. 2023, 02:23

[Meet the President] SeoulTech makes the Korean university experience affordable and approachable

Lee Dong-hoon, president of Seoul National University of Science & Technology, hopes to create more opportunities for international students to land jobs in Korea after graduation. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Seoul National University of Science & Technology, also known as SeoulTech, is one of the very few four-year national universities in the capital, and its tuition is less than half that of private universities, said Lee Dong-hoon, the school’s president. Lee was quick to point out his university's merit as he sat down for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily last month in his office in Nowon District, northern Seoul.

“Despite our name, SeoulTech isn’t all about science, technology and engineering,” said Lee. “We have academic programs in business administration, English language and literature, creative writing, public administration and art and design. Next year, we are hoping to establish an International College for international students only.”

During the conversation, Lee explained how Seoul National University of Science & Technology was trying to help its international students land jobs in Korea after graduating and how foreigners can enjoy affordable, high-quality education at the school.

The following are excerpts from the interview.

Q. How would you like to introduce SeoulTech to prospective international students?
A. Seoul National University of Science & Technology has a very long history of 113 years. Last year, it was ranked 16th on the JoongAng Ilbo’s college rankings [of nationwide four-year comprehensive universities] and topped the list of the best national universities. We have nine colleges in a wide range of fields and nearly 1,000 international students enrolled. Two years ago, we established the College of Creativity and Convergence Studies to foster talents in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and future energy.

Marc H. Meyer, a professor at Northeastern University, teaches Kouksundo, a traditional Korean mind-body practice that involves mediation, to international students at SeoulTech last November during a special program on mindfulness. [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY]

How would you say your school is different from other universities?
It’s part of our globalization strategy to provide educational services that help international students with career development so they can stably work at a Korean company after graduation. While some international students wish to find a decent job in their home country after finishing their studies at SeoulTech, it’s come to my understanding that many students actually want to stay in Korea and work at a domestic company. So we’re trying to help the latter group of students adapt to Korean corporate culture and make full use of their abilities. For instance, we offer entrepreneurship programs for students who wish to start their own businesses and a Korean language course that specifically trains students for the type of technical Korean they may encounter while working with Koreans.

“Root Bench,” a park installation created by Lee Yong-ju, an architecture professor at SeoulTech, and winner of the 2020 German iF Design Award, one of the most prestigious design awards in the world [YONG JU LEE ARCHITECTURE]

What do you mean by technical Korean?
When international students participate in an internship or a field training program at a Korean company, which opportunities we’re trying to increase, they’re exposed to technical Korean terms they may have never learned about during their ordinary Korean learning classes. By teaching them technical terms before they join those opportunities, we’re hoping they would have an easier time getting used to work during the three to six months they’re away from school. It’s difficult enough dealing with cultural differences.

An aerial view of the Boongeobang Pond at SeoulTech’s campus in Nowon District, northern Seoul [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY]

Earlier, you mentioned an international college solely for foreigners. Can you elaborate on that?
Next year, we hope to establish an international college only attended by foreign students. Two majors we currently have in mind are the Korean language and culture education major, which will train international students wishing to become Korean teachers, and the K-culture and technology major, which will foster Korean cultural content experts.

Vietnamese students in Korea play football during a sports festival organized by SeoulTech last year in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Vietnam. [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY]

What benefits are offered to international students at SeoulTech?
We have cheap tuition, modern dorms, a spacious and beautiful campus and offer many scholarships. Korean cultural programs are offered to international students who wish to experience Korean culture or visit cultural sites. Movie nights, picnics and sports days are organized by the university for international students who want to meet and mingle with fellow foreigners. For those who have difficulty understanding Korean, there are Korean language classes available each semester, plus more than 150 courses that are taught entirely in English. There are even on-campus counseling services exclusively for international students, and the International Student Club that protects and promotes the rights and interests of foreign students. The International Affairs Office helps with administrative and financial matters on student activities. The Business Administration Department, which has the highest number of international students in the university, runs what we call the AMS program for freshmen and sophomores to help them settle down in Korea.

What’s AMS?
AMS stands for Asian Management Studies. During the first two years, international students take separate classes and are paired with Korean student mentors who help them with their studies. They then take classes with Korean students from their junior year, which system allows for a smooth transition into a Korean classroom. AMS is a very popular program among international students.

What goals does SeoulTech have going forward?
We hope to break into the country’s top 10 universities on college rankings, and to this end, improve our educational services by building better infrastructure and hiring talented faculty members. Our goal is to help students grow into leaders who go on to change the world, and heroes who go on to solve the world’s critical issues.

A SeoulTech student demonstrates a robotic hand he developed at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, California. [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY]

What advice do you have for foreigners planning to study in Korea one day?
Study Korean and English. If you’re good in either language, you wouldn’t have much trouble studying at SeoulTech because so many English-language courses are offered every semester here. There’s really no difference between a Korean student and an international student once international students nail Korean or English. Once you’re comfortable in either language, I suggest learning Korean culture, but no need to worry too much about that because you can start learning about culture after you get here.

What qualities do you look for in an international student?
SeoulTech is looking for students who know their values, their weaknesses and core competence, students who have really specific plans as to how they will contribute to society. These types of students have so much growth potential.

The entrance of SeoulTech [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY]

President’s bio

Lee Dong-hoon is the 12th president of Seoul National University of Science & Technology. His four-year term began in November 2019. He has taught mechanical and automotive engineering at the university since 1995.

Lee is currently the chairman of the board of directors at Seoul Technopark and previously was head of the Korean Society for Urban Railway.

He earned his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Seoul National University of Science & Technology and his Ph.D. in the same field from Soongsil University.

About the university

Name
Seoul National University of Science & Technology

Type
National

Established
April 15, 1910

English slogan
Our Dream, Your Future

Location
Nowon District, northern Seoul

Campus size
504,922 square meters (124.77 acres)

Undergraduate colleges and departments
Colleges: 9
Schools and departments: 34

Graduate schools
6

Students (2021)
Undergraduates: 12,637
Postgraduates: 1,552
Total: 14,189

Full-time academic staff (2022)
404

Administrative staff (2021)
421

Employment rate (2021)
67.2 percent

English website
en.seoultech.ac.kr

International students

Number of students (2022)
Undergraduates: 443
Postgraduates:274
Short-term students (language learning, exchange program, etc.): 259
Total: 976

By country
Vietnam 20 percent
Mongolia 15 percent
China and Hong Kong 11 percent
Uzbekistan 10 percent
Other 44 percent (64 countries)

Department with the most international students (2022)
Department of Business Administration

Dormitory acceptance rate (2022)
All international students are eligible to live on campus.

Average tuition of self-funded undergraduate students per semester (2023)
2.5 million won ($1,900)

Website of the International Affairs Office
global.seoultech.ac.kr

Instagram of the International Affairs Office
@seoultech_internationalaffairs

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]