[KS] Re: Editorial: A Paradise Lost
haechang choung
hcchoung at aks.ac.kr
Fri Nov 6 20:07:30 EST 1998
goodwin wrote:
> The following unsigned Editorial appears in today's Korea Herald. Any
>
> ã11-07-98 : Editorial: A Paradise Lost
>
> ããã Recent statistics show Korean professors published the least
> number of research
> papers in
> ããã international academic journals among the 29 member
> countries of the
> Organization for
> ããã Economic Cooperation and Development. Considering the fair
> size of Korea's
> population
> ããã and the large number of people in the teaching profession,
> in particular, this
> statistic
> ããã indicates relative academic inactivity in this country.
>
> ããã Korea has been long dubbed as a paradise for professors.
> This reputation has
> been
> ããã recognized by professors themselves, who enjoy perhaps the
> highest degree of job
> security
> ããã among all professionals. Retirement age is fixed at 65 by
> the Education Law,
> tenure is
> ããã guaranteed when one is promoted to associate professor, and
> the performance
> appraisal,
> ããã introduced at some institutions, is just a formality in most
> cases. It is
> increasingly difficult
> ããã to find a position at Korea's universities, but once
> employed, you are in for a
> good life
> ããã enhanced with social esteem.
>
> ããã This privileged status is being threatened as the Education
> Ministry, under the
> ããã reform-minded Minister Lee Hai-chan, has drafted revision
> bills for a set of
> education laws
> ããã to introduce the contract system for professors. If the
> amendments are approved
> by the
> ããã National Assembly during the current regular session,
> professors will be
> employed on
> ããã three- to five-year contracts. The pay scale and various
> conditions of the
> contracts will be
> ããã determined on a case-by-case basis. To prevent any possible
> academic
> instability, the new
> ããã system will be implemented in 2002.
>
> ããã But immediate changes are also proposed, such as committees
> that would be
> established at
> ããã all universities to evaluate the performance of each
> professor. The panel would
> check the
> ããã number of research papers produced by each professor and
> evaluate their quality.
> As of
> ããã next year, universities will be required to admit nonalumni
> scholars for more
> than half of
> ããã the positions offered for new recruitment. Thus, the
> Education Ministry is
> trying to break up
> ããã the atmosphere of languor and tradition of parochialism
> prevalent at Korean
> universities.
>
> ããã Nepotism has prevailed in Korea's academic society,
> particularly at the more
> prestigious
> ããã institutions. Professors have been recruited largely through
> personal
> connections and the
> ããã unanimous opinion of the professors in a department is
> essential in making a
> decision. The
> ããã unique tradition has produced the extremely high rate of
> alumni professors in
> Korea's
> ããã leading universities. At Seoul National University (SNU),
> only 0.4 percent of
> its professors
> ããã are recruits from outside, and there can be no parallel in
> the world of such
> extreme
> ããã exclusiveness.
>
> ããã Furthermore, it is simply unthinkable for a well known
> institution in Korea to
> invite a
> ããã non-alumni as its chief administrator. It is an unwritten
> law at SNU to have its
> own
> ããã graduates named as president and all other key academic
> positions. This
> situation is the
> ããã same at Korea, Yonsei and Ewha. Only provincial universities
> and some private
> ããã institutions have opened their doors to nonalumni scholars,
> but this opening is
> narrowing as
> ããã more universities turn to direct election of the president
> by professors. Under
> these
> ããã circumstances, it is easy to understand the absence of
> acceptable levels of
> progress at
> ããã Korean universities.
>
> ããã Universities will develop and academic activities prosper
> only when new ideas
> are freely
> ããã exchanged among institutions of higher learning and among
> professors. Government
>
> ããã initiatives may create momentum for change, but without
> self-renovation by
> professors and
> ããã the boards of school foundations, no reform measures will
> gain expected results
> and
> ããã Korean universities will remain in their present lowly
> status in the academic
> community of
> ããã the world forever.
>
> ããã The state is going to deprive university professors of some
> of their vested
> rights.
> ããã Repercussions are naturally expected from the members of the
> ivory tower who are
> not
> ããã accustomed to rigorous competition and the norm of survival
> of the fittest that
> prevails in
> ããã other sectors. But universities alone cannot be left behind
> in this age of
> reform and
> ããã restructuring. If professors initiate efforts for
> renovation, they will face
> fewer changes
> ããã imposed from the outside.
Dear Goddwin:
I am one of those who have been enjoying the easy-going, no-fault (I
really mean it) academic atmosphere.
Do you really think it is a paradise lost? If you think so, either you
are too naive or too ignorant of the academic practices of Korea. No
doubt these people will find some ways to cope with this so-called
"reform," which might push them around a bit, if successful. It is
almost customary that newly appointed Education Minister propose some
"new" policies, which usuallyã turn out to be "old girls" in new
dresses later.ã Minister Lee seems to be a strong-willed,
reform-minded man of rationality. However, considering the longstanding
practices of academic society andã the general mentality of
academicians in Korea, I am very skeptical of his plans. If he succeeds,
Korea, really, will become a "paradise" for hardworking professors.
I am a bit pressed for time now. Please keep in touch.
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