Pusan National University (PNU) published a report that shows the university's diversity status at a glance for the first time.

On April 19th, the Diversity Committee of PNU announced the “2022 PNU Diversity Report,” which figured out the diversity status on the campus for the first time. It was produced through a “2022 PNU Diversity Survey” policy research conducted by the Women's Studies Center of PNU. About 50 copies of the published report were distributed to the main departments in PNU, including the Policy Research Team, Office of the President, and Office of the President of Education.

The report consists of the Diversity of university members, the Diversity of university organizations centered on main positions and committees, the organizations related to Diversity on the campus, and the current status of Diversity-related subjects. In the beginning, it showed the background of diversity and defined the concept of diversity in PNU. It then looked at the activities of the existing Diversity Committee, focusing on the diversity environment and awareness of domestic and foreign universities.

According to the report, PNU has problems such as low participation of female faculties in major decision-making bodies and deepening bias in diversity-related subjects by majors. Women faculty members at PNU accounted for 19.8% of all faculty, but their participation rate in major decision-making bodies was 10.5%, which was only half of them. In the case of diversity-related subjects, it was found that there were many in the Humanities & Social Sciences, but there were few in the Natural Sciences & Engineering, Medicine & Pharmacy, and Arts & Physical Education. Currently, there are various liberal arts courses related to diversity, such as Cinema & Multi-Cultural World, Multiculturalism & Immigrants in Korea, and English Literature of Love & Sex.

The Diversity Committee, which was established in January of last year as a presidential advisory body, is an organization designed to create a basis for fair reflection of minorities’ opinions on campus. Currently, there are six domestic universities: PNU, Seoul National University, KAIST, Korea University, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, and Kyungpook National University, where the Diversity Committee has been institutionalized.

Kim In-Sun, a professor at the Women's Studies Center who participated in the publication of the report, said, "It may be a bit late, but I give great significance to the fact that diversity research has begun at PNU, reviewing the situation of our members and conducting surveys on the current status." "With the release of this report, I hope that a practical institution will be created to establish and take full charge of specific plans for realizing diversity values and building cultures," she added.

Reporter Sim Se-Hee

Translated by Kwon Eun-Ji