Pusan National University (PNU), which has been only pre-designated in Busan in the government’s “Glocal University 30” project (reported by “Channel PNU” on June 21st, 2023), revealed its ambitious goal of becoming a southern Seoul National University, presenting core strategies of the designation plan. The plan outlines several strategies, which are hot issues both nationally and internationally: the establishment of a comprehensive teacher training system, breaking down barriers between academic disciplines, and fostering Edu-Tech businesses.

On September 20th, PNU held an informational session titled “Briefing on the Glocal University Final Designation Plan in 2023” at the PNU main administration building. This event was held to gather opinions from business interests involved in the Glocal University project as PNU will submit the complete designation plan on October 6th. During the session, PNU President Cha Jeong-In and Jang Deok-Hyeon (Dean, Office of Strategic Planning) discussed three significant strategies for PNU to be designated as a Glocal University. They also explained the nine overarching strategic tasks and 27 detailed implementation tasks associated with these strategies. Approximately 100 participants attended the event, including PNU President Cha, PNU staffs, officers in Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education (BMCOE), Busan National University of Education (BNUE) President Park Soo-Jah and staff, to work on the integration with PNU. Around 150 viewers watched the YouTube livestream.

■By 2027, PNU and BNUE Will Merge

Summarizing the presentation, PNU aims to achieve integration with BNUE by 2027. Mutual restrictions on double majors between the College of Education of PNU and BNUE will be formalized in the designation plan, as well as in integration agreements and school regulations. PNU President Cha emphasized that there won’t be any concerns about compromising the independence and expertise of elementary education faculty due to the integration. He stated, "There will be no interference in the unique curricula of each university. The expertise of BNUE will be enhanced and enriched as a result of joining a comprehensive university."

However, student opposition remains an ongoing challenge. During the event, President Bang In-Sung (Dept. of Ethics Education, 21) of BNUE Emergency Planning Committee revealed that approximately 70% of BNUE students who participated in a survey they conducted still oppose the integration. In response, Dean Jang mentioned, "Communication with BNUE students has its limitations because they are still students of a different university. We will request BNUE to share all information with their students and engage in communication."

Opposition of PNU students is also a problem. In a survey conducted from September 7th to 8th, undergraduate student opposition reached 63.5% (reported by “Channel PNU” on September 14th). When asked about this issue, Dean Jang responded, "After the briefing, we will collect opinions on the Glocal University project online. Since there is still time until the actual integration, we will strive to align the perspectives of students from both universities based on the opinions provided." PNU President Cha said that PNU has gone through 91 rounds of opinion gathering regarding the Glocal University project. (Expansion TF: PNU, BNUE and BMCOE-12 times, PNU Innovation TF-53 times, BNUE TF-12 times and Office of Strategic Planning↔College of Education-17 times)

■Designing Competencies for a University Life Without Empty Spaces

During the briefing, plans were unveiled to establish a "Pentomino-style Education System" for flexible curriculum development. Similar to solving a pentomino puzzle, where various pieces are placed on a board without empty spaces, this system allows students to design their competencies by reorganizing the educational curriculum in multiple ways. In line with this, PNU is planning various changes, including establishing an AI-based major education design center, a leap semester system, and a redesign of graduation certificates.

Furthermore, the diploma will be changed to effectively show students’ competencies designed by themselves. Instead of the traditional format that only displays students’ majors and minors, the diploma will transition to a “skills report format,” showcasing curriculums, extracurricular courses, general electives, and overseas study, all designed to demonstrate each individual's competencies effectively.

As part of breaking down barriers between academic disciplines, PNU will also provide interdisciplinary education opportunities. For instance, subjects that cannot be covered within a single department, such as "Digital Humanities," will be addressed at the level of the College of Humanities. PNU explained that this approach will enable students to experience interdisciplinary education through various departments.

■Give Back to Local Communities Based on Education

Efforts are underway to promote the growth of local communities based on education. PNU is planning to operate contract departments that guarantee employment to local talents as they get into the departments. Dean Jang stated, "Efforts are being made to establish departments linked to employment in defense industries and semiconductors within the duration of the Glocal University project. Developing talent connected to local strategic industries is what we excel at, and we plan to continue these efforts."

Simultaneously, advanced fields in medical and life sciences and the bio sector, including veterinary college, will be stacked in the Yangsan campus. These units, which have different affiliations, will form research groups and establish a graduate school as a convergence science and technology Institute at the Yangsan campus. Additionally, to build a clinical trial network, PNU will collaborate with hospitals, dental hospitals, and traditional Korean medicine hospitals of PNU and establish a Glocal Clinical Practice Center. Dean Jang said “Yangsan campus is a valuable asset that guarantees the best chances. If the establishment of a veterinary college, which PNU currently pursues, is realized, the Yangsan campus will become an unparalleled campus worldwide in the fields of medicine, life, and bio-health, including zoonosis."

PNU plans to move beyond a campus focused solely on education and research to establish a system of collaboration with industry and local government by opening up its accumulated assets to the local community. To share the university's achievements with the local community, PNU will make a regional joint technical commercialization organization and relocate the lifelong education center to the Yeonje campus to create a premium local lifelong education brand. Moreover, PNU has set a long-term goal to build a network of Industry-academic collaborations with Edu-Tech companies and cultivate Busan as a global Edu-Tech hub.

During the briefing, some criticized that the current Glocal University project is overly focused on the integration and industry-academic cooperation programs. Kim Jeong-Goo (Prof. of Information and Computer Engineering, PNU), the Dean of the Faculty Council, questioned, "PNU is a leading national university, and we need to improve competence in basic studies such as humanities, but it seems like it lacks the basic studies." Lee Jun-Gyu (Prof. of Korean Literature In Chinese Characters, PNU), the Dean of the College of Humanities, commented, "This briefing appears to have a utilitarian aspect. While it may produce students who can contribute to the industrialization of Busan, it raises doubts about whether we can nurture students with intelligence about what it means to be human." Dean Jang responded, "We will find ways to support the basic disciplines and humanities fields to achieve synergy with the National University Development Project."

Reporter Jeong Da-Min

Translated by Ha Chae-Won