Oh Se-jung, the former president of Seoul National University, emphasized the need to overcome the inherent limitations of the current four-year term in order to achieve long-term innovation and significant financial expansion for the university. His comments come as both the current presidents of Seoul National University and Korea University are expected to seek re-election early next year.
In a phone interview with Aju Economy on August 2, Oh explained the rationale behind easing restrictions on presidential re-election during his tenure and the impact of re-election leadership on higher education. Previously, Seoul National University had a rule requiring presidents to resign six months before their term ended to run for re-election, effectively limiting incumbents. However, Oh revised this rule to establish a framework for re-election, accepting the controversy surrounding the 'incumbent premium.'
The primary reason for changing the re-election rules, according to Oh, was to ensure 'policy consistency' and 'continuity of reform.' He stated, "To implement meaningful reforms, four years is often insufficient. You need to keep following through, but with a four-year term, changes can occur, and new leadership can shift the direction again."
In practice, university presidents in South Korea spend the first year understanding their roles and preparing budgets, leaving only about two years for actual work before entering a 'lame duck' phase in the final year, making it difficult to implement significant changes.
Oh remarked, "I believed that re-election was necessary to meaningfully change and reform the university, which is why I changed the system. The mere possibility of re-election is quite significant." He also referenced his experience in extending deans' terms from two to four years and introducing a re-appointment voting system. He argued that shorter terms lead to a mindset among members that they can simply 'wait it out,' while the potential for long-term leadership significantly alters their engagement and response to reforms.
He pointed out that long-term leadership is essential for competing with global elite universities. "In the U.S., there is essentially no term limit for presidents, allowing them to think long-term about their initiatives," he explained. He humorously noted that while Harvard University has a history nearly 400 years longer than Seoul National University, the number of presidents may be similar or even greater at Seoul National University, highlighting the issue of frequent leadership changes. He specifically mentioned Arizona State University, known for its innovative changes, where President Michael Crow has served for over 20 years, allowing for consistent and coherent transformation.
Long-term leadership is also closely tied to fundraising efforts, which are crucial for a university's survival. Oh stated, "While small donations can be secured quickly, attracting large donations requires ongoing alignment with what donors want and how the university will change. If a president serves only four years, the process can be interrupted, making it challenging. Long-term engagement is beneficial for fundraising as well."
While the barriers to re-election have been lifted, Oh firmly opposed unconditional long-term leadership. He stressed that successful re-election must be supported by a clear vision and the trust of the university community.
"There must be specific goals to pursue; it cannot just be about wanting to serve another term," he pointed out. He added, "If I have made progress over four years but still have unfinished business, I need a clear rationale and justification for continuing. Long-term plans must be established, and there should be compelling reasons for extending policies that have not yet been fully implemented."
Given that there have been no re-elections at Seoul National University since the 1970s, Oh advised that thorough logical development is essential to gain the support of the university community. He noted, "Since Seoul National University has not had re-elections for so long, this upcoming challenge will feel exceptional to the members, and there must be sufficient reasoning and justification for it."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.