As the government's 'Creating 10 Seoul Universities (S10)' policy gains momentum, disparities in financial support among regional national universities and the potential for a new hierarchy in higher education have emerged as key issues in the academic community.
National university professors gathered in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, to assess the government's university development policies and discuss strategies for collaborative growth among regional institutions.
The National Association of Public Universities and the Gyeongsang National University faculty held a symposium titled 'Transforming Higher Education: Development Strategies for National and Public Universities' from October 16 to 17 at Gyeongsang National University.
The event, commemorating the 116th anniversary of Gyeongsang National University and the 78th anniversary of its founding, featured participation from faculty leaders of national and public universities, including Seoul National University, Pusan National University, Kyungpook National University, and Chungnam National University.
Participants discussed the government's initiatives, including the 'Creating 10 Seoul Universities' and the '5 Extremes and 3 Specialties' national balanced development policy, focusing on expanding financial support for higher education, enhancing university autonomy, and developing specialization linked to regional strategic industries. Concerns were raised that significant financial support concentrated on a few universities could exacerbate educational and research disparities between regions.
The Ministry of Education selected Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, and Chungnam National University as priority recipients of S10 package support in September. This initiative includes approximately 70 billion won in funding for each university this year, with plans to continue support through 2030.
The government aims to strengthen the competitiveness of nine national universities outside the capital, excluding Seoul National University. However, there are differing opinions on whether concentrating core resources on select universities aligns with the policy's goal of balanced regional development.
In the first presentation on October 16, Lim Jeong-mook, president of the Seoul National University faculty, addressed the need for reform in the higher education system and ecosystem restoration for the development and coexistence of national and public universities. He raised concerns that the existing 'selection and concentration' approach could deepen competition and polarization among universities.
Lim proposed the introduction of a Block Grant system that allows universities to manage budgets autonomously, free from government constraints. He also suggested increasing the regional balanced admission ratio at Seoul National University to over 50% and establishing a joint degree program and shared research facilities among national and public universities.
Lee Kyung-eun, president of the Kyungpook National University faculty, emphasized the need for transparency in the selection process for S10 funding. In a discussion paper, he argued for the disclosure of how selection criteria were reflected in actual evaluations and called for stable funding to maintain educational and research foundations for universities not selected for support.
Lee Yong-jae, president of the Pusan National University faculty, proposed national-level support to reduce educational and research infrastructure disparities among universities, along with the nationwide expansion of the 'PNU Academic Seed 30' model, which encourages faculty to identify research topics and form small research groups.
Jeju National University faculty president Jeong Soo-yeon pointed out that while government financial support programs are expanding, the basic educational environment at universities has not improved sufficiently. She advocated for increased autonomy in budget allocation to address the needs for renovating aging classrooms and laboratories and expanding teaching assistant personnel.
In the third session held on the morning of October 17, Park Sang-sik, president of the Gyeongsang National University faculty, presented on 'The S10 Policy and the Future of National and Public Universities: Issues and Development Strategies.'
While acknowledging that the concentrated support for three universities could facilitate rapid expansion of research capabilities and industry-academia collaboration, Park also highlighted the need for measures to address the widening financial gap among universities, the re-concentration of talent within regions, and the uncertainty of development paths for non-selected universities.
His presentation proposed providing stable basic funding to all nine regional national universities and ensuring direct investment opportunities based on regional strategic industries and each university's educational and research capabilities.
In particular, he argued for a division of roles where Gyeongsang National University strengthens its educational and research capabilities in aerospace and defense, while Pusan National University focuses on shipbuilding and marine sectors.
Park noted that Pusan National University's S10 package support plan encompasses shipbuilding, mechanical systems, and aerospace fields. He pointed out that the region is home to key industries such as Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Aerospace, and Gyeongsang National University has also accumulated educational and research capabilities in aerospace and defense.
Thus, he proposed allocating direct funding for graduate student support and research personnel in aerospace and defense at Gyeongsang National University, while expanding core specialization investments in shipbuilding and marine sectors at Pusan National University. This approach aims to clarify the responsibilities for talent development and prioritize resource allocation based on each university's accumulated expertise, rather than suggesting a reduction in Pusan National University's existing aerospace education or relocating Gyeongsang's shipbuilding industry to Busan.
Additionally, he emphasized the need for collaborative education and research in common technology areas such as AI, materials, propulsion, control, and advanced manufacturing, while ensuring that participating universities retain direct funding and decision-making authority.
Park cautioned against evaluating the success of the S10 policy solely based on the growth of selected universities, stressing the importance of enhancing the educational and research capabilities of all regional national universities and expanding educational opportunities in the region.
Earlier, in the second session on October 16, Lee Jang-hee, president of the Changwon National University faculty, addressed the constitutional significance of the national public university system and the development strategies for national-centered public universities. He warned that excessive reliance on government financial support could undermine university autonomy and called for increased national responsibility for basic operational and research funding for national universities.
Concerns were also raised about the potential erosion of public interest and democratic decision-making during the incorporation and consolidation of national universities. The need for institutionalizing faculty participation in university governance and checks on university presidents was emphasized, highlighting the necessity for legislation on national university law.
Ryu Ji-yeol, president of the Pukyong National University faculty, proposed redefining national-centered public universities as strategic national hubs connecting local talent, industry, research, and public services. He suggested specialization linked to regional industries such as marine and shipbuilding, port logistics, fisheries and environment, and future mobility, along with the establishment of shared research facilities, graduate talent development, and stable multi-year funding support.
Han Sang-wook, executive director of the National Association of Public Universities, expressed concerns in his opening remarks included in the symposium materials that the prioritization of support for certain universities could create a new hierarchy and widen disparities between regions. He asserted that national and public universities should not only point out the issues in government policies but also actively propose directions for higher education innovation.
Meanwhile, the Gyeongsang National University faculty produced a booklet titled 'A Thousand Years of History, Jinju, and Gyeongsang National University' to commemorate the symposium, distributing it to attendees. The booklet includes the history of the Jinju Battle, the practical scholarly spirit of Nammyung Jo Sik, the history of the equity movement, and the educational history of the region from Jinju Agricultural and Forestry School to Gyeongnam National University and Gyeongsang National University.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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