Since the ancient Greece, a university has played an important role in conducting research and cultivating people, thereby contributing to the development of society in various fields. While modern universities have improved research efficiency by specialization and a division of labor, such efforts have been criticized for focusing exclusively on specialized education. Critics claim that universities should not only concentrate on complex research, but also need to train talents in order to improve society.
Established in 1946, Seoul National University (hereafter, SNU) is the first national university of Korea and has greatly contributed to Korea’s development and modernization. In the process of Korea’s rapid economic growth, so called “the miracle of Han river”, SNU has played an indispensable role through constant progress and innovation. Lately, SNU presented its future vision in several terms: Globalization, Interdisciplinary, Creativity, Convergence, IT Innovation, Academic-Industrial Collaboration, and Humanistic Education. By discussing the case of SNU, we will be talking about what role university has played in society, how it has changed with time, and what the desirable role of the future university is.
