Kookmin University (http://www. kookmin.ac.kr), which has attracted attention by developing programs that meet or exceed the highest national standards in the fields of design, automotive engineering, techno-design, law and various other disciplines, is aiming to gain attention on the world stage as a center of excellence in higher education through which it intends to nurture global citizens of the 21st century. The University launched its eap2000 project in late March 1999 that comprised the implementation of its development strategy as well as practical strategies to drive educational reform more systematically. Subsequently, the Kookmin University formulated its eap2010 project to pursue the following: * Building university identity as well as image establishment * Fostering a productive research environment * Establishing a differentiated education system * Constructing a user-friendly campus * Innovating a service-oriented administration, and putting programs in place to nurture specialized talent.

university president Kim Moon-Hwan LL.D

In a special interview with The Korea IT Times on Kookmin University middle and long-term vision, university president Kim Moon-Hwan LL.D points out it is specifically worth noticing that the University is becoming a world-level IT specialized education/research institution through a variety of IT education programs. The University IT nurturing strategy is being conducted under its full budgetary support. In addition, Kookmin University is seeking financial support from various government bodies, Mr. Kim said. The University has undertaken 8 government-supported IT projects since 2001. On the controversial topic that the government research grants are concentrated on several first-class universities such as Seoul National, Korea, Yonsei, and Ehwa Women University, Mr. Kim claimed that the government research support should be distributed evenly. The university president also points out that it is more important to enrich the substance in education than to pursue internationalization. In that regard, Kookmin University has recently made great strides in terms of its qualitative development. Right now, it has a teaching staff of 341, some 200 of which hold doctorates from U.S. universities. Kookmin University has received top-rankings assessments by external institutions. They include * Excellence in design education: from the Korean Council for University Education, (2001) * Distinguished education in construction system engineering and mathematics; from the Korean Council for University Education (2001) * Delivery of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) e-business graduate school support project; business IT, management graduate school (2002), * Advanced educational reform; acknowledged by the Ministry of Education & Human Resource Development (2002) * IT Department curriculum reorganization project (2004); received superior assessment by the Korean Council for University Education with particular reference to impact on mechanics, auto engineering department, journalism departments (2004) Because of its demonstrably high standards, the rate of employment for Kookmin University graduates is high. These and other topics are addressed in the interview below. Q: We understand you are stressing that it is more important to enrich substance, rather than pursue internationalization in university education. What are Kookmin University plans in this respect A: Our University, which has the 6th largest student body among private universities in Seoul, is striving to produce graduates who can contribute to social development rather than producing many graduates. Particularly, Kookmin University is concentrating on nurturing talent through educational-industrial cooperation, internships, and so forth. What more important is that we are exerting ourselves to get the best out of human nature, if you will, through our 3-C program to produce global citizens equipped with creativity and leadership capability. 3C stands for Confidence in an individual and in university development to establish an identity for the university; Competence, to cultivate both an individual and a university capacity to the maximum; and Challenge, to achieve by reaching new developmental goals ceaselessly. Kookmin University applies this program to the formulation of its curricula. Q: How is Kookmin University assessed from the outside A: To give you an idea of how we are assessed, our University receives government support to the value of 4.2 billion won to help develop Ubiquitous IT systems and spur synergy between design and IT. In the field of cooperation between industry and the academic world, Alias Systems, famous for its special computer effects donated its tudio Tools program worth 7.5 billion won to Kookmin University. In addition, Sweden Opticore Software donated its pus Realizer Pro, 3D program, worth 2.1 billion won to us, which we are utilizing in the fields of construction, mechanics engineering and auto engineering. Thanks to these educational tools, our University law school and design capability have been recognized for their excellence in 1999 and in 2001, respectively, by the Korean Council for University Education. Moreover, our construction department in 1999, electronic engineering department in 2000, construction system engineering department in 2002, and mathematics department in 2002 were selected as superior colleges by the Korean Council for University Education. Also, the Council acknowledged our mechanical engineering graduate school as the most excellent in its field. Q: Would you explain from a user-perspective how you intend to differentiate Kookmin University A: Wee building curricula according to students needs, through Internet-based lecture assessment and student opinion surveys on curriculum reorganization. Further, to reflect student opinions in school policy, Kookmin University operates the Bookak Development Committee, which composed of representatives from students and the faculty. We are confident that the new educational paradigm we have constructed will generate synergy and integrate overlapping functions. Q: What are the goals of your eap2010 project A: To win top ranking domestically in 5 to 6 fields as well as at world level in 2 to 3 fields, Kookmin University aims at differentiating itself from other universities, speeding its specialization drive, attracting academics who are the best in their field, as well as having a service-oriented mindset. Since improvements in performances are appearing slowly, we are expecting that Kookmin University will achieve top-ranked status at home by 2008 to 2010. Q: Could you elaborate on initiatives that Kookmin University has been involved in such as the IT human resource development project, and the Brain Korea 21 project A: In the Brain Korea 21 project, our University was supported by state subvention worth 14.4 billion. In addition, with a view to boosting the domestic IT industry international competitiveness through enhancing its creativity, Kookmin University received state subventions totaling 1.8 billion won from the Ministry of Information & Communication (MIC) and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) over four years. In particular, our Business IT Special Graduate School has been selected as an IT intern support business by MIC, and a partner in MOCIE e-business graduate school manpower capacity building cooperative project between industry and academia over three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004. The students who participated in these projects as were subsequently employed by foreign multinational IT companies such as SAP Korea, KPMG, ASPN or by large corporations including Samsung SDS, LG CNS, CJ Systems, and Korea Computerization Agency. I might say that Kookmin University is justly proud of the high rate of employment that its graduates have attained. Also, our University ntelligent-model home construction center will be supported by MOCIE to the sum of 6.7 billion won over the next 5 years, as part of a national policy project. Q: Could you summarize Kookmin University Brain Korea 21 (BK21) project, large-scale national-policy research, and the present status of cooperation between the University and industry A: From 1999 to 2004, the Brain Korea 21 project specialization field and core field were supported by grants of 11 billion won and 3.3 billion won, respectively. MIC supported Kookmin University with 1.8 billion won in special funding to nurture IT human resources and with 6.4 billion won to finance a leading IT base technology development project. What more, Kookmin was cited for having a superior level of educational reform (the result of 600 million won in support from the education ministry) and was funded to the sum of 4.2 billion won to implement a differentiation support project by the same ministry. Ie already mentioned the software donations by Alias of the U.S. and Opticore Software of Sweden as examples of cooperation with industry. Q: We understand that Kookmin University is putting great emphasis on differentiation and specialization in regard to the education it offers. Could you elaborate A: Our University is pursuing an open university system with an ever-deepening emphasis on specialization. At the same time, we are restructuring our curricula to meet the evolving needs of the society. To this end we are devoting a raft of efforts to constructing cutting-edge education environment that includes an e-lecture room, screening support system, wireless Internet, and multimedia library. To broaden the scope of specialized, practical education we offer, our University is implementing an IT field Intern system with the support of MIC, and introducing an exchange education system with special institutions at home and abroad. In fact we now have links with 24 overseas universities including University of British Columbia, Pennsylvania State University, and Santa Clara University. Our University law college has a special relationship with the Law School of Santa Clara in the United States. It has long had a Korean law program that includes Korean law, history, and economy and has been held for 60 hours over three weeks in Seoul for American students since 1994. Q: How are your University efforts to form a performance-oriented research environment coming along A: Our University efforts in this regard are indicated by a raft of cooperative projects we have undertaken. They include the e-Business graduate school support project in conjunction with MOCIE, IT field human resource capacity building project with MIC, and the BK21 project. With the view of creating a new university experience, we are doing our utmost to create an innovative, service-oriented administration and an environmentally and user-friendly campus.