On June 18, reporters of CNU Newspaper & Broadcasting Center climbed Mt. Ipam, located on the boundary between southern and northern Jeolla provinces with President Kang Jung-chaee. He loves climbing mountains so much that he joined an Alpine club when he was a university student. While climbing the mountain, he gave an interview to the reporters on current issues, including merging with Yosu University, conflict with GSC and so on. –Ed.

Q: Would you talk about your university life and give us some advice? 

Kang: Before I joined the army, I was just a common student who spent my time aimlessly. After finishing military service, I looked back on what I did during the past two years of university life. However, I could not find any meaningful things, so I felt the need to change. First of all, I set a specific goal and tried to achieve it by not only studying but also extensive reading. What I want to strongly recommend to you is to set a specific goal. Once you spread out your hand, you will find the distance from index finger to little finger is very close. However, if you suppose that the fingers can be extended to the extent that you can imagine and that you look out where the fingertips point, the distance of each finger will become much wider than before to the point where it will not be comparable. My point is that you can make differences and widen your mental horizons by setting goals. Although some students may regard the goal-setting process as unimportant, it will make big differences someday. I am sure that if anybody sets a feasible scheme and then struggles to realize the dream, he or she will be an outstanding person.  

Q: Could you recommend one of the books you read in your university period to CNU students?

Kang: I would like to recommend the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader of the national movement of India. Reading this book, I could learn how to control my mind. In particular, I was so impressed by his goal to drive the British Empire out of India through non-violent resistance activities.

Q: On June 16th, 10 students, leaders of the so-called Democratic Tuition Fee Payment Movement, were expelled from CNU. What is your opinion about this issue?

Kang: To take steps forward, we have to conduct several projects such as the Overseas Language Training Program. For that purpose, we inevitably need more funds. The Main Office proclaimed we would entirely open up to the public the expedience-fund given to the General Students Council (GSC). Besides, we promised to use it for students. However, the GSC has demanded a refund 20,000 won in the form of a Yongbong scholarship. On this point, I would like to ask all CNU students, which is better 20,000 won or the university’s development. I am sure a majority of students will want the latter. I heard that the ten students expelled from CNU were all executive members of GSC but we must follow the university rules. All the members of CNU, including the Main Office and GSC should collaborate to find the best way to bright future. I was very disappointed by the impolite acts of GSC like the illegal occupation of the president’s office.  

Q: With regard to structural reform, could you explain the plans for the merger of CNU and Yosu National University (YNU)?

Kang: Structural reform is an unavoidable trend. As you know, provincial state-run colleges and universities have been under great pressure to merge with one another.

It does not simply mean downsizing of the university and integration of the two universities. The point is this: In spite of the rapidly changing job spectrum, CNU failed to keep up with the changes and cope with them properly and positively. To meet the needs of a changing economy, the Special Structural Reform Committee, operating temporarily, was established as an organization under direct control of the president as of May 23 and extended its functions.

 In terms of integration of CNU and YNU, the restructuring trend was attributable to the poor education system of higher learning institutions and needs to improve them. The merge can be a win-win situation for the universities seeking reduction in the number of duplicate departments and easier specialization. Actually, we interchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with YNU recently and specific conditions are being discussed.        

Q: According to the evaluation of Korea Council of University Education, CNU was ranked low in the section of Local Service Contribution. Do you have effective ways to serve the local community?

Kang: I acknowledge that members of CNU don’t pay much attention to the events that happen outside campus. Contrary to the existing tendency that only learning and teaching is considered to be an important function of university, the society wants CNU to open its doors and make efforts to gather wisdom. To play critical roles as a major state-run provincial university under the slogan of serving the community with a global vision as is expected, we should participate in several committees of this region and push the government to make policies to promote local industries. As for me, I am serving as a co-chairman of the Local Innovation Committee, while finding the methods to develop this region.

Q: Could you tell me your position and countermeasures about pending issues such as corruption or renunciation of Korean nationality of professors for their children?

Kang: As president, I was embarrassed about those issues. Specifically, it is undesirable and shameful in view of moral standards for faculty members of national universities to renounce Korean nationality for their children, even though it is legal. I’ve taken pride in being a member of CNU because I believe it has contributed to the promotion of the democratic movement, social justice and community spirit as a leading organization. In this context, I am so sorry about these matters. I was in sorrow over the people who just followed individualism, ignoring the responsibilities and needs of the times. I think this is a chance to warn people not to pursue just their own benefit and think of their responsibilities as intellectuals. Henceforth, I will keep a sharp lookout to prevent these disgraceful things from happening again.

Q: Seoul National University (SNU) as well as some private universities has opposed the policy of the Ministry of Education & Human Resources (MOE) of adopting medical & dental graduate schools and introducing a new admission scheme. How about CNU?

Kang: We should figure out the phenomenon, not with an absolute opposition of all the policies of MOE, but with an expression of discordance with development-oriented vision of each university. A typical example is about transferring existing medical school to graduate ones. Some universities aren’t attracted because it differs from the existing doctor fostering system and casts doubt on whether it is needed or not to recruit talented students. However, we accepted the policy of MOE because we came to the conclusion it would be in the same direction as seeking ways of honing competitiveness and seeking quality over quantity. It gives many incentives to foster prominent doctors who have a variety of knowledge and to be chosen as a main university of BK21 project or Law School. Because the MOE announced that they would choose the above things together with the graduate school of medical science. The decisive criterion to be selected is whether we follow the policy of MOE or not and that is a matter for the future of our university.

Q: CNU has suggested various employment measures such as industry-academic cooperation, local talent employment and so on. Can you make an assessment of them compared to last year?

Kang: In April, the employment rate increased by 2.4%. We need to look at whether this result is sustainable or not. Currently, we practice all the programs that are shown as effective in other universities. We will analyze the effects of those programs. CNU has conducted not only a job interview prep course, but also industry-academic cooperation with LG Innotek. University and companies select and support graduate students and teach them knowledge and skills required by companies. Right after getting a degree, the students will be employed by relevant businesses. The Main Office will ceaselessly try to help students get a proper job related to the study area they majored in. I want to ask students to do their best, and to have a challenging spirit.

Q: Would you give a well-meant message to CNU members?

Kang: Although our university did its best to improve its image, we haven’t reached the level local citizens desire yet. We should acknowledge it first, and then try to overcome the limitations by keeping in mind that it is just myself who can improve the reality. As a president, I want to spread the cultural campaign that is called ‘giving a big applause to what one did it well, approaching the dubious thing by asking directly, and encouraging and leading them to do well.’ Let me give an example. Suppose there is a student whose basic ability is excellent but who doesn’t make efforts to discipline his or her talents. If a student who is talented does not make an effort, he or she will not only spoil himself or herself, but also waste resources. Students must think over their own future career while learning at university and think about what person they want to be in 20~30 years. I hope you to make a plan for your own life and achieve it through ceaseless efforts. Professors can get great pleasure seeing those passionate students. In addition, I wish all the members of CNU to set their own model and strive to follow it. 

Four hours had passed since we started to go up to the top of the mountain. During the hike, reporters of CNU Newspaper & Broadcasting Center enjoyed a special interview time with President Kang Jung-chaee. Although he remained behind in his work, he gave student reporters an opportunity to talk with him. Henceforth, he will cope with many difficulties in the course of leading CNU to be a top-rated university. To do this, each member of CNU is expected to gather his or her individual capacity into one.