Ajou University held the 10th University Ranking Forum of Korea to explore ways to raise university competitiveness.
The Forum was held on May 17th under the theme “University Rankings and the Competitiveness of Universities,” with Ajou University President Hyung Ju Park, Chairman Young Suk Chi from Elsevier Korea, Tae Wan Kim from QS Korea, and officials from other universities in attendance.
In his greetings, President Park said, “Today, you need more than expertise in a certain field,” adding, “Education on basic knowledge has become more important at universities, and students should develop interdisciplinary connecting minds based on this education.”
He went on to say, “I believe trying something firsthand is more effective than repeatedly observing how others do it,” adding, “Ajou University is fostering talents with more than expertise in their own fields.”
In his keynote speech, Elsevier Korea Chairman Chi used baseball as an example, saying “Baseball is a sport that extensively uses data in recruiting and replacing players, which makes it a Big Data-driven business,” adding, “This suggests that universities should study how to utilize data as necessary.”
He further emphasized, “The criteria for university evaluation will change in the next five years and the ‘substantial influence’ that a university has on society in accomplishing sustainable goals will become important.” He then explained that universities should set long-term directions instead of focusing on short-term results like university rankings and decide on their own areas of specialization.”
Tae Wan Kim (QS Korea), Chang Dana (Elsevier and URFK), Yoon Hee Kang (Clarivate Analytics), Alexandros Papaspyridis (MS Singapore Office), Vice President for PlanningSoon Keon Nam (Kyung Hee University), and Head of the Office of Global Affairs Byong Kwon Kim (Youngsan University) also gave presentations for different sessions during the event.