Foreign professors need right ambience
The "ranking war" between South Korea's universities is about to become more intense, as they try to reach a higher place in domestic and international lists. One aspect of the competitive situation is individual institutions' efforts to invite more foreign professors and attract more foreign students.
As the percentage of foreign instructors out of the total faculty members, and foreign students against the total number of students enrolled in the BA, MA and PhD programs serve as key criteria for the ranking, South Korea's leading universities are increasing international publicity while sending scouts overseas.
Seoul National University recruited 22 foreign instructors in August to increase the number of foreign faculty to about 80, and is planning to raise the total to more than 100 before the next school year. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has set the ambitious goal of having 30 percent of its faculty positions taken up by foreign scholars.
Such moves are welcome in view of the rapidly globalizing trend in higher education around the world. Problems are being exposed, however. One is whether an effective system is in place for South Korean institutions to ensure the recruitment of qualified and dedicated professors, and the other is whether they are ready to accept and fully utilize foreign faculty members in terms of living conditions and classroom environment.
An unfortunate case is reported from Seoul National University where a female American professor, appointed to the department of art history and archaeology with tenured status, returned home after giving lectures for only a month. She is known to have e-mailed to her department chair that she was unable to adapt to the circumstances here, due to her deteriorating health.
This may be an individual problem. But the sudden exit could also indicate serious culture shock or insufficient communication prior to appointment. Surveys revealed that foreign professors feel the greatest frustration from students' generally low English ability, which hampers effective classroom operation.
University authorities need to be aware that tenured professorship and higher pay do not guarantee the retention of qualified scholars here, as they would also be much in demand elsewhere. The key is to get them more involved not only in academic but also in social activities in their university communities, with members "globalizing" their own classrooms and departments first.
The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
(China Daily 10/17/2008 page9)
