Leading in ICT education
Sejong Univ. ranks among Asia’s top 1% schools
All universities in Korea must become globalized to compete on a global platform and to attract talented foreigners.
Sejong University is transforming itself into a leading ICT educational institution.
In 2014, it became the nation’s first university to make coding classes mandatory for all incoming students. It was subsequently selected by the government as an exemplary school in software education.
This year, it hosted the nation’s first competitions between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in translation and Starcraft.
Sejong ranked in the top 1 percent of universities in Asia in the 2017 Asia University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released last month.
ICT education
Sejong University was originally known for its hotel and tourism department, which was the first to be established among universities here.
However, after Shin Koo became the president of the university in 2012, he decided a makeover was needed.
“I decided that the university needed to keep up with changing global trends and envisioned providing ICT-based education for all majors,” Shin said in an interview with The Korea Times on the Sejong campus in southeastern Seoul last week.
This is how mandatory coding classes began.
In 2014, the university began teaching the classes through a pre-entry program.
Based on these efforts, the government recognized the university as a model software education institution.
Sejong has established a Software and Convergence Technology College, offering computer engineering, computer information security, software and data science majors.
Beginning last year, it has become compulsory to take six credits in coding classes, up from three. Students are required to use their skills to develop something of their own, whether it be an application or a game.
The government selected Sejong to receive subsidies as a university ICT research center. Its mobile virtual reality (VR) research center has made global patent applications, won global challenges and received awards in ICT paper contests.
On Tuesday, Sejong hosted a StarCraft competition between human players and top AI programs, which professional gamer Song Byung-gu won.
Among the competing AI programs was one developed by Sejong, MJ-bot — the no. 2 StarCraft AI in Korea developed by professor Kim Kyung-joon’s research team.
Sejong has been hosting AI vs AI StarCraft matches since 2014.
Since 2009, the school has been offering game AI classes in courses for seniors, offering them the opportunity to develop AI technology.
Shin attributes the school’s focus on ICT education with the achievements by the students. Sejong’s undergraduate students placed second for three consecutive years in a global Fighting Game AI Competition.
In February, the university hosted a translation battle between human translators and AI-powered programs.
“We pay 200 million won in electric bills a month,” Shin said, laughing.
Globalization
Universities in Korea face an increasingly tough environment, due to heightened competition both on the national and international platforms.
Due to the low birth rate, the student population is decreasing, which means many universities will have to close — with only the most competitive ones remaining.
Shin said making universities fit for the era of globalization is a “matter of survival.”
Another means is by attracting more international students, he said.
Sejong currently has 1,830 international students from 51 universities. They account for 15 percent of the undergrad student population.
Sejong has established four tracks for international students: business administration, hospitality and tourism management, computer engineering and public administrations — in which all compulsory and elective courses are conducted in English.
The school is aiming attract international students with competitive programs instead of large amounts of funding. Starting this year, it has cut scholarships for international students by 10 percent.
“All universities in Korea must become globalized to compete on a global platform and to attract talented foreigners as Korea faces a demographic cliff due to the low birth rate,” Shin said.
“Universities should provide quality education to international students, as well as help them learn the culture here, so that they can settle and take part in the workforce.”
Shin attributes international student demand to its QS ranking.
In QS’ 2017 Asia University Rankings, Sejong ranked 88th out of 11,900 universities and colleges in Asia.
In turn, the flow of international students is contributing to the rise of Sejong’s ranking, as universities are evaluated on their ratio of international students.
“In order to boost Sejong’s reputation, it must develop competence which transcends national standards and meets global ones,” Shin said.
“Sejong will make a greater effort to make it on the list of the world’s top 1 percent of universities. It will continue to make an effort to produce young talent who will lead the fourth industrial revolution.”