Professor Douglas R. Gress |
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A number of foreign professors have packed up and flown home after failing to adapt to the Korean school system.
Two foreign professors at Seoul National University (SNU), which has around 60 full-time professors from overseas, observed that the problem derives from a lack of orientation. In other words, the school was more concerned with adding a foreign presence to their faculty, but neglected the professors when they arrived.
Douglas R. Gress, assistant professor of geography, and Lynn Ilon, associate professor of education, published this observation in a thesis.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Monday, at the SNU campus, Prof. Gress, the main author of the paper, suggested that Korean universities should introduce orientation programs for foreign faculty members so that the invited professors could understand the cross cultural and organizational differences between Korean and foreign systems.
He also pointed out the prevailing seniority system in which professors get promoted in accordance with experience, is in contrast with the merit-based promotion system overseas.
"Korean universities are competing for foreign faculty in an era of global expansion in higher education," said Gress, who has studied and taught students in Korea for eight years, adding that this clips a potential contribution by foreign teachers and deprives the students of a chance to learn from them.
"We need to simultaneously focus on student, faculty and administrative considerations with the goal of not only increasing the effectiveness of foreign faculty recruitment and retention, but also the overall productivity of all participants in the process," he added, noting that he personally has had no problems.
Foreign faculty members and international students have complained about the insufficient means of communication with the administrative staff.
SNU had a tenured foreign professor quit during the semester without giving prior notice. Speculation is rife that she departed for alleged unfair treatment and the 'dismal' future of the state-run university.
SNU hasn't commented on the two professors' recommendations.
It has so far ignored complaints and requests by foreign students about their needs ranging from more classes in English to a prayer room for Muslim students. Chung Min-ho, spokesman of the university, told The Korea Times, Monday that SNU was unaware of any problems with foreigner students or professors at the school.
kswho@koreatimes.co.kr
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
