Sungkyunkwan University President Yoo reappointed for second term
Sungkyunkwan University President Yoo Ji-beom speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the university's Seoul campus in Jongno District, Seoul, June 25, 2025. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Sungkyunkwan University President Yoo Ji-beom has been reappointed for a second four-year term.
The university's board of trustees approved Yoo's reappointment at a meeting Thursday. His new term will run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2030.
The board credited Yoo with strengthening the university's research capabilities and global competitiveness, particularly through improvements in international university rankings. It also highlighted his vision for advancing institutional innovation in the artificial intelligence era.
The university rose 19 places to 68th among 2,297 institutions worldwide in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, released earlier this month.
It ranked third in Korea and first among private universities, extending its streak of annual improvements in the rankings to four consecutive years.
The university also ranked among the top five universities in education, research and graduate outcomes in The Korea Times University Rankings.
Yoo graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in metallurgical engineering in 1982 and later earned a master's degree from the same university and a doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stanford University.
He joined Sungkyunkwan University as a professor of materials science and engineering in 1994 and has since held several senior posts, including dean of the College of Engineering, vice president of the Natural Sciences Campus and head of the university's industry-academic cooperation foundation.
Yoo began his first term as university president in January 2023.