InterviewUniversity of Seoul expands global reach through urban planning programs

University of Seoul President Won Yong-kul speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the university's main building in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Sept. 26. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The University of Seoul has gained international recognition in urban science, a field covering city planning, transportation, environmental systems and digital mobility.

Its strength lies not in scale but in focused expertise and a sustained record of contributions to urban policy and education that extend far beyond Korea.

“Our university is the nation’s only four-year public university supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the first in Korea to specialize in urban science,” said University of Seoul President Won Yong-kul, during an interview with The Korea Times.

“We aim to function as a think tank that helps solve the urban challenges faced by a global city like Seoul, while serving as a core educational and research institution that drives the city’s advancement in high-tech fields.”

Won highlighted that even though the scale of the university is relatively small, its responsibility should no longer be confined solely to Korea.

“We must understand diverse cultures, embrace inclusiveness and contribute to the international community as a developed country,” he said, underscoring the university’s international outlook.

While the university has historically been cautious in recruiting foreign students, Won acknowledged the need to shift toward a more globally engaged campus. Korea, he argued, should give back to the international community, and universities must play a role in that effort by preparing students to interact across borders.

“Students must learn to understand, accept and work with people from different backgrounds,” he said, describing this as a form of cultural inclusiveness that enables them to integrate naturally into diverse environments.

Students discuss research in a collaborative artificial intelligence workspace dedicated to urban science and big data at the University of Seoul. Courtesy of University of Seoul

At the core of Won’s vision is the university’s defining strength: addressing real urban challenges.

As Korea’s first institution specializing in urban science, the university has long trained the civil servants, planners and technical experts who keep one of the world’s most complex megacities running.

Its College of Urban Science — one of the largest of its kind in the country — brings together departments in urban administration, planning, environmental science, transportation, architecture and spatial information. The university also serves as a policy engine for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, working on issues from infrastructure and mobility to environmental sustainability and equity.

Confident in its standing as one of the world’s leading institutions in urban science, the University of Seoul has turned that expertise into a pillar of its global engagement. A key example is the International School of Urban Sciences (ISUS), created to cultivate professionals who can tackle urban challenges on a global scale.

Established in 2012, ISUS brings government officials from developing countries to Seoul for graduate-level training. The program nurtures experts in overseas urban development and infrastructure, shares Korea’s development experience and connects domestic and international specialists through sustained professional networks.

Through four master’s programs, the initiative has welcomed officials from more than 70 countries, producing over 600 graduates to date.

“We often see graduates return with senior colleagues — sometimes even deputy ministers — after hearing, ‘My life changed here,’” Won said. “For many of them, the experience is transformative.”

Participants from the International School of Urban Sciences pose during the Global Friends Night event on the University of Seoul campus in Dongdaemun District, Aug. 21. Courtesy of University of Seoul

On the research front, the university is also expanding its international partnerships, collaborating with leading scholars in urban, environmental and architectural fields.

In 2024, the university’s transportation engineering department hosted world-renowned experts in smart mobility and urban transport systems as part of its BrainLink initiative. The program brought top researchers to Korea to exchange findings, share long-term visions and strengthen international cooperation aimed at driving technological innovation.

Won understands that specialization alone will not secure the university’s future. Urban science, he said, must evolve beyond traditional planning and infrastructure toward convergence with emerging technologies.

“We cannot survive as a university if we do not integrate with advanced technology,” he said. “AI, semiconductors, mobility and materials science must merge with urban systems.”

Members of GLOW, the University of Seoul’s international student ambassador team, pose in front of the university sign. Courtesy of University of Seoul

In line with that approach, the university has expanded its faculty in high-tech disciplines. Since Won took office, the university has hired 22 tenure-track professors across artificial intelligence, next-generation semiconductors, advanced materials and data science.

The campus itself is also being reshaped to support that agenda. The University of Seoul is advancing a high-density redevelopment of its main campus and building new international residence halls to accommodate future cohorts of foreign students and researchers.

Won emphasized that the university runs a range of programs led by its Office of International Affairs to attract high-caliber talent.

“We select partner universities based on shared interests that differ by region, while introducing separate initiatives designed to recruit outstanding foreign students,” he said.

European institutions, he noted, tend to show strong demand for exchange and visiting student programs. North American partners are more interested in faculty research exchanges and dual-degree opportunities. Meanwhile, students from East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia — given geographic proximity — frequently apply to the university for Korean language programs and undergraduate or graduate admission.

To further boost international graduate enrollment, the university has launched new initiatives. Professors travel overseas, introduce their departments and conduct interviews on-site to directly recruit graduate candidates.

Another newly established initiative is the international research internship program, which invites third- and fourth-year undergraduate students from overseas universities to spend a semester or vacation period working in the university's research labs or affiliated institutes.

Despite the university’s research strengths and international programs, Won stressed that authenticity matters most. Beyond systems and partnerships, he said, internationalization must be backed by genuine care for students.

The university operates a strengthened one-stop support framework for foreign students, designed to respond to their needs across their entire academic journey. To provide more personalized assistance, the university runs a Global Support Center, where dedicated staff are available to handle administrative questions, academic issues and daily-life concerns in real time.

“What’s important is that students feel we are sincerely helping them with whatever they need to settle here, focus on their studies and build a stable life,” Won said.

Graphic by Bae So-young