Kwangwoon aims for leadership in software

Kwangwoon University President Chun Jang-ho speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office on the university’s campus in Nowon-gu, northeastern Seoul, July 14. / Courtesy of Kwangwoon University

College of Software and Convergence to debut next year

By Chung Hyun-chae

Kwangwoon University has an ambitious plan to lead the nation’s software education and research by taking advantage of its strength in information and communication technology (ICT).

“Given that Kwangwoon has long been strong in electronics engineering, I believe our new plan, if implemented successfully, will generate synergy by using our strength in ICT,” Kwangwoon University President Chun Jang-ho told The Korea Times in a recent interview at his office on the university’s campus in Nowon-gu, northeastern Seoul.

He has vowed to turn the focus of Kwangwoon, which has earned a reputation for specializing in ICT, toward software.

Chun said the shift to software is aimed at cultivating creativity and a challenging spirit.

He noted that not only Koreans but also people across the world have come to recognize the importance of software, especially since AlphaGo beat Korean go master Lee Se-dol in a historic match last March between machine and human.

An artist’s concept shows a face-lifted campus of Kwangwoon University with new buildings and Kwangwoon Square. The construction work will be completed in autumn in time to celebrate the university’s 80th anniversary.

AlphaGo is the AI computer program developed by Google subsidiary DeepMind.

Chun said that the competitiveness of universities as well as corporations will depend on their progress in software education and research.

Established as the Chosun Radio Training Center by Cho Kwang-woon in 1934, Kwangwoon University has long specialized in electronics engineering.

Now, the university’s core strategy is to open the College of Software and Convergence next year.

The new college will have three schools: the Computer and Information Engineering, Software and Information Convergence.

“Although we set up two schools of computer and information engineering, and software by upgrading the existing departments of computer engineering and computer software, the School of Information Convergence is brand new,” Chun said. “I expect it to be competitive as its curriculum will include artificial intelligence.”

Students of the Department of Electronics Engineering make an electrical circuit on Kwangwoon University’s campus in Nowon-gu, northeastern Seoul. Courtesy of Kwangwoon University

The college will recruit some 260 freshmen in the spring semester of 2017. The university is in the process of recruiting faculty for the new college.

“We will invite renowned software experts from both home and abroad,” Chun said.

In line with its focus on software education, Kwangwoon will provide two mandatory lectures for all students ― computational thinking and programming ― starting 2017.

“Even those majoring in physical education or law will also be required to take such lectures to improve their capacity in software,” Chun said.

The president also placed emphasis on bolstering cooperation between academia and industry.

“We are seeking ways to expand our programs which offer courses tailored for students who are interested in working for a specific company,” he said.

Kwangwoon currently runs four such programs, three of which are supported by Samsung Electronics and one by LG Electronics.

The Samsung-supported programs are: the Samsung Talent Program that offers scholarships every year to five students who will be recruited by the company after graduation, the Samsung Software Track that provides scholarships to 15 excellent students and the Samsung Convergence Software Course that teaches basic software skills to students not majoring in software.

The LG Electronics-supported program is for juniors of the College of Electronics and Information Engineering and graduate students of Kwangwoon University.

About 20 to 30 students selected for the program do an internship at LG Electronics during winter vacation, and the company usually hires more than 10 of the participants.

Kwangwoon also runs a “family company” system in which the university and 438 firms cooperate to develop and transfer technology, nurture talent and conduct joint research.

“We also try to expand partnerships with overseas companies to provide our students with internships and work experience opportunities there,” Chun said.

The university annually sends 20 students to Australia to work as interns at international companies including health product company Rainbow Nature and calling card company Tel Pacific.

“I think the most important factor in promoting international exchanges is to strengthen personality education,” Chun said. “For example, students cannot go overseas without any challenging spirit and sometimes cooperation means sharing.”

This is why Chun has been stressing the importance of honesty and sincerity in his students.

“For more than 30 years, I have made my students sign a pledge stating ‘I swear to myself that I will not do anything that will bring shame on myself with scrupulous honesty,’ before taking an exam,” he said.

Chun also had all lectures start five minutes early so that students can learn the importance of diligence.

“Kwangwoon University can hardly catch up with Seoul National University, the nation’s top university. But I believe our students may outperform Seoul National University students in competence and personality development if they try their best,” Chun said.

Who is Chun Jang-ho?

Chun Jang-ho was appointed president of Kwangwoon University in January 2014.

He graduated from Kwangwoon with top honors in 1975 after studying electronics engineering.

Chun received his master’s degree in electronics engineering from Yonsei University in 1978 and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and engineering physics from the Stevens Institute of Technology in the United States in 1984.

Since 1979, he has served as lecturer, associate professor and professor at his alma mater.

Chun was nominated as one of the finalists for the ENI Award, a prize awarded by the Italian oil and gas company ENI, in 2011 and 2012. The award is often dubbed the “Nobel prize of energy research.”