The professors in Chonnam University's philosophy department have made a refreshing choice, a delightful choice that simultaneously goes beyond the long tradition of exclusivism in universities and the tenacious selfishness of professors as a community. It is a beautiful case of tradition-breaking on the part of professors at a national university. We applaud the decision by the university president and its philosophy professors to hire as an assistant professor Kim Sang Bong, currently professor at the "Art Academy" of the Korean People's Art Federation (Min Ye Chong). Kim has been a "street philosopher" for the last six years, after the Christian Theological Seminary, where he had taught, decided against renewing his contract.
It is particularly notable that Kim has been hired through a special hiring process. It is hard enough to hire a new professor, but it would be especially hard to find a case in the humanities and social sciences where a department goes out of its way to bring a special individual to the campus to teach. Kim has no regional or school connections with Gwangju and Chonnam University, so it is very refreshing that he has been hired when he was not even needed to fill an existing position when you consider how our society is rampant with regionalism and rule by school connections. To members of the general public who have heard of the intolerance of the academic community the news is like a cool stream of water.
One would hope that this quiet revolution brings about a precious change in the lack of transparency that exists in academia. Only by correcting the misled practices and turning things around in the academic community can professors and other intellectuals maintain their social influence. One also hopes that even though Kim has re-entered the academic "establishment," he will continue to put theory into practice as a "street philosopher" who seeks a society without rule by academic clique and who opposes the ranking of universities.
The Hankyoreh, 18 July 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Chonnam University's Radical Choice |
