Run a university like a business, face critics

Euh Yoon-dae, president of Korea University holds a news conference on November 14, a day after he failed to secure his next term.

Yonsei, Korea Univ. heads take heat for ’CEO-like’ leadership

Euh Yoon-dae has been denied another term as president of Korea University, having been criticized as running the university as if he were its CEO rather than its president. Jung Chang-young, current president of Yonsei University, who has pushed ahead the university’s satellite campus in Seongdo and established Underwood International College, received a negative assessment by professors there. Within this current environment, it seems as if university presidents that think like businessmen are being faced with greater scrutiny.

Euh has seen many things accomplished during his four-year tenure. He attracted 350 billion won (US$373 million) for a fund to be used for the university’s development, and for the first time, Korea University joined the list of the world’s best 150 universities as selected by UK’s The Times. Influenced by these accomplishments, many Korean universities have also appointed "CEO-like" presidents. However, more than half of about 900 professors taking part in the election for Korea University’s next president chose to exclude Euh from candidacy.

Regarding the causes surrounding his defeat, one professor pointed out poorer-than-expected treatment of professors and Jo Yeong-gwan, an official of the university, cited an undemocratic system of management.

The originator of the businessperson-like university presidency was Song Ja, former president of Yonsei University. Then, Sogang University hired Sohn Byung-doo, former deputy head of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), as its president. Chung Un-chan, former president of Seoul National University (SNU), was not a typically businessperson-like president, but he did raise over 150 billion won for the university.

CEO-like presidents are recognized for their strong leadership, but reception is mixed within academic circles.

A SNU Ph.D. candidate said, "All of the professors have strong influence in their field and think very highly of themselves, so even if such presidents see many achievements, it’s difficult for them to get acknowledgment from the professors."

Professor Im Hyeon-jin of SNU said, "The businessperson-like president is just one of many virtues required to be a university president. They also need to have an understanding of and philosophy on history, ideology, and the social role of the university." A climate in which excessive capitalism and misled globalization are considered the only necessities for reforming a university is dangerous for the university’s development, he added.