related to scientific advancement, university collaboration, academic mobility, and the universities’ evolving role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The most recent Forum of Rectors, held in late 2022, was dedicated to educational innovations and the third mission of universities in both countries. The forum took place online and was organized by Korea University, a prominent institution in the Republic of Korea.
Elena Kim
Employee at the Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Much like Russia, South Korea is increasingly recognizing the significance of the third mission in contemporary university life. Forum participants from the Korean side have identified several pivotal trends pertaining to the third mission:
1. A transition from merely passing on knowledge to the cultivation of global competencies among young professionals, encompassing convergence and proficiency in digital technologies, especially AI.
2. The exploration of new educational formats.
3. Universities actively forging industrial-academic partnerships.
4. Equipping graduates with the ability to think within a global context, focusing on environmental stewardship, fostering inclusive societies, and, most importantly, upholding and embodying human values.
Let’s delve deeper into these trends and explore how they contribute to the realization of the third mission of universities.
GLOBAL COMPETENCIES
CONVERGENCE
In the realm of education, convergence is defined as students’ ability to think expansively beyond the confines of their core disciplines. This can manifest itself in the creation of new disciplines at the intersection of existing subjects, or in the amalgamation of disparate fields under a single course, where one is incomplete without the other.
For instance, Kookmin University in Seoul offers an interdisciplinary program in ceramics and chemistry. Since the application of lacquer is integral to ceramics production, and lacquer production relies on chemical reactions, a profound understanding of chemistry is imperative for working with ceramics. Consequently, these two courses are interwoven.
Each university embarks on its unique journey to implement convergence within its educational processes. In essence, South Korea’s educational landscape is committed to uniting diverse realms of knowledge, crafting innovative courses that encompass multiple subjects, and giving students the ability to safely navigate the interdisciplinary landscape. For instance, Korea University in Seoul has placed a strong emphasis on the convergence of technical and humanities disciplines, pioneering educational programs at the intersection of four, five, and even six traditionally disparate disciplines. Meanwhile, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul fosters “creative convergent thinking and decision-making skills” in its students, as highlighted by its Rector Park Jeong-Woon.
It is conceivable that the fervent drive for cross-disciplinary integration is a natural response to the ever-escalating wave of digital technologies. These competencies hold promise in ensuring that, in the race of technological advancement, young professionals can navigate the terrain without ceding ground to artificially generated models.
From the perspective of the third mission, professionals endowed with these competencies are poised to move swiftly and adeptly in interdisciplinary spaces, seamlessly transitioning between tasks, and proving exceptionally effective in addressing unconventional challenges.
PROFICIENCY IN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
In the contemporary educational landscape, digital literacy isn’t just a skill; it is essentially a fundamental necessity. Comprehensive academic or research endeavors are not conceivable without IT expertise. It starts with the requirement to enroll in courses exclusively through a student’s personal account online and extends to gaining access to global repositories of scholarly data.
And since the future has already arrived, the Koreans have resolved to greet it fully prepared. Numerous prestigious institutions are conducting ambitious initiatives to implement next-generation digital technologies. Korea University, for instance, is pioneering the development of a smart campus, integrating cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, the Internet of Things, and the metaverse. Meanwhile, Gangneung-Wonju University, located in Gangwon-do Province, is amassing and dissecting student life data through the lens of artificial intelligence.
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is approaching the realization of its third mission by harnessing the power of big data. This data fuels the creation of foreign language teaching materials, strengthens connections with relevant industrial sectors, and diversifies research in applying AI to foreign language education. Rector Park Jeong-Woon expounds: “We are actively crafting a standardized AI-powered language learning model.” Of course, the establishment of a dedicated AI language department is already well underway.
Leading the charge in integrating AI into education is Chung-Ang University in Seoul. After analyzing global megatrends, the university’s leadership has charted a vision for 2030, aiming to:
• Integrate AI into every aspect of education;
• Establish a high school specializing in AI;
• Develop personalized platforms leveraging AI technology.
One example is the existing CAU e-Advisor platform, an AI-driven tool for personalized academic guidance. Academic mentors utilize this platform to tailor individual academic plans for students, helping them curate the perfect learning trajectory. Furthermore, thanks to AI feedback, students can closely monitor their progress and performance, gaining insight into their academic journey’s dynamics. This immediate feedback empowers students to identify areas where they need to apply extra effort.
President Park Sang-Gue of Chung-Ang University highlights the positive outcomes of implementing electronic assistants for both students and educators: “Through this system, our students have become more actively engaged in shaping their academic path. They’ve shared how it aids their immersion in the learning environment. For faculty, it’s easier to track student progress, pinpoint at-risk students, and offer appropriate interventions.” Thus, AI allows the full realization of personalized education concepts.
Simultaneously, digital competency is increasingly fundamental to ensure that control remains firmly in human hands, rather than ceding it entirely to our virtual aides.
NEW LEARNING FORMATS
The swift transition from an analog society to a digital world, set in motion during the pandemic, is an irreversible phenomenon. Higher education institutions bear the responsibility of seeking innovative solutions in the realms of education and science. They are the architects of adaptive strategies and drivers of societal development. The way these challenges are addressed within each individual institution significantly influences the course of its third mission.
Adapting to this new reality, every university is crafting fresh modes of interaction. For instance, Chung-Ang University continues to embrace “contactless”
