[Women’s Forum 10th Anniversary] Oh Se-jung: "Networking-Savvy 'Convergence-Type Talent' Leads the Future"

Sejeong Oh, President of Seoul National University, is giving a lecture on "The Future Talent Leading Innovation" at the "2021 Asia Women Leaders Forum" hosted by Asia Economy at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 27th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] "In the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, education that cultivates 'convergent talents' who can collaborate with people from various majors and backgrounds and excel at networking is necessary."

Oh Se-jung, President of Seoul National University, who gave the final lecture at the '2021 Asia Women Leaders Forum' on the 27th, said, "Two-thirds of the students entering elementary school this year will work in jobs that do not currently exist." Amid rapid changes in the economy and social systems due to the advancement of new technologies such as AI, he diagnosed that "rather than simply memorizing knowledge, the ability to continuously learn and solve problems becomes more important."

President Oh stated, "Our country's education system considers those who can accurately regurgitate knowledge up to university entrance exams as excellent talents," adding, "Students are accustomed to following what others say rather than thinking for themselves, so efforts to improve this are necessary." To address this issue, Seoul National University is introducing a 'student-designed major' where students create their own curriculum and receive university recognition. The purpose is to foster students' career development, independence, and creativity. Majors such as Arts Management, which combines arts and business administration, Happiness Studies, and Cognitive Biopsychology have been added.

Convergence is also an important educational task. As problems can no longer be solved alone or with fragmented knowledge, the importance of networks is further emphasized. Seoul National University offers 'convergent theme courses' that mix several liberal arts subjects to allow students to learn from multiple perspectives. For example, one course titled 'Life (What is life and how should it be treated?)' is taught by humanities scholars, social scientists, and natural scientists in rotation, all focusing on the theme of life.

President Oh also emphasized communication, empathy, and the 'power to collaborate.' He said, "Seoul National University students, especially because they must excel in school grades, are accustomed to seeing others as competitors," adding, "The future society is becoming an era where sensitivity is increasingly important, so education that cultivates the power to collaborate along with humanities and social science liberal arts and artistic sensitivity is necessary." He also stated, "It is not enough to excel in just one area; doing everything well is what can turn the crisis of the 4th Industrial Revolution into an opportunity."