[Interview] Myungji University President Yoo Byung-jin: "Importance of Nurturing Talent to Lead the 4th Industrial Revolution Era"

Reappointment of Myongji University President Since 2008
Future Plans Including Integration of Myongji Junior College
Educational Environment Infrastructure Improvement Projects
Bachelor's Curriculum Reform for 4th Industrial Revolution Talent

"A cradle for nurturing creative convergence talents leading the 4th Industrial Revolution era."

Since its establishment in 1948, Myongji University has produced 150,000 alumni. The countless partners who have shared their journey with Myongji University have firmly supported various sectors of our society, enriching the soil for the future development of the Republic of Korea.

Located in a quiet residential area in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, the hall of learning at Myongji University's Humanities Campus has no fences. The space is shared so that citizens can comfortably take walks and reflect. This open mindset, aiming to breathe together with the world, reflects a philosophy even in its attitude. When the hope for Myongji University's success spreads beyond the campus members to the citizens, the driving force for future development naturally forms. Change, development, and leap forward ? the path Myongji University has walked so far is a history of growth formed in this way.

Marking its 76th anniversary this year, Myongji University is preparing for another leap forward with the goal of entering the top 10 prestigious private universities in Korea by 2025. At the center of this is President Yoo Byung-jin, who has taken significant steps in Myongji University's history. He graduated from Myongji University as an undergraduate, became a professor, and eventually the president. Since his inauguration in 2008, he has led Myongji University for 17 years. Although there have been challenges during his tenure, they have been overcome through unity with students, faculty, and alumni.

Now, President Yoo's vision is focused on the future. His ambition is to transform Myongji University, advancing toward its 100-year history, into a world-class prestigious university. The ongoing integration with Myongji Junior College is a process of concretizing the blueprint for this new leap. The journey of innovation for a better future is already bearing fruit. The university has carried out the Ministry of Education's 'University Innovation Support Project' for five years and has been selected for the 'High School Education Contribution University Support Project' for 13 consecutive years. It was also selected for the Ministry of Education's 'Semiconductor Specialized University Support Project.' In the 2025 academic year early admission results, Myongji University recorded a high competition rate of 12.3 to 1, showing that many applicants are knocking on its doors. The large number of youths dreaming of becoming Myongji people reflects the expectations for the future. Below is the full Q&A with President Yoo.

Yoo Byung-jin, President of Myongji University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in the president's office at the Humanities Campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han

- You have served as Myongji University president since 2008. Are there any memorable moments?

▲During my term, I focused on the 'Educational Environment Infrastructure Improvement Project.' In 2021, to secure education and research spaces, we constructed the state-of-the-art MCC (Myongji Complex Campus) building. The MCC building has become a landmark of the Humanities Campus, significantly contributing to the improvement of our university campus and educational environment, and it has received favorable reviews from both students and nearby residents. Additionally, we have spared no investment to optimize research and educational conditions by establishing the Bangmok Academic Information Center and the Creative Arts Hall, and renovating the Next-Generation Science Hall, the 2nd Engineering Building, and the 5th Engineering Building. Next, I would like to highlight the 'Educational Organization Restructuring' carried out to advance undergraduate education. In 2015, aiming to nurture convergence talents, we established the ICT Convergence College on the Humanities Campus, and in 2016, we founded the Future Convergence College, a specialized lifelong education institution. In 2023, in line with the government's semiconductor talent development efforts, we also established a semiconductor department on the Natural Sciences Campus.

Yoo Byung-jin, President of Myongji University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in the president's office at the Humanities Campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han

- You have stated that the core goal of this term is the integration with Myongji Junior College. Could you elaborate?

▲Regarding the integration with Myongji Junior College, we have already prepared and submitted a basic integration plan. Once approved by the Ministry of Education, our university will undergo a second founding as the integrated Myongji University. This integration is a proactive response to the era of population decline. If successfully completed, our university will become a large-scale university in the metropolitan area with three campuses and about 30,000 enrolled students, gaining quantitative competitiveness. Furthermore, by combining Myongji University's academic and theoretical education with Myongji Junior College's practical and field-oriented education, we expect to build an environment for nurturing talents tailored to societal demands, thereby significantly enhancing the university's qualitative competitiveness.

President Byungjin Yoo of Myongji University is introducing the school facilities in front of the Humanities Campus Library in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Younghan Heo

- You are also accelerating efforts to flexibilize the academic structure, such as significantly expanding the autonomous major quota and college recruitment quotas. Could you explain?

▲The talents required by future society are not merely those with high academic achievement but those who acquire knowledge across various fields and can think convergently based on that. Accordingly, our university has continuously made various efforts to secure flexibility in academic operations, including activating convergence majors, implementing a student-designed major advisor system, introducing a flexible semester system, developing and introducing microdegree courses, broadening recruitment units to expand students' autonomy in major selection, adopting the MJU Trinity ACS system to support student management and career major exploration, operating customized faculty competency enhancement programs by target and field, and developing demand-based innovative teaching and learning programs. These efforts were recognized when we received the highest S grade in the 2024 University Innovation Support Project performance evaluation in the education innovation category, hosted by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

- You emphasized the need to nurture talents suitable for the 4th Industrial Revolution era. Could you elaborate?

▲The future talents our university pursues are those with convergent and creative thinking abilities, as well as technical skills and collaborative communication abilities with machines that meet industry demands. The future we face is the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and to live in the forthcoming AI era, one must be able to effectively utilize AI technology. Therefore, regardless of individual students' majors, they must have the capability to use engineering and technology. Moreover, the ability to solve real problems and to find, interpret, process, and reuse necessary data depending on the situation is becoming increasingly important rather than merely acquiring knowledge. To this end, our university has continuously developed and provided practical education based on experiments, practice, and projects, including essential basic education for students. Additionally, through operating linked major courses for academic convergence, convergence project courses, and expanding extracurricular programs to enhance practical field skills, we proudly contribute significantly to nurturing creative convergence talents leading the 4th Industrial Revolution era and improving students' employment rates.

President Yoo Byung-jin of Myongji University is introducing the school facilities in front of the Humanities Campus Library in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han

- Are there any programs implemented to promote students' self-directed learning?

▲We have introduced learner-centered creative teaching methods such as flipped learning and blended learning and are working to build educational infrastructure to spread these methods. These approaches are suitable for nurturing future talents because they have high student participation, allow classes tailored to individual student characteristics, and have high applicability in the field. Although these methods are unfamiliar to our students who have been accustomed to rote learning, they respond that the process of exploring and understanding materials, organizing them in their own words, and engaging in discussions and feedback greatly aids learning. Furthermore, we operate a solid extracurricular curriculum including education, counseling, mentoring, and experiential learning, focusing on developing each student's core competencies. A representative program is 'Let's Study Together' (formerly known as 'Learning Pumasi'), where groups of 4 to 6 students form learning communities with shared learning goals. The university supports students by providing an activity support fund of 100,000 KRW per person, extracurricular mileage points, and program completion certificates upon finishing the program.

President Byungjin Yoo of Myongji University is introducing the school facilities in front of the Humanities Campus Library in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Younghan Heo

- What support does the university provide to help students secure stable jobs after graduation?

▲As companies continuously reduce their workforce to strengthen competitiveness, employment has become a major concern for universities. At our university level, through the University Job Plus Center, we operate various employment support programs targeting enrolled students, leave-of-absence students, graduates, and local youth. Representative programs include the annual 'Visiting 1:1 Career and Employment Consulting' event, 'Department (Major)-specific Customized Career and Employment Programs,' 'Job Fairs' with participation from numerous corporate HR managers, and the 'Career Festival' conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Interview by: Ryu Jeong-min, Social Affairs Chief

Compiled by: Reporter Lee Seo-hee

▶President Yoo Byung-jin of Myongji University

Born in 1952, he graduated from Myongji University's Department of Trade. He earned a master's degree in Business Administration from Myongji University Graduate School and then went to the United States to obtain an MBA from Long Island Graduate School of Business. Later, he received a Ph.D. in Economics from Kyoto University Graduate School in Japan. In 1992, he began his career as an educator by serving as a professor in the Department of International Trade at Myongji University's College of Business Administration. He was elected president of Myongji University in 2008 and has been reappointed since. From April 2016 to April 2017, he served as the president of the Korean Council for University Presidents of Private Universities (KCU-PPU), and simultaneously from April 2016 to July 2017, he was the vice president of the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE). From April 2017 to April 2018, he served as honorary president of KCU-PPU.