Universities Seek Ha Jungwoo's AI Leadership... Seoul National University Proposes New AI College [AI Talent Lost to Big Tech ④]

Building Infrastructure and Fostering Talent
Seoul National University: "Lift Computer Engineering Enrollment Caps"
Proliferation of Similar Majors Due to Admission Quotas
Severe Shortage of Classrooms and Faculty
Mismatch Between Academia and Industry Must Be Resolved

As the government accelerates its policies with the goal of becoming one of the world's top three artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouses, a growing number of universities are reaching out to Ha Jungwoo, the newly appointed Chief of AI Future Planning at the Presidential Office.

Ha, formerly of NAVER, is highly knowledgeable about AI and is well aware of the challenges faced in the field. As a policy maker responsible for shaping the national AI blueprint, he is being urged to actively support policies for building AI infrastructure and fostering talent. In particular, as a growing number of domestic AI experts are moving to the United States, which is currently the global leader in AI, there is an urgent need for government-level measures to retain top talent.

According to academic sources on July 18, Seoul National University President Yoo Honglim recently met with Ha to actively propose the establishment of a new AI college and discuss strategies for fostering talent. The idea of establishing an AI college has become a major topic among universities such as KAIST. Although the global AI boom has increased the popularity of departments like computer engineering, university admission quotas remain legally capped. As a result, universities have rushed to create separate programs, leading to a proliferation of similar majors under different names at both undergraduate and graduate levels, which has undermined the efficiency of education. For example, Seoul National University's Department of Computer Science is unable to accommodate the surging number of students, and starting this fall semester, it will switch to a hybrid model combining in-person and online classes.

According to multiple officials at Seoul National University, the AI boom has led to a surge in demand, with one out of every six of the university's 3,700 students wanting to major in computer engineering-related fields. However, not only classrooms but also faculty and facilities are falling short of meeting this demand.

This situation is not unique to Seoul National University; other leading universities at the forefront of AI research, such as KAIST, face the same challenges. Lee Jehui, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Seoul National University, stated, "AI education requires both universal education for all students and a core part that focuses intensively on key areas of research. Currently, however, organizations are fragmented and scattered, so integrating them is a major task." He added, "The government's AI talent development plan must include support measures that reflect these challenges faced in the field." Another university official commented, "The proliferation of similar departments has led to a dispersion of capabilities, making efficient education impossible. At some universities, the continued creation of similar AI departments and graduate schools is even seen as a workaround to secure government funding, rather than a genuine educational effort."

Recognizing these challenges in the field, voices in academia are calling for the government to act quickly. Baek Kyunghoon, the newly appointed Minister of Science and ICT, emphasized during a town hall meeting with staff that "simply raising salaries is not enough to attract outstanding talent." He stressed, "To attract science and engineering talent, we need to provide a proper research environment and infrastructure." He added, "The ultimate goal is to create an environment where not only foreign talent is attracted, but domestic talent can also grow and continue their research in the long term."

Cho Joonhee, President of the Korea Software Industry Association, said, "According to the National Research Council of Science and Technology, Korea ranked sixth overall in the global AI index, which considers AI implementation, innovation, and investment, showing strong potential." He continued, "Since the government has pledged to establish a system for cultivating top-level AI talent, including promoting AI-focused universities, I hope it will also develop talent training measures to resolve the chronic mismatch between academia and industry that has long been a problem."