New CBNU President, Lee Nam-ho
1. What is your resolution as the president of CBNU?
My shoulders are heavy with the responsibility of steering the huge CBNU vessel consisting of 1,830 faculty members and 32,000 students. I think that the president can't develop the university alone. I hope that CBNU people help and trust me a lot. I will put my heart and soul into following the opinions of those who support me and my election pledges. I'll try not to lose the original intention and elements of developing the university with a modest attitude. I'll be on the path of common sense looking further.
2. You offer the vision “To Maturity Beyond Growth.” What does that mean?
It means that growth has a limit, but maturity doesn’t. It is maturity that looks further, thinking big and breathing longer. However, maturity is another way of growth. Growth means changing rapidly, while maturity means changing rightly. Growth puts emphasis on “figure and index,” whereas maturity underlines “value and brand.” Therefore, I will form CBNU’s own value in a bigger frame than an index of piecemeal results.
3. You are introducing the new systems “Residential College” and “Off Campus.” What are these and how will these systems run?
Residential College is the concept of combining living with learning. Students can take major education in each department and whole-person education in the university dormitory after school. The system has already been carried out in prestigious universities in the U.S. such as Harvard and Yale. I’ll let all freshmen live in the dormitory for more than one semester and participate in various community activities such as communication skills, leadership seminars, skills of negotiation, solving problems, and volunteering. Moreover, I’ll support physical activities for health and artistic activities such as creative writing and artistic creation. If this system settles in well, CBNU can make new concepts for talented people who solve problems with community spirit.
“Off Campus” aims at students’ learning local culture through staying in other countries or regions. The students have to spend more than one semester out of the campus. For example, you can be inspired by the Maori people of New Zealand, learn Spanish in Central or South America, and learn trade in China. I’ll give credits according to completed hours. CBNU is the second university to assign students abroad among the universities in Korea. The system will make CBNU go one step further in the internationalization area. The Off Campus system will also increase the quality of existing global programs through being departmentalized into major, language, volunteerism, and culture inquiry areas. The close connection with universities abroad will successfully carry it out. CBNU will support tuition and air fees.
4. Why are you introducing these systems?
Future society needs not a talented person who is socially inept but a leader who solves problems with community spirit. A university education needs whole-person education which increases character, sociality, creativity, and sensitivity through educational services which provide expertise. That is, I would make differentiated talented people who have CBNU’s brand value. I’m sure this will increase the employment rate and decrease the rate of dropping out.
5. It is obvious that CBNU is highly rated for its research. How will you invigorate the area of study?
CBNU has many global research institutes, including a branch institute of Los Alamos National Laboratory, High-enthalpy Plasma Research Center, and IT Convergence Agricultural Machinery Center. I will continue to foster such laboratories and seek new areas of research with regional development. In particular, CBNU will cooperate with local firms such as through supporting technology and supplying elite manpower. Also, I will also put so much work into building cooperative systems with institutions which are relocating to Jeollabuk-do.
6. As you reorganized CBNU, what did you focus on for the personnel management?
Before I answer my focusing point on personnel management, I want to talk about the new organization of CBNU. Above all, I invited two vice presidents. One would direct the tasks that happen on campus such as entrance and employment of CBNU students. The other would be in charge of tasks that happen outside of campus such as international cooperation and academic-industrial cooperation. Since I invested in the important authority of vice presidents, I focused personnel management on responsibility. If they have low responsibility, I cannot depend on them and concentrate on my task. While they are charged with their tasks, I will make an effort to communicate with all members related to CBNU and do external activities for expanding the budget.
7. Recently, he employment problem is a main interest concerning students. How would you solve this problem?
CBNU students are absorbed in building their careers. However, I think that there is a limit just to build their careers. To become leaders, they need to have their own unique characters. For this reason, I’m starting to foster talented students that have unique characters inCBNU. Then, I’m going to change the system of the Career Support Center (CSC) operating headquarters to be college-oriented. It will help students to have college-targeted career support programs. Also, I authorize the CSC to make and administer career support policies to strengthen the facility of CSC.
8. One of your plans is making a campus walkway on which people want to walk the most. Please tell us more about the plan in your mind.
CBNU has various ecological landscapes such as the Geonjisan experimental forest, which is 1.5 million square meters, Lake Osongjae, which is located in Geongjisan, and Deokjin Park. There is a need to make these resources representative natural views of CBNU. From now on, I will make a campus walkway by linking Geonjisan and Osongjae and try to make CBNU a landmark of the region with the local community by cooperating with local presidents.
9. Finally, what do you want to say to students?
Shin Young-bok, a professor at Sungkonghoe University, said, “The farthest travel that a person goes is the travel from head to heart.” This means that it is more difficult to have a warm breast and enthusiastic zest than a cool head. And there is another trip. That is the trip from head to tiptoe. I think that the toe represents action and challenge. So, I would like to say to you that if you have something you would like to do, then go for it.
CBNU has produced lots of talented students. Since all members of CBNU make an effort to better the world, it is possible to get these achievements. The president’s leadership is really important to lead all members of CBNU rightly. Development without maturity cannot bear fruit. This is President Lee’s new leadership to steer CBNU rightly. All members of CBNU hope the new president will make CBNU more mature and make a better world.
GLOBE
globe@jbnu.ac.kr