Presidents of Korean universities seldom criticize the Education Ministry in public, as they know only too well that they gain nothing by falling into disfavor with a government agency that has the power to determine the amount of financial support they get.

Yet principals of 10 major private universities in Seoul got what they had to say off their chests in a seminar held Tuesday to mark the launch of the “Future University Forum.”

Choi Kyung-hee, president of Ewha Womans University, criticized the ministry for depriving universities of their rights to select outstanding students by forcing a uniform entrance exam on them under the pretext of “normalizing public education.”

She said the ministry had sanctioned her university for every minor attempt to divert from its official policy line.

Noting that the focus of education policy has changed constantly with each new administration, she pleaded with the ministry to leave universities alone so that they could concentrate on areas where they could excel.

Kim Yong-hak, head of Yonsei University, pointed to the huge investment needs of Korean universities, as new technologies, including artificial intelligence, have emerged. He lamented that the government could not afford to subsidize universities due to its obsession with welfare expansion.

Yeom Jae-ho, principal of Korea University, said universities should neither allow themselves to be bossed around by the ministry nor try to adapt themselves to the frames it creates. He stressed that universities should now take the lead instead of being led.

The Education Ministry needs to bear in mind what the university chiefs say about it and its policies. One thing ministry officials should never forget is that they exist to support universities, not fetter them. They should not see universities as objects to regulate. 

The 10 universities launched the forum to discuss the future of tertiary education as they share the view that Korea’s universities are facing serious questions about their future.

The world is entering what technology experts are calling “the fourth industrial revolution.” Driven by advances in AI, robotics and other technologies, this revolution is altering the way we live, work and relate to one another.

University education in Korea is not keeping pace with technological advances. The gap is widening as technology is advancing ever more rapidly. While many jobs as we know them are forecast to disappear in the next 10-20 years, Korean universities have not sought to change the way they teach students.

The Education Ministry should help universities transform themselves into institutions capable of fostering creative individuals who can lead the nation into the future. It should not fetter them.