Convergence crucial to nurturing future leaders

Dongguk University President Han Tae-sik has vowed to step up convergence education to cultivate future leaders specializing in information technology (IT), biotechnology (BT) and culture technology (CT).

Han stressed the importance of all students pursuing convergence education gaining a strong knowledge of software, saying that the humanities and other non-engineering students can create synergy by combining their studies with IT, BT and CT.

"As we are living in an era that is becoming more software-driven, I felt the need to cultivate software professionals," Han told The Korea Times in an interview on the university's campus at the foot of Mt. Nam, central Seoul.

"Starting this spring semester, we made two lectures about software mandatory for freshmen to enhance their integrated thinking ability," he added.

Dongguk was selected as a participant for a software-focused university project by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning last month. With its selection, the university will receive 10.6 billion won in state support for the next six years.

Students conduct an experiment at the Goyang Bio-Medi Campus of Dongguk University, northwest of Seoul. The campus encompasses the colleges of medicine, Oriental medicine, pharmacy and biosystems to maximize synergy for biomedical R&D. It is expected to serve as a new growth engine for the university. / Courtesy of Dongguk University

This project was started to meet the demands of the IT industry and nurture IT skills. The university plans to raise the enrollment quota of existing software-related departments from 125 to 220 and create seven new software convergence departments.

"I hope our university will help our students understand the global trends of IT convergence and acquire relevant knowledge," Han said.

He revealed his plans to establish a software convergence education institute this month.

"Anyone, even students majoring in the humanities, can try something related to IT at the institute," Han added.

He said that convergence education will enable the university to pursue IT with a human touch, BT with a respect for life and CT with traditional cultural values.

Dongguk University Buddhist art student Kim A-na, second from left, poses with other members of the MUA club during the 4th Buddha Art Festival at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention in southern Seoul in March. She set up the club to create and commercialize educational content and souvenirs using Buddhist and traditional Korean arts. / Courtesy of Dongguk University

Enriching Buddhist culture

Han is confident that the humanities and Buddhist studies are pivotal to promoting cultural technology.

Dongguk University was founded by Buddhist leaders in 1906 with the aim of protecting and modernizing the nation through education.

Han is a monk who is better known as Reverend Bokwang. He has served as a Buddhist studies professor at the university.

As the first Buddhist monk to be named president of the university in 30 years, Han said he will strengthen Buddhist studies.

In a Buddhist ceremony held on the university's campus last month to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the Buddhist Studies Department, Han announced a plan to create a Buddhist graduate school next March.

"Students will be able to learn applied Buddhist studies at the graduate school so they can develop their own specialty in Buddhism-related fields," Han said.

He pointed out that there is no educational institution in the nation that cultivates Buddhist professionals such as missionary workers, Buddhist museum employees and temple managers.

"I think students also can become sculptors of Buddha figures or Buddhist animators after studying at the graduate school," Han said, stressing that Buddhism should be linked to the industries.

He cited the example of the design industry.

"I think creating particular accessories featuring each temple's characteristics and selling them can generate revenue," Han said.

He also revealed a plan to start a Buddhist studies program at Dongguk University Los Angeles (DULA) in the United States, the university's only overseas campus.

Currently the American campus runs master's and doctoral programs in Oriental medicine.

Han, who played a leading role in digitizing Buddhist scriptures, said that Buddhist culture can flourish with the help of modern technology, especially IT and CT.

Now he has another plan to launch a cyber campus.

"If our university runs a cyber campus, those who study at, for example, Haein Temple, can earn a Dongguk University diploma," Han said. "I also expect that cyber lectures, if given, will help promote Korean culture abroad."

Fostering biotechnology

President Han has also promised to beef up BT research as this will serve as a new growth engine for the university.

The university set up the Goyang Bio-Medi Campus in Goyang, northwestern Gyeonggi Province, in 2011.

The campus encompasses the colleges of medicine, Oriental medicine, pharmacy and biosystems in a move to maximize synergy for biomedical R&D.

There are 200 professors, 1,400 undergraduates and 360 graduate students on the Goyang campus.

"There is no other campus in the nation that houses all these kinds of medical and biomedical colleges and schools in one place," Han said.

He added that a research center for regenerative medical science on the Bio-Medi Campus will have great potential.

"I hope the research center will emerge as a world-renowned institute in the regenerative medical science field," Han said.

He also promised that Dongguk will contribute to the community. "We will try to establish educational programs that will nurture healthcare workers," he said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2016/05/181_204478.html