As humanity is rapidly entering the age of artificial intelligence and smart technology, education on campus is also changing in a trice. Demand for a highly educated workforce suited for this technocentric society is growing exponentially, and universities have been immensely preoccupied trying to catch up with these demands. In line with this, Sogang University is evolving as well. President Sim Jong-hyuk of Sogang University has announced the establishment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Systematic Semiconductor majors for the spring semester of 2023. The Sogang Herald aims to shed light on the newly introduced majors in the School of Engineering and examine whether the founding process is on the right track.
What to Expect from the New Majors
As the semiconductor industry, one of the biggest components of the Korean economy, continues to grow, the demand for more experts in the field is rising in correspondence. Not only are corporations hiring competitive applicants, but they are also actively getting involved in the process of educating students—potential employees—by partnering up with universities themselves. The world’s two largest semiconductor manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are employing this strategy to procure professionally trained employees. Last June, SK Hynix agreed to establish semiconductor majors in six different universities including Sogang, and promised the provision of sufficient aid.
The circumstances surrounding the establishment of an AI major is not much different. Though the usage of AI has become increasingly common in many industries, the number of skilled AI professionals is lacking in comparison. Therefore, Sogang University has decided to upskill AI specialists to live up to the demand. In the spring of 2022, a graduate course for AI majors was established, which, by next year, is scheduled to open undergraduate courses as well.
With the support from the corporation, students enrolling in the newly established semiconductor major are guaranteed several benefits. First, a variety of scholarships will be awarded to students. Every freshman is expected to receive a scholarship that is equal to or more than their tuition for four semesters beginning in their freshman year. An additional scholarship will be granted to the highest-performing student. Secondly, all students are guaranteed a job at SK Hynix. Freshmen majoring in AI are also eligible for scholarships. Every student whose CGPA is 3.5 or higher can get a scholarship equivalent to half of the tuition for four semesters. Due to these lucrative deals, prospective students with high academic performance are expected to apply to Sogang University in pursuit of these benefits.
Status Report on the Preparation Process
Although these changes sound like great news, a thorough preparation must precede in order to ensure success. First, the preparation process should be vetted by the administration. On April 26, the university’s regulation regarding preliminary measures for the new majors in the School of Engineering was revised. The administration office for both majors is located in R514 within other offices of the School of Engineering, and related personnel are getting ready to greet freshmen next year. According to the office, research labs will be located in Ricci Hall and the classes will be held in Adam Schall Hall or Kim Daegon Hall in accordance with every lab and lecture in the department. Yet, finding the right faculties and organizing curriculums is another issue. Due to the difficulty in recruiting AI or semiconductor experts, existing professors of the School of Engineering will carry out concurrent tasks as they work for two departments without extra personnel. In the case of AI Engineering, 13 professors from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering will be assigned to teach AI courses. The curriculum and the list of courses were announced as well. In addition, professors from other majors opened several graduate level AI-related classes, such as AI and Finance. In the case of Systematic Semiconductor Engineering, eight professors of Mechanical Engineering will join to teach semiconductor-related classes. In addition to the lectures, practical training will be provided by SK Hynix staff to aid students to improve skills in the field.
Another issue plaguing these new majors is the forming of a student council. It is an urgent agenda for the council as intensive arrangement steps should be prioritized for the rest of the year before its opening. For example, due to the lack of precedents or a guiding hand from predecessors for the establishment of a new department, the student council had to ask for advice from other student councils from different universities. The student council of the School of Engineering created a preparatory committee and began preparation independently. Specific guidelines for running the council are yet to be revealed, but it is expected that advisory personnel will be sent to lay the foundations. Big events like commencement ceremonies or freshmen orientations will be planned jointly by the student council of the School of Engineering.
Though the benefits listed above are exclusive to those who enroll in these two new majors, other students may gain extra advantages from them. Sogang University is well known for allowing students to take double or triple majors without grade requirements. According to the university policy, the two new majors are open to any students provided that they fulfill some conditions, which is significantly easy to achieve compared to those of other universities. Thus, more students can have a chance to become AI or semiconductor specialists regardless of their original major. In addition, the increase in diversity of courses can be an advantage. Because of Sogang University’s characteristics of being a liberal arts college and its small-sized campus, the lack of diversity in lectures, especially in STEM courses, has been criticized for years. However, starting next spring, a few more lectures will be added for these new majors, which would partially solve some existing problems. Many students also have welcomed these changes. According to the student community website Sodam, students expressed their expectations in the comments, saying, “It will help the development of both the School of Engineering and Sogang University as a whole.”
Complementary Points for a Perfect Start
As the deadline comes closer, staff and student bodies alike are doing their best to jumpstart the AI and Systematic Semiconductor Engineering Department. University officials are building up administrative foundations, and the faculty are looking for intellectual professors to provide flawless academic knowledge to whom will attend the classes. Simultaneously, student council members are doing their part as well.
Nevertheless, further improvements must be made since not all processes are running smoothly. One problem is that the administrative system remains partially undecided. For example, the curriculum and courses of the Systematic Semiconductor major have not yet been unveiled. In other words, the organization is not fully prepared even though only about three months remain until the spring semester begins next year. Applicants might choose other universities over Sogang due to the volatility of the system. Furthermore, whether scholarship programs and other benefits will last is uncertain. For example, those who expect that they will receive tuition benefits may be disappointed if the advantage ceases to exist. As of now, corporate support has been confirmed, but there is a possibility that this support might be cut off if the contract is terminated, since it seems unlikely to be feasible to continue on with these benefits with the university’s current budget. Risk factors also exist in the process of forming a student council. In the case of other universities that established a Systematic Semiconductor major, the student council had a preparation time of about one semester. However, less than half of the semester was given to the student councils of the new majors at Sogang. To say that the student council teams are running on a tight schedule is a severe understatement.
Some students might remember the controversy over the establishment of Loyola International College last summer. As its impact still remains, preparation for two new engineering departments should be conducted with minimal hiccups. Sogangers are excited about the introduction of the two new majors, and getting off on the right foot is one of, if not the most, significant issues. As there is not much time left, The Sogang Herald hopes to inform readers and urges for the expected teething troubles to be ironed out swiftly.
By Kang Young-han (Cub Reporter)
ykh1743@sogang.ac.kr