A few good IT-men
Finding a good IT-man is like diving to depths of over 100 feet down an ocean in search of pearl oysters. For the July edition, Korea IT Times went good IT-men hunting to Soongsil University, the Mecca of information education. Not only is the university known as a birthplace of various IT related departments in Korea but it is also recognized as the campus that values the good will of its students.
"The School of Computing educates students to become leaders and noble citizens who make valuable contributions to the nation and the society with Christian leadership and ethics," said Dr. Yoo Chae-woo, Dean, College of IT.
About 85 percent of its graduates in Korea today are recognized as experts in information technology with ethics, cooperation and service - the "pearl" of the IT industry.
The pioneer of information education
In 1970, the Department of Computer Science was established as the first of its kind in Korea. Within two decades, Soongsil launched the Graduate School of Information Science. The Department of Computer Communication in 1995 and the College of Information Science in 1996 were also built for the first time in Korean history.
The Mecca of information education
The Department of Electronic Engineering, Information and Telecommunication Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering are only a few of the types of information education Soongsil University campus offers. "The majority of our faculty collaborates and interacts with leading companies in Korea like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and SK Telecommunications to conduct research addressing real-world concerns," said Dr. Yoo. Soongsil University's information education covers broadcasting engineering, electronic engineering and digital media. In striving to bring education up to the global standard, Soongsil reorganized the School of Media as Global School of Media in 2008.
"The global school of media has pioneered media engineering, media art and the digital content-related field for the future digital society's technology and culture. Our main objective for this school is to encourage the creativity of our students in digital media based engineering, art and business administration," Dr. Yoo Chae-woo said.
Explore, Outreach, and Interact
Soongsil students are supported to attend and visit various exhibitions and conferences at home and abroad. Students can also sign up for an exchange student program in China. "We have been sending our students to CES every year. We also try to host seminars and conferences within the campus for our students to catch the trends of the real world," professor Yoo added.
The number of Chinese and Vietnamese students is gradually increasing in the Soongsil campus. Soongsil University is seeking to host more international students from countries worldwide in the near future.
"During the vacation, our students fly with their professors to countries like China and Vietnam to reach out to their communities. There, the students volunteer in IT fields by teaching and sharing the latest information technology with them. This has been inspiring some of the students in those communities to come to our school to further education," said Dr. Yoo.
The School of Computing has produced more than 5400 graduates, who are currently working in diverse universities, research institutions, government organizations and industries. The graduates of Soongsil University School of Computing have been recognized and honored for their contributions to the advancement and growth of the computing field.
Practical education and research opportunities
Soongsil University's graduate schools have been expanding their size and content over the years to be noted for their research strengths. All students admitted to the graduate program are provided with scholarship and stipend depending upon involvement of projects." We hope to see the foreign students joining our intensive research at our graduate schools. All foreign students are waived tuition," Dr. Yoo added.
More than 200 graduate students are working on Master and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Computer Science. The graduates are playing active roles in various IT organizations. As pioneers of information education, Soongsil graduate school's strength lies in advanced research in new areas.
The Department of Digital Media offers Master's and Ph.D. degree programs. In the Master's program, students acquire the ability to solve complex programs areas including media, content engineering, media art and aesthetics using advanced theoretical foundations. Masters students conduct further research to devise new theoretical models for media and innovative productions in a Ph.D. program. The Department of Digital Media has been conducting research on products jointly with governments, research centers and industry.
The Department of Electronic Engineering and Department of Information and Communication also have been conducting intensive research with faculty in Master's and Ph.D. programs. With 31 full-time faculty members in the program, the research has been noted for having strength in semiconductor, computer and control, network, communication, signal processing, RF, Optics and biomedical engineering.
This year, Soongsil University launched Convergence Research Center, or Soongsil Institute of Fusion Technology. Here, the research for green energy technology, green finance, digital broadcasting contents, robot-sensibility technology, ubiquitous welfare, next generation mobile web application, synthetic biotechnology and IT-convergence industrial technology will be conducted.
"The word convergence is inevitable in every part of society we live in today. In order to withstand the current movement of ICT, we have recently opened Soongsil Institute of Fusion Technology. We envision to research and develop convergence projects as well as training professionals to be the pioneers of the new growth industry," said Kim Dae-keun, President of Soongsil University.
Venture Business Supporter
Soongsil University highly supports its students when they decide to open up a venture business. The university provides finance, administration and office space. "We encourage and support our students to enter notorious activities and contests. Different experiences are essential in students' improvement," Dr. Yoo said.
The first and the best
Soongsil University has been a frontier in information education with a challenging spirit since its establishment. Long lasting history and its undying support for students' education have been nurturing technologists and researchers to be the leaders of IT industry. Up to 85 percent of its graduates are working in the IT area today with tradition and harmonization, and the university is opening arms to go global.
