Yonsei University faces a difficult challenge. Whilst considered, almost universally, as one of the top four universities in Korea, it seems to struggle to maintain a similar reputation outside Korea, which is surprising to anyone who has visited the campus.
We arrived on campus a little early for our meeting and as a result had the opportunity to look around a little; a third year undergraduate student called Philip Park agreed to show us around.
One significant early impression, when comparing Yonsei to many other universities in the region, is the sense of establishment. The university is 122 years old and was the first private university in Korea but its original buildings appear still older reminiscent of the central buildings of long established universities in the UK. This gives the place a sense of history and authority that is difficult to deliver in even the most elegant glass, steel and concrete box.
We asked our guide why he chose Yonsei, to which he first replied, it was appropriate to my grades. Naturally, we asked whether that meant high or low. He sheepishly replied, High. After a little further thought he added, I guess I went to Yonsei because it's the most global university in Korea; there are exchange programs where you can go for a year to many other good universities. Yonsei is good; it's thought of as the Oxford of the East.
Philip has been at Yonsei for three years and was given no briefing before our tour. It is clear that Yonsei is providing a high quality student experience and is considered by its students as one of the best universities in Korea.
The most global university in Korea, Philip told us. It is evident that this is a focus for the university, there are banners for Yonsei Global all over campus - www.yonseiglobal.ac.kr. Yonsei is out there ensuring good representation at conferences, reaching out to recruit international students. Perhaps the only advantage that some universities have is the presence a recognizable place in their name, but it seems inevitable that Yonsei's good work will pay off in time.
Aside from the central buildings the Yonsei campus seems large and well equipped, they have a soon to be refurbished but already impressive conference facility, a strong provision for student clubs, interesting and innovative learning spaces and the soon-to-be new library, as the existing one, which appears enormous, is insufficient.
In the 2006 THES - QS World University Rankings, Yonsei was ranked below 450. In the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities, they came in the 201-300 range. This is a situation that will not be permitted to endure. In addition to a second campus outside Seoul, Yonsei has also been awarded a sought after plot in the new Songdo International City as part of the development of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).
The IFEZ is an enormous development in Incheon (a satellite city to Seoul and home of the international airport) that will encompass hotels, residences, offices, schools, hospitals, resorts, theme parks, beach side real estate and a 151 storey building in Taipei 101, currently the world's tallest building. They are attracting investment from all over the world, with a hunger matched only by China and precision only by Japan. In 2006, Samsung Electronics reported higher sales than Sony. There is pride in everyone we met, a certainty that their three leading companies - Samsung, LG and Hyundai are world leaders. The same can be said about Korean universities, and Yonsei is determined to be one of the big three.