서울대 10개 만들기와 종교학과 10개 만들기 [한승훈 칼럼]

The "Make 10 Universities" policy proposed by the Jeonmyung government is part of the country's higher education agenda. This approach aims to address the issue of unequal distribution of resources among universities by providing national universities with the same level of funding as Seoul University. The idea is to maintain the current system while boosting universities' capabilities through increased budgets.

However, the implementation of this policy has faced criticism. In April, the government released specific execution plans, which were met with disappointment. The number of target universities was reduced from 9 to 3, focusing on public universities that had undergone a reform. The allocated funds were directed towards regional industrial development and AI workforce development.

This approach was seen as overly selective and centralized, excluding other universities and potentially undermining their autonomy and diversity.

The core issue lies in the differing perspectives between the government and academia on supporting universities. While the government seeks to support universities in line with regional development, academia emphasizes the need for investment in diversifying higher education. The performance of the "Make 10 Universities" policy can be measured by whether it leads to the creation of 10 religious studies programs.

As the field of religious studies is a minor one, even in international contexts, the lack of universities offering this program in South Korea is particularly concerning. Addressing this issue could help maintain the academic and societal demand for religious studies.