'10 SNUs' plan faces backlash over funding gap, selection process

The government's plan to establish "10 Seoul National Universities" is encountering criticism over funding disparities and the selection criteria. Following the announcement of three universities receiving concentrated funding, concerns have arisen about the transparency of the process and the potential creation of a new hierarchy among regional national universities.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education chose Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, and Chungnam National University as the initial beneficiaries of the program. These three institutions will each receive 70 billion won ($51 million) in government funding to bolster education in artificial intelligence and industries aligned with regional strategic priorities.

Although the selected universities will receive around 100 billion won more in government support than the previous year, the remaining six regional flagship national universities will only get approximately 40 billion won each in additional funds for undergraduate education reform and shared university programs.

Universities excluded from the initiative express concern that, by the end of the five-year program, the funding gap could lead to a hierarchical structure between the privileged and underfunded institutions.