KAIST Professors Declare, "No More Delays in Appointing President"

원본보기 아이콘

Professors at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), who are leading engineering and AI research in Korea, have officially called for the prompt appointment of the 18th president. Even during the controversial "Iptulmak" incident under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2024, KAIST professors failed to gather a majority opinion. Their current stance reflects a sense of urgency that KAIST, which should be at the forefront of responding to the AI era, cannot afford any further delays in appointing its next president.

On December 9, the KAIST Professors' Association issued a statement urging a swift resolution to the delay in appointing the president. Out of 728 incumbent professors, 699 were eligible to vote, with 432 participating. Of those, 428 (99.1%) voted in favor, and the statement was thus adopted. This demonstrates a broad consensus within the faculty, officially confirmed through formal procedures.

In the statement, the Professors' Association said, "For KAIST to stably pursue its mid- to long-term strategies as a core hub of national science and technology policy, it is essential to establish predictable and stable leadership," and emphasized, "The Board of Directors and the government must make a prompt decision on the appointment of the 18th president."

The term of the current KAIST president, Lee Kwanghyung, ended in February. The appointment process began before his term expired, and after Lee, Kim Joungho (Professor of Electrical Engineering), and Lee Yonghoon (former president of UNIST) were selected as the final three candidates, there has been no further news. KAIST professors are concerned that the prolonged situation could restrict the university's strategic decision-making and external cooperation.

This action by the professors stands in contrast to last year's "Iptulmak" incident. At the commencement ceremony attended by then-President Yoon Suk-yeol, a graduate protesting R&D budget cuts was dragged out by security, yet KAIST professors did not speak out. Although the faculty shared a sense of concern at the time, they failed to organize a majority opinion, limiting their ability to voice their stance externally.

However, as the vacancy in the presidency has continued and uncertainty in university operations has grown, there is now a shared sentiment among the faculty that further delay is no longer an option.

The Professors' Association explained, "We understand that there have been various variables, such as the presidential election and the launch of a new administration after the 17th president's term ended, but as the delay in the appointment has become prolonged, the possibility of further delays has also been raised." The association noted that it had no choice but to make an official statement. The executive committee of the Professors' Association has been continuously monitoring the status of the appointment process and, after gathering opinions that a prompt appointment is necessary, adopted the statement through a vote of all members.

The KAIST Board of Directors is scheduled to hold a regular meeting on December 11, but it is reported that the appointment of the president is not on the agenda. Notably, the terms of 11 out of the 15 board members will end around early 2026, raising the possibility that the appointment process could be further delayed due to this variable.

The Professors' Association reiterated, "The appointment of the president must not be delayed any further, so that KAIST can accelerate innovation and progress under stable leadership and faithfully fulfill its mission to lead national development and global science and technology."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.