지역대학 살리기인데…교수단체 반발 이유는? / EBS뉴스 2026. 07. 13

https://home.ebs.co.kr/ebsnews/menu2/... [EBS News] Balanced national development, which aims to alleviate the concentration of power in the capital area and foster regional growth, is a core national agenda of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The "Creating 10 Seoul National Universities" initiative, a representative policy in the education sector, is also being pursued with this intent in mind. However, professors in the field are strongly opposing this, expressing concerns about a new hierarchy of universities. Let's first watch the video to see why these voices are being raised. [VCR] Lee Jae-myung Administration’s Representative Education Pledge Fostering Regional Hub National Universities: 'Creating 10 Seoul National Universities' Ministry of Education Announces 'Plan to Cultivate Regional Talent' 3 out of 9 Priority Selected, 100 Billion Won in Support National and Public University Professors’ Associations Oppose "Stigma Effect for Undesignated Universities... Fosters Hierarchy" Even Presidents of Regional Hub National Universities, While Agreeing with the Intent "Concentrated Support Could Widen the Gap Between Universities" (Survey by Rep. Kang Kyung-sook’s Office) Concerns Poured Over 'Creating 10 Seoul National Universities' What Solution Do National and Public University Professors See? ------ Anchor Seo Hyun-ah Yes, we will examine in detail the reasons why professors at national and public universities are actually opposing the policy to foster regional hub national universities, with Han Sang-wook, President of the National Association of Professors of National and Public Universities. As you saw in the previous video, this policy was intended to revitalize regional universities, but this professors' group is actually criticizing it, claiming it is a "ranking of regional hub universities." What is the reason for this? Han Sang-wook, President / National Association of Public University Professors (Professor at Jeonbuk National University) First of all, representing the 20,000 professors at 39 national and public universities across the country, I am very grateful to EBS for giving us the opportunity to convey our professors' opinions. The central tenet of the current government's policy is to achieve balanced national development through the "5 Hubs, 3 Specials" policy. To achieve balanced national development, we must provide opportunities for all regions to develop. However, this plan to create 10 Seoul National Universities—selecting only three out of the nine regional hub universities to provide concentrated support—seems to be quite far removed from balanced national development. And since they announced they would select and support only three universities, the flagship universities have been lining up in competition to win the project. Therefore, while our "Creating 10 Seoul National Universities" project should have been a policy to alleviate the entrenched hierarchy of universities in our country, it has instead become a policy that lines up even flagship universities to create a hierarchy, causing concern among many professors. Anchor Seo Hyun-ah Yes, so there are concerns that rather than alleviating the chronic problem of hierarchy, it could actually fuel a new form of hierarchy. Another issue being raised is the worry that "non-flagship national and public universities could be marginalized." What are your thoughts on this? Han Sang-wook, President / National Association of Professors of National and Public Universities (Professor at Jeonbuk National University) Yes, that is correct. In our country, there are now 39 national and public universities located in most regions outside the capital area. The work these 39 national and public universities do in their respective regions is very important. They are playing a significant role not only in nurturing local talent but also in regional development and maintaining the region. In particular, with the school-age population rapidly declining and the concentration of students at universities in the capital area accelerating, regional universities face significant difficulties and limitations in their operations. It can be said that the situation for non-hub universities is even more dire compared to that of hub universities. Therefore, we believe that we must provide opportunities to non-hub universities as well, and give the regions where these universities are located a chance to develop. Anchor Seo Hyun-ah Yes, that is why professor organizations are proposing that we provide even support to all nine universities rather than selecting and selectively supporting only three. Why is this approach more efficient? Han Sang-wook, President / National Association of Public University Professors (Professor at Jeonbuk National University) Nearly 80 years have passed since national universities in Korea were established and began operating. Over time,...