"Global Higher Education from the Eyes of Harvard University"

39th Korea Foundation Forum ~ Westin Chosun, Seoul 

One of the things I love about this school is the series of talks and seminars for students who are interested (and can wake up early enough) to attend the various think tanks seminars in Korea which the school posts on the virtual school board. 

One of the things I miss about my job when I was in Washington was attending the seminars by numerous think tanks in the DC area such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Brookings Institution, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Though I was lucky enough not to be 'thrown' straight into the gauntlet without proper guidance from my boss. 

I was only given the opportunity after my boss was confident that I will  execute my task diligently if and when people start to ask me about Malaysia. After about three months of doing daily reports on the media and having contacts among the ASEAN and OIC countries were I able to start my field work. 

Hence, I decided that while I am in Korea, I shall utilise my time here to attend as many talks and seminars outside of campus and learn as many as possible. They don't call it the world is your classroom for nothing, eh!

My room mate and I decided to register for one of the talks and so we went as early as 7:00 a.m. to catch the bus to Hoegi (Hay-GEE) blue line subway station to Seoul City Hall Station. 

The bus and subway ride took us about 40 minutes with the morning rush hour.

The crowded subway from Hoegi Station to Seoul City Hall Station (about 10 stops)

Today's talk was organised by the Korea Foundation, a governmental funded organisation which was established on 14 December 1991 with the purpose of:-

Promoting better understanding of Korea within the international community and to increase friendship and goodwill between Korea and the rest of the world through various exchange programs. (Article 1, Korea Foundation Act)

The Foundation's main activities are:

- organises, supports and participates in various events aimed at fostering international exchange;

- dispatches and invites specialists committed to international exchange;

- supports overseas research in Korea and distributes the results of such research;

- engages in various activities aimed at promoting knowledge and understanding of Korea within the international community; 

- increases friendship and goodwill between Korea and the rest of the world via exchange and cooperation with major overseas international exchange organisations;

- supports activities by overseas Korean organisations to improve the status of Korea in the international community and to promote national solidarity;

- organises and engages in various programmes  required to achieve the mission and goals to the Foundation (Articel 6, Korea Foundation Act)

KF's Strategic Map

For today's forum, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez, the Vice Provost for International Studies, Harvard University articulated about "Global Higher Education from the Eyes of Harvard University."

Jorge I. Domínguez is Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico, vice provost for international affairs, special advisor for international studies to the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, and chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. His current research focuses on the international relations and domestic politics of Latin American countries. For more information, visit http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~jidoming.

The talk was held perfectly in terms of timing, whereby Dr. Dominguez was only given 40 minutes to talk and about 20 minutes for Question and Answers.

With my brief experience at Malaysia's National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), a Harvard professor is paid between RM150,000 - RM300,000 (US$50,000 - US$100,000)  per session with course materials and 5 to 8 hours of training, excluding airline tickets which is to be paid by the institution as well.  So, I can fairly guess how much KF is paying the guy in Korean Won.

The 40 minute talk that caught my attention was:

For universities to grow there are certain necessary freedoms. 

Freedoms from - the church (religion); from the state (governments); donors (funds, grants); arrogance (elitism); from people like himself (university staff and members of the board); and freedom from the past. 

What intrigued me the most about his talk was freedom from arrogance. According to the speaker, Harvard University as an elite institution should not and will not be tied to arrogance.

Arrogance in the sense that for example, if someone graduated from the university and decided to pursue his career in the academia world as a Harvard professor, he or she should not expect preferential treatment. He has to compete with other universities with the talent they have and not because they are from Harvard. He also said that everyone has the potential even if they were graduates from little known universities (like University Malaysia Sabah) but have the quality and talent that Harvard sees in them.

He somehow challenged Korea's practice of taking in certain graduates from certain universities (where they are known to recruit only graduates from i.e. Korea University or it further helps if you're from the same province).

My comments: I prefer to see it as brand or marketing. I remembered during my year-long stint as an Exco of the Student Council, the President of the council tends to take in undergraduates from the School of Science and Technology for organising school projects and task. His argument was simple, I know what you're capable of, and I don't want to take any chances. If this project fails its not going to be only your ass, but mine too. On the other hand, I tend to see that this is what makes Harvard an elite institution or exclusivity, if I may.

An article about the talk was already in the Korea Times website  this evening, which I like to share on the high points of the speaker:

“A university must identify the mistakes that it has made and admit them and be smart enough to correct them,” he said. “Harvard has a shameful history. It wrongfully discriminated against African-Americans, Jews, and women in the past. But I am proud that all of these traits of Harvard history are being or have been overcome. It is important for people like me to acknowledge this in public.” 

There are currently 236 Koreans in the school (not sure Korean Americans or South Koreans), Malaysia has about 30 post and undergraduates. Though it is a dream for most of my Malaysian colleagues, I had the honour of knowing a close acquaintance in my PTD service who graduated from Harvard in 2008, and currently doing her PhD at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (UIA) in Kuala Lumpur.

Kak Ida Saliny, you're my benchmark!

I do hope I can follow your footsteps. Going to UIA, I mean. Hihi...

The audience were mainly from the Diplomatic Corps, Korean Universities and one notable mention was a professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS) when she asked about the Asian Century which was not answered