Professor Kim Hyun Seok, Newly Appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
On July 25, 2025, following the retirement ceremony of Professor Pansik Jang — who served as the 27th and 28th Dean — a new leadership team took office at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Seoul National University. Through an interview with Professor Kim Hyun Seok, the newly appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, we explored his vision and future plans for CALS.
From Forestry to the Whole College
Professor Kim Hyun Seok, affiliated with the Department of Forest Sciences (Program in Forest Environmental Science), said he hopes to contribute to CALS’s development as he assumes the new post. At the same time, he candidly admitted feeling the weight of responsibility to help the national economy and agricultural sciences overcome current challenges.
He explained that, unlike his previous role as a faculty member focusing on climate-change research and forest-ecosystem issues within a single specialty, his responsibilities as Associate Dean now require him to consider challenges affecting the entire college from a broader, multi-faceted perspective.
Challenges Facing CALS and Future Direction
Professor Kim identified internationalization as the primary task to build competitiveness in fields where CALS can lead global trends. He emphasized the importance of welcoming international students and providing them with a supportive study environment, while also establishing an educational framework that helps Korean students use English naturally rather than rely solely on Korean.
He further stressed that recruiting and supporting outstanding students and continuing research in contemporary areas such as artificial intelligence and sustainability are essential to strengthening the university’s competitiveness.
Regarding his goals, he placed top priority on supporting faculty and students: “My goal is to create an internationally competitive support environment so that professors can fully pursue their research, and to build a foundation for students to grow into top experts.” To that end, he said he will simultaneously promote faculty research support and improvements in student learning environments.
Professor Kim concluded by urging students to “share the vision of Seoul National University and CALS, and to work together to realize it.”