For young people in South Korea, attending a SKY university can shape the trajectory of their entire lives.

A coveted place at Seoul National University (SNU), Korea University (KU) or Yonsei University (YU) – the country’s top three universities, known collectively as SKY – can mean access to the best jobs and elite social status.

Jinsang Kim, president of Kyung Hee University, is keen to see his institution, which is currently ranked ninth in the country, reach the same level of prestige. While it might sound fanciful, it’s not just an idea but a timestamped plan.��

“Our school wants to go to the top level…in four years,” he told ����Vlog.

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But it won’t be easy. Getting there means “changing all the things,” he said. “I try to rethink and redesign and react. That’s my three keywords to achieve that goal.”

Since taking the helm of the private institution last year, Kim has established an “aggressive” plan to improve the university’s performance.��

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“We have focused on data-driven, scientific management,” he said, including launching a digital transformation initiative across the university and a new centre that collects and analyses university data to “support effective policymaking”.��

For Korea’s private universities, being the best may be the only way to survive. With the lowest birth rate in the world, the university-age population is shrinking and, without enough students, institutions have begun to close down.��

While Kyung Hee University may be far removed from the troubles seen at some small rural institutions – with about 34,000 students and three campuses, all in the greater Seoul region, it is more on par with SKY institutions in enrolment terms  – the demographic challenges pose a threat to the entire sector.

“This is more than a temporary crisis,” said Kim, describing it as a “fundamental turning point” for the higher education sector.

To cope with the declining population, the university plans to grow the number of graduate and international students it enrols “to conduct research at the highest level”.��

The institution is also increasingly focusing on lifelong learning, introducing customised programmes for working professionals and retirees, as well as expanding online degrees.

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“We do not view this challenge as a short-term issue to be managed,” Kim said. “Instead, we see it as an opportunity for structural innovation and long-term transformation.”

The university is also launching new departments in “emerging strategic fields”, including AI, space exploration and smart farming.��

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In 2024, Kyung Hee established a department of semiconductor engineering, offering courses focused on analogue and digital circuit design. It comes as South Korea vies for dominance in the global semiconductor race, with the government investing heavily in this area.��

At universities, places on semiconductor courses are becoming increasingly competitive as the industry grows. In the first year, there were 18 applicants for every spot on Kyung Hee’s new programmes.��

The jewel in the country’s technology crown is Samsung, a global leader in the industry and the world’s largest semiconductor vendor.

In South Korea, every engineering student “wants to [work at] Samsung” when they graduate, said Kim, whose own discipline is electronic engineering.�� 

Kyung Hee, therefore, boasts a special appeal to ambitious students; the institution’s Yongin campus is next door to one of Samsung’s semiconductor development hubs.��

In 2024, the company received planning permission to expand there, making the region central to the giant’s operations.��

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“We have a very good environment to collaborate with the semiconductor industry,” Kim said. “We are there at the centre of this hub. Location wise, our university is the best.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com