Life In 19x19

Kirby wrote: it's not only the go program that's getting the axe, but also departments in philosophy, math, and physics.

Then all those departments should be combined into one Department for the Philosophy of Artistic Mathematics.

Mindsports are Artistic Mathematics, and studying mathematical philosophy through the artist avenue of mindsports is sure to attract a wide range of people including international students.

If according to certain criteria the existence of departments in philosophy, math, and physics are threatened then the criteria must be wrong.

The university was founded as a vocational training institute in the liberal arts. So, if cutting back under pressure while keeping to their founding charter, they may feel those three subjects are first in line for the chop. It's not as if they are not done elsewhere in Korea. But go differs in that it is unique to Myongji, it is vocational (go instructors), and go can easily be classed as a liberal art despite the efforts of all the numbers guys here.

John Fairbairn wrote:

If according to certain criteria the existence of departments in philosophy, math, and physics are threatened then the criteria must be wrong.

The university was founded as a vocational training institute in the liberal arts. So, if cutting back under pressure while keeping to their founding charter, they may feel those three subjects are first in line for the chop. It's not as if they are not done elsewhere in Korea. But go differs in that it is unique to Myongji, it is vocational (go instructors), and go can easily be classed as a liberal art despite the efforts of all the numbers guys here.

Seconded.

And isn't there a politician in Korea who's a fan of Choi Jeong? https://namu.wiki/w/%ED%99%8D%EC%A4%80%ED%91%9C why not contact him and let him know about the situation?

This still feels wrong to me, but I may misunderstand something. Aren't philosophy, math and physics among the most fundamental fields that exist since Antiquity? Aren't they in the list of liberal arts (or am I misunderstanding the concept of liberal arts)? Or are you saying that these fields are less suitable for vocational training than others? What is then the list of departements that the university should focus on?

This still feels wrong to me, but I may misunderstand something.

I think you may be overlooking something.

The Oxford dictionary that rests on a shelf behind me says, "liberal arts: arts subjects such as literature and history, as distinct from science and technology." It further marks the term as "chiefly North American." That may be so, but "arts and sciences" has been a standard dichotomy here in Britain. In my day at school, you were expected to choose one side or the other for higher education. I chose arts and did four languages in my sixth-form.

I can also remember a big debate when social sciences came on the scene (from America) and were generally despised as arts pretending to be sciences.

There is, of course, an older meaning, or should I say 'several meanings' from Greek times when logic, rhetoric, music and astronomy were thought to be the main intellectual fodder, and through medieval times when the first universities were founded. But that's not relevant here.

The bit that I think you are overlooking here is that Myongji began as a women's college (under a different name), and women then were still not expected to become engineers and the like. Furthermore, it was not what we then used to think of a pukka university. It was what we use called a polytechnic, or college, in England, widely regarded as a step below a real university and focusing heavily on vocational subjects. We used to have the same distinction at school level: grammar schools (doing Latin) were at the top of the pile, then came technical schools for boys and commercial schools for girls (who learnt basically secretarial skills). At the bottom were what were regarded as "secondary modern" dumping grounds for the riff-raff. That has all changed. Polytechnics can (and do) now call themselves universities, and almost all schoolchildren are lumped together in massive "comprehensives" - education factories. But the old distinctions remain below the surface.

I would expect similar transitions to have taken place elsewhere, including Korea, but with different cultural emphases. But what they are, I don't know. I take no interest in education systems. America, in particular, is a closed book to me. Korea is, too, except that I have visited Myongji a couple of times and so have done the guided tour. I am, however, making an educated guess when I point to the history of Myongji and assume that their history and/or founding charter may count for something even today.

John Fairbairn wrote:
"arts and sciences" has been a standard dichotomy here in Britain.
(...)
Myongji began as a women's college (under a different name), and women then were still not expected to become engineers and the like.

Assuming that Myongji wants to emphasize non-scientific fields, why is the philosophy department threatened? Is philosophy considered as a discipline for men?

Maybe I missed it, but how large is the current faculty? And are they permanent, or do they find guest lecturers from around the world that rotate in and out?

If this program were abolished, would the faculty leave academia altogether and assume a completely different career?

https://www.mju.ac.kr/us/3778/subview.do

click on "faculty". The list is very short.

In ancient China, "Guqin, Weiqi, Calligraphy and Painting" were regarded as four kinds of arts.
Why not set up a department according to the four arts?

pgwq wrote:In ancient China, "Guqin, Weiqi, Calligraphy and Painting" were regarded as four kinds of arts.
Why not set up a department according to the four arts?

Great idea! Nice one

When the trope of abolishing your club because it doesn't have enough members happens in real life. Although admittedly that ironically started with Hikaru no Go, Hikaru no Go started quite a few Anime tropes!

Maybe this news article from couple of days ago is a good overview of the situation.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation ... 41664.html