🚨 Special Chair Professor

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.09.11

0️⃣ Seoul National University Extends Retirement to Age 75 and Introduces Performance-Based Salary to Prevent Brain Drain

📌 Seoul National University Extends Retirement to Age 75 and Introduces Performance-Based Salary… Professors Say "Standards Are Key"

💬 Seoul National University plans to introduce a Special Chair Professor system that can extend retirement to a maximum of age 75 to secure excellent professors, and introduce a performance-based salary system in the second half of this year. Special Chair Professors can continue research and academic activities even after the retirement age of 65, and can be reappointed for up to 10 years through performance evaluation. However, professors point out that the effectiveness will be limited unless fair evaluation standards are established and the salary gap with overseas universities is resolved. This is evaluated as part of efforts to enhance university competitiveness amid declining school-age population and intensifying global talent competition.

💡 Summary

• Special Chair Professor is a system where universities specially appoint professors to continue research activities even after retirement.
• Seoul National University plans to extend retirement to age 75 and introduce performance-based salary to prevent excellent talent outflow.
• Fair evaluation standards and resolving salary gaps with overseas universities are key to the system's success.

1️⃣ Definition

Special Chair Professor means a position where professors with excellent research capabilities are specially appointed to continue research and academic activities at universities even after retirement. This is a system to utilize the academic experience and knowledge of excellent professors for a longer period beyond general retirement regulations.

This is not just an honorary position but provides substantial research space and activity funds, with reappointment decisions made through regular performance evaluations. The purpose is to ensure academic continuity at universities, prevent brain drain of excellent talent overseas, and enable continued mentoring and research guidance for future scholars.

💡 Why is this important?

• Prevents academic loss due to early retirement of excellent professors.
• Important means to prevent brain drain to overseas universities.
• Contributes to enhancing university research competitiveness and international status.
• Provides mentoring and guidance opportunities for young researchers.

2️⃣ Background and Content of Seoul National University's Special Chair Professor System

📕 Background and Necessity of System Introduction

• Global talent competition is becoming fierce. Key situations include:

  • Major overseas universities are actively scouting excellent Korean professors.
  • Universities in the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. are attracting talent by offering 2-4 times higher salaries.
  • Cases of excellent domestic professors moving to overseas universities around retirement age are increasing.
  • Competition among domestic universities is also intensifying due to declining school-age population.

• Limitations of the existing retirement system are becoming apparent. Key problems include:

  • The retirement age of 65 causes professors with strong research capabilities to retire early.
  • Long-accumulated research experience and networks are suddenly cut off.
  • Problems arise in the continuity of nurturing future scholars and research guidance.
  • Universities also lose excellent human resources, leading to weakened competitiveness.

📕 Specific Content of the Special Chair Professor System

• Clear selection criteria and procedures will be established. Key contents include:

  • Emphasis on internationally recognized research achievements and academic contributions.
  • Comprehensive evaluation of research activities and paper publication records in the 5 years before retirement.
  • Ability to nurture future scholars and contributions to university development are also included in selection factors.
  • Transparency in the selection process is ensured through fair review committees including external experts.

• Substantial support and evaluation systems will be built. Key operating methods include:

  • Providing substantial research environments including research labs, research funds, and support staff.
  • Regular performance evaluations every 2 years to determine reappointment.
  • Reducing teaching burden to allow focus on research and mentoring future scholars.
  • Reappointment possible up to age 75, but early termination is also possible based on performance.

💡 Major Issues in Introducing the Special Chair Professor System

1. Fairness of evaluation standards: Need for objective evaluation criteria reflecting characteristics of each research field
2. Transparency in selection: Application of pure academic standards rather than personal connections or political considerations
3. Financial burden: University financial pressure due to additional personnel costs and research fund support
4. Generation change: Concerns about reduced hiring opportunities for young professors
5. Effectiveness issues: Limitations if salary gaps with overseas universities are not fundamentally resolved

3️⃣ Introduction of Performance-Based Salary System and Academic Community Response

✅ Key Content of Performance-Based Salary System

• Operates as an optional system alongside the existing step-based salary system. Key features include:

  • Individual professors can choose between step-based salary and performance-based salary systems.
  • Comprehensive evaluation of research achievements, teaching evaluations, and social contributions.
  • Higher compensation than the existing step-based system for excellent performers.
  • Counseling and support provided to underperformers for improvement opportunities.

• Ensuring fairness in the evaluation system is a key task. Key considerations include:

  • Establishing differentiated evaluation criteria reflecting characteristics of each college and major.
  • Balanced combination of quantitative indicators and qualitative evaluations.
  • Building objective evaluation systems including external experts.
  • Ensuring transparency in evaluation processes and results to enhance reliability.

✅ Academic Community Concerns and Expectations

• Opinions for and against system introduction are divided. Key perspectives include:

  • Supporters expect effects of attracting excellent talent and strengthening research competitiveness.
  • Opponents worry about fairness of evaluation and infringement on academic autonomy.
  • Points raised that performance measurement methods differ by academic field such as humanities vs. engineering.
  • Concerns raised that focusing on short-term results may neglect long-term and basic research.

• Questions about effectiveness are also being raised. Key concerns include:

  • The salary gap with overseas universities is still large, which is pointed out as a limitation.
  • Realistic judgment that performance-based salary alone cannot prevent overseas outflow.
  • Opinion that comprehensive improvements in research environment, facilities, and administrative support should be implemented together.
  • Voices of concern about confusion and trial and error in the early implementation of the system.

4️⃣ Related Term Explanations

🔎 Chair Professor

• Chair Professor is an honorable position given to scholars who have achieved excellent accomplishments in specific fields.
  • Chair Professor refers to a special position where scholars who have achieved excellent research accomplishments and academic contributions in specific fields are appointed to continue research and lectures at universities based on donations, foundations, corporate sponsorship, etc. Also called 'Chair Professor' or 'Endowed Chair', it symbolizes academic authority and honor.
  • Key characteristics of Chair Professors include: First, they receive higher research funds and support than regular professors. Second, teaching burden is reduced to focus on research. Third, they emphasize roles in nurturing future scholars and mentoring. Fourth, they play roles in enhancing university academic status and reputation. Fifth, they lead research cooperation using international networks.
  • Special Chair Professors differ from existing Chair Professors in that they can be active even after retirement. This can be seen as a new form of Chair Professor system to prevent early retirement of excellent talent and ensure research continuity.

🔎 Retirement System

• The retirement system is an employment system that mandates retirement upon reaching a certain age.
  • The retirement system refers to a system where workers naturally retire upon reaching a certain age, regardless of their ability or intention to continue working. In Korea, the retirement age for university professors is set at 65 according to the Higher Education Act and each university's articles of incorporation.
  • Purposes and effects of the retirement system include: First, maintaining organizational vitality and smooth generational change. Second, ensuring entry opportunities for young talent. Third, increasing predictability in personnel management. Fourth, providing retirement preparation time for workers. Fifth, enhancing organizational operational efficiency.
  • However, limitations of the retirement system have also been pointed out recently. With extended average lifespan, many people maintain sufficient work ability even after age 65, and especially in academia, research experience and networks are important assets, so opinions are increasing that reconsideration of uniform retirement age application is necessary.

🔎 Performance-Based Salary System

• Performance-based salary system is a wage system that pays compensation differentially according to individual work performance.
  • Performance-based salary system refers to a method of paying salaries differentially according to results, comprehensively evaluating individual research achievements, teaching evaluations, social contributions, etc., instead of the step-based system according to work years or degrees. This is a new compensation system being introduced in the public sector and universities to spread performance-centered culture.
  • Advantages of performance-based salary system include: First, providing appropriate compensation to professors who achieve excellent results. Second, helping attract and retain competitive talent. Third, inducing improvement in research and education quality. Fourth, enhancing overall organizational productivity and efficiency. Fifth, securing advantages in competition with overseas universities.
  • However, there are also concerns. It is difficult to ensure objectivity and fairness of evaluation criteria, and how to reflect differences in characteristics by academic field is a challenge. There is also risk that focusing on short-term results may neglect long-term and basic research, so careful system design is necessary.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What differences exist between Special Chair Professors and regular Chair Professors?

A: The biggest difference is being able to be active even after retirement.

• Key differences between Special Chair Professors and regular Chair Professors are as follows. First, appointment timing differs. Regular Chair Professors are appointed regardless of before or after retirement, but Special Chair Professors are specially appointed after retirement. Second, activity periods differ. Regular Chair Professors are active until retirement, but Special Chair Professors can be reappointed up to age 75. Third, evaluation cycles differ. Special Chair Professors receive regular performance evaluations every 2 years to determine reappointment. Fourth, purposes differ. Special Chair Professors' main purpose is preventing early retirement of excellent talent and blocking overseas outflow.
• Common points include both receiving research funds and research space support, performing roles in nurturing future scholars and mentoring, and contributing to enhancing university academic status.

Q: If performance-based salary system is introduced, do all professors have to apply mandatorily?

A: No, it is an optional system where individuals can choose between step-based salary and performance-based salary systems.

• The performance-based salary system introduced by Seoul National University is not a complete replacement of the existing step-based system but an optional system operated in parallel. First, individual professors can freely choose between step-based salary and performance-based salary systems. Second, even after selection, changing to another system is possible after a certain period. Third, basic working conditions and rights are equally guaranteed regardless of which system is chosen. Fourth, performance-based salary selectors receive regular performance evaluations, but step-based salary selectors work in the same way as before.
• This optional system introduction reflects professors' various situations and preferences, intending to gradually spread performance-centered culture while reducing burden of system changes.

Q: Do overseas universities also operate similar systems?

A: Yes, major overseas universities are already actively utilizing flexible retirement systems and performance-based pay systems.

• Retirement and compensation systems of overseas universities are much more flexible and diverse than Korea's. First, US universities support excellent professors' research activities even after retirement through the 'Professor Emeritus' system. Also, differential compensation according to research achievements is common, and salary levels reach 2-3 times Korea's. Second, universities in Singapore and Hong Kong are attracting excellent scholars from around the world by presenting exceptional conditions as part of Asian hub strategies. Third, European universities also operate differential support and retirement extension systems according to research excellence.
• Particularly recently, as global talent competition intensifies, universities in each country are presenting even more exceptional conditions, making competitive system improvements necessary for Korean universities.

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