On Feb. 23, POSTECH hosted a special event aimed at fostering open communication between faculty members and graduate students. Dubbed “Conversation with the President,” this gathering provided an avenue for graduate students to voice their queries, suggestions concerning living conditions, and insights into the school’s vision, with corresponding responses from the administration.

  Regarding the issue of tuition and labor costs, a graduate student asked why tuition was increased rather than staying the same during a difficult time for research due to R&D cuts. In response to this, it was announced that an increase in the university’s operating and development expenses was inevitable as they were increasing day by day. However, after collecting the opinions of graduate students, it was announced that the price increase was only increased by the average of the three-year inflation rate. In addition, it additionally presented information that labor costs are continuously rising and promised to guarantee a minimum living cost of 2 million KRW for master’s students and 2.5 million KRW for doctoral students within two years to ensure the minimum basic living of graduate students. This may take time as the university headquarters must persuade Professors, and external resources will be invested in graduate student support programs, not in the form of support for personnel expenses, and the degree of support received will vary depending on the research and its results, which is a virtuous cycle.

  Regarding the possibility of establishing a research-oriented medical school at POSTECH, a graduate student asked whether it was the school or the region that wanted a research-oriented medical school, and pointed out the problem of alienation that would occur in other areas during the capital investment process for establishment. In response to this, it was concluded that establishment could not be determined. It is true that there is local pressure to establish POSTECH as the strongest school in the region, but the purpose of POSTECH 2.0 is to establish a medical school that is somewhat different from the direction of the school’s development. He stated that more than 500 beds are needed not only to recruit human resources but also to establish an affiliated hospital and argued that it is difficult to overinvest in the establishment of a medical school and hospital instead of investing university tuition and external resources first in the development of the school. It was implied that the establishment of a medical school cannot be definitively guaranteed in the current situation where there is no clear sponsor.

  The “Conversation with the President” event facilitated an exchange of diverse inquiries and responses, serving as a platform for graduate students to gain clarity on pressing matters. It underscored the importance of transparent communication and provided insights into ongoing discussions within the university community.