Innovation of Higher Education: Change-Makers at Incheon National University 1

Focused Research University (FRU), differentiating INU from Comprehensive Research Universities (CRU) or Intensive Research Universities (IRU)
FRU encourages all INU professors regardless of their specific majors to conduct research into a university-wide themes for fruitful convergence (biotech, post-unification integration, global warming, for example). Unlike conventional sequence of convergence, which is for scholars of natural sciences moving to humanities and social sciences, INU encourages permutation by reverse order. On the biotech theme for example, more than 30 papers are presented by professors of English literature, history, art and culture, etc., at the annual Global Bio-Convergence Conferences. Many of the papers are uniquely different from traditional papers in content and approach, making them first in the world.

The Matrix College curriculum reflecting company needs
For too long, the job market has seen a mismatch between the skills of university graduates and the expectations of employers. Most companies and universities were at odds over this issue. Yet INU faced the problem head-on, allowing hiring companies and institutions to design university curricula based on their needs. This led to their innovative educational program called the Matrix College. The Matrix College model is an industry-university matrix curriculum made by a graph with the university’s intensive major curricula on the x-axis and the employment-linked curriculum on the y-axis. By taking courses at the intersection of these two axes, students can prepare themselves as job candidates for desired employers. The Matrix College marked another first-time innovation in the world.

Founding and implementing 76 innovative projects since 2016
This book recounts stories of such innovations carried out at INU over the past three years. The concept of the focused research university, as well as the use of employment-linked curricula designed by companies and institutions, were unprecedented moves in Korea and also unheard of abroad.
In August of 2016, INU devised a framework for 28 new projects, which were subdivided into 72 innovation projects in April of 2018. In December of 2019, these innovation projects were expanded to 76 in INU’s “2nd Innovation Case Report” submitted to the Ministry of Education. The book provides insight into these projects along with the step-by-step process that went into creating a culture of innovation at INU. Each project falls under a category of “World’s first,” “Korea’s first,” or “INU’s first,” and readers can access a full list of the 76 innovation projects in the Appendix.

Candid discussion of challenges facing bottom-up innovation
Going beyond case studies of achievements, the book engages in candid discussion of the challenges and side-effects of innovation. The implementation of innovation projects at INU met with unexpected obstacles as well as “reasonable objections” from working-level staff. However, these issues were duly examined with staff input used to find suitable solutions. The book shares details of this problem-solving process, focusing on INU’s method for selecting and implementing projects, surveying opinions, and gathering feedback from the field. This allows the book to serve as a benchmarking tool for change-seeking universities and institutions.
The book also stands out as a collaborative effort, written by 275 members of the INU staff rather than a single author. As such, it embodies INU’s motto of “bottom-up,” compiling the on-site records and reports of field staff. For they are the driving forces of innovation, the fearless change-makers at INU.