Korea University Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science

• Department of Food Bioscience and Technology
• Department of Applied Economics
• Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering
• Department of Molecular and Genetic Engineering
• Department of Molecular Diagnostic Biomedicine
• Department of Horticulture and Bio-Technology
• Department of Climatic Environment

Environmental issues require an interdisciplinary approach through education and research. However, Korea lags behind other countries as the nation approaches these issues with treatment engineering instead of taking a holistic and interdisciplinary approach by connecting them with other disciplines such as ecology, botany, forestry, agriculture, soil science, chemistry, physics, geology, economics, law, and philosophy. In other words, the environment can be examined from two perspectives: the natural sciences or the humanities and social sciences. However, Korea is biased toward the former, in particular treatment engineering. This poses an issue for the nation in terms of fostering environmental experts who can take a holistic view.

We can neither understand nor resolve environmental issues if we overlook the circulation of substances and the stream of energy within the ecosystem. Therefore, environmental science education and research should take a macro-perspective approach, focused on how to live in harmony with nature and preserve the geo-ecosystem more than on how to treat created pollutants.

In particular, the report on G-7 Environmental Engineering Technology Development released by the Ministry of Environment stressed that environmental engineering would require more than 15,800 researchers with a master’s or doctoral degree, but their number stands at a mere 1,000 today. We are lagging far behind in environmental and biological R&D due to a lack of researchers who can deal with the Green Round or other global trends. This explains why the Korean government strongly supports R&D in this field and why the contributions of experts in environment and ecology are essential. Given such conditions, social demands for this area are expected to remain high.

In this sense, environmental science and ecological engineering will serve as an incubator of talents much needed in the 21st century as it is a study based on harmony and formula of living organisms and non-life.

Professor Introduction