To achieve the goal of “strengthening the convergence research competency for leading the fourth industrial revolution,” University of Seoul (UOS) established the Department of Artificial Intelligence in 2021, with a student quota of 20 students. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of convergence that requires knowledge across a wide range of disciplines, such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, and logic. The new department aims to train experts in the field of AI, which has become a pivotal and leading discipline for cutting-edge technology and future industrial development. An interview with students in the Department of Artificial Intelligence may reveal detailed information about this new department. The UOS Times interviewed two students: Student A (Dept. of Artificial Intelligence,’21) and Lee Geoung-joo (Dept. of Artificial Intelligence,’21).

Q. Why did you choose the department of artificial intelligence?

Student A: To be honest, I applied for this department because I had a very high chance of getting accepted with my K-SAT. I also thought that AI is a promising field.

Lee Geoung-joo: I wanted to learn what is useful in real life and what can converge with various fields that I am interested in. I thought the future of the AI field would be promising because there are many areas where AI can advance.

Q. What do you think is the distinct feature of the department?

Student A: Before our department was established, students could learn about AI in some of the classes by other departments such as the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Department of Statistics, the Department of mathematics. However, these departments did not entirely focus on AI, and students could only get scattered information. Now, our department has brought classes that are related to AI from these other departments. We can learn about AI faster than other departments and selectively acquire the necessary knowledge related to AI.

Lee Geoung-joo: Since there are only 20 students in the department, I could easily get acquainted with other students. It is easy to communicate, study together, and acquire knowledge with my classmates. Since the professors are very passionate, I think there will be a lot of things to learn in this department.

Q. What do you learn in the first year?

Student A: In the first year, students learn “Foundations of Programming” and “Introduction to Statistical Methodology.” We learn basic programming in the Foundations of Programming class, especially programming in Python, which is mainly used in the field of AI. We learn mathematical statistics in the Introduction to Statistical Methodology class. In the field of AI, especially in Machine Learning, statistical methods are dominant. I think that we are learning more about statistics than the first-year students of the department of statistics.

Lee Geoung-joo: In the Introduction to Statistical Methodology class, we learn the basics and applications of probability and statistics, which are used in AI. In the Foundations of Programming class, I feel like I am getting started with the basics, but the Statistics Methodology class is really tough. Since we learn too much statistics, sometimes it is confusing whether we are in the department of statistics or the department of Artificial Intelligence.

Q. How did you learn about this new department? Do you think the publicity of the new department was sufficient?

Student A: My close friend is a UOS student, so I heard from the friend that the new departments were being established. Personally, I think there seems to have been no or little effort by the university to publicize the new departments. I also felt there is a problem with the administration of our school. For example, the homepage of our department was established much later than other universities' new departments.

Lee Geoung-joo: The first moment that I knew about the department of Artificial Intelligence was when I looked at the baechipyo (a placement table that shows the universities to which you can apply with your grades and scores, in English) after the K-SAT, Korean Scholarly Assessment Test. Maybe it was because I did not have much information, but it seems that the promotion of the new departments was insufficient considering that even my friends did not know about the departments.

Q. What do you think should be changed or improved for the future development of the department?

Student A: The points that should be supplemented are abundant. As the new departments were established, the positions for two professors were assigned to each department. However, only one of the positions has been filled for our department, and the other one remains vacant. Other famous universities employ all ages of professors. There are a lot of professors in their twenties in the AI field. It seems that our school is stagnant. Furthermore, the facilities are poor. Our student council room is shared with a different department. UOS did not establish the department in a prepared situation. They established it first, and then they are now preparing the necessary conditions.

Lee Geoung-joo: There are too many experimental classes for liberal arts. We have to take a total of 12 credits, but considering the nature of our major, I think that basic science is not so much needed. For now, our department is using the student council room on the 4th floor of the Architectural Engineering Building with the other new department. I heard that the other department will move to the new building, and our department will be assigned rooms where other departments used to be located. There seems to be no compensation for living with the inconvenience in a state where student welfare is not fully prepared.

The Department of Artificial Intelligence will not only serve as the basis for various convergence disciplines but will also promote connections between disciplines. If the university's promotion, facilities, faculty, and curriculum are improved or modified, the Department of Artificial Intelligence will be able to move forward on a better path. With the Department of Artificial Intelligence, UOS will be able to actively respond to the fourth industrial revolution and enhance the competitiveness of the university.