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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:42 am Post subject: A moment when professor thinks he is a God |
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Here's a letter to the Korea Times and a youtube video of what is described as an abusive professor at a Korean university.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QLI7Utr5Tek
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2013/04/137_134050.html
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By Elvira Fidelia Tanjung
Graduation day is one of the most awaited days for every student. The day full of smiles makes it easy to forget the many tedious hours of homework, reports and term papers that characterized our study time.
But that is not happening for two Indonesian students who studied at the Gyeongsang National University (GNU) majoring in mechanical engineering during the course of their master�s program. They are myself, Elvira Fidelia Tanjung, and my lab mate, Merisha Hastarina.
On graduation day, Feb. 22, 2013, about 30 minutes before the ceremony was to begin, someone from the department office phoned to inform me that I could not receive my certificate that day, explaining that my professor wanted to personally present it after he returned to Korea three days later.
The normal procedure is, when a student returns the graduation gown to the graduate office, they exchange it for their certificate. Therefore I visited the graduate office to confirm one more time about our certificates (Merisha was in Japan attending an international conference with our professor).
I told them I just wanted to see my certificate, take a picture and send it to my parents. I ran away with it and I did so on purpose. Is it wrong to have my own certificate? It�s my right because it is mine, and has my name written on it. No one should run away with their eyes full of tears trying to keep their own certificate, but I did that on my graduation day.
This case is strange, as both of us passed the course requirements and, according to the university system, were on the graduate list, the International Office said after checking with the graduate office. So for what reason would the professor keep our certificates from us?
It became very clear that my professor was trying to keep my certificate without specific reason or a clear statement. He might have had his own plan behind this.
After the professor returned to Korea, he visited my rented room. He was visibly angry and yelling at me. He threatened to cancel my degree. I was shocked but I wanted the world to know how horribly he dehumanized me, record it and upload it to YouTube.
I would like to give information to other prospective students out there, because I don�t want other people to experience the same thing we did. That video probably lasted only four minutes, but that�s what happened to me almost every day during the past two years I studied under his supervision. He never treated me with dignity at all.
Those words and treatment are unacceptable; we could sue him for insulting someone from another country. All we could do before we go back to Indonesia was to report this problem to the Indonesian embassy in Korea and send them the video. Staff from the international office at GNU talked by phone to staff at the Indonesian embassy to clarify the problem.
We would like to urge all foreign students here to speak up and do something while we can, especially when one is treated badly. Professors should be respected and honored, but once they thinks they are god and treat you badly, show them that you also deserve respect.
The writer is an exchange student at Gyeongsang National University (GNU) majoring in mechanical engineering. She can be reached at [email protected].
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CrikeyKorea
Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Location: Heogi, Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I think this guy is a so n so, and going about everything in the wrong way,but in all fairness they hadn't fulfilled their requirements by not handing in one required paper. |
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kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
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| Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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No clear winner in this one. The students may have had the higher ground if they would've proceeded more thoughtfully and presented their legitimate(?)
complaints and video to the dean. Instead, by posting videos and sending letters, they now have to contend with one or several lawsuits by the professor and possibly by the university itself.
Intending to catch the professor in a compromising position, they've ensnared themselves as well. Just my opinion.
So far, I've no sympathy for anyone. |
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optik404
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:07 am Post subject: |
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| Professor should act more like a professor. But the students should have just handed in whatever paper he's talking about. Running away with your degree is childish and doesn't help her case. Personally, I would have just waited the three days and see what was up then. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Entitled ajosshi behavior to a tee. You could tell he wanted to physically intimidate or hit them, but since he was on camera he thought the better of it. Then he calls them lowly animals. Classy.
School requirements met or not, this guy is a first class douche bag.
Nothing will happen to him either, unless he does a similar thing to some Korean students, which is unlikely.
One comment from below the article:
"Eso te pasa por no ir a chupar con el profe a los norebangs y dispararle unas pirujas ahi. "
(Rough translation: "That's what happens when you don't go to the Norebang with the professor to give him sexual favors." |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:23 am Post subject: |
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So the prof must have turned in final grades for them or they wouldn't have been on the official graduation list. He doesn't have a leg to stand on, and if he pushes it, the university admin will be equally embarrassed for putting them through.
A bigger worry is just how they received their education. Obvious lack of English proficiency on the part of the prof. Did they study in Korean? At the Master's level? Highly doubtful. |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| Korean education still has a long way to go to be taken seriously. The professor acted in an unprofessional way. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:37 am Post subject: |
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| What was the missing requirement? |
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kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| What was the missing requirement? |
Just to play devil's advocate, based on supposition...(and wanting to cause a
jolly stir!)
It seems like they had a verbal agreement that he would submit their names as
fulfilling the requirements on a paper that would require his name
stamp and she agreed as long as it was submitted in a tight and timely manner which
she failed to do and was aware of it hence the 'snatch and grab'.
That puts the prof.'s rep in serious jeopardy of his integrity and standing.
Cajoling must've failed and resorted to visiting their dorms in an effort of
coercion that backfired in a bad way.
Regardless, this will likely have a rippling effect as this is Korea and universities and
professors will be more strict and stringent towards foreigners wishing to obtain an M.A. here, specially if there
are other aspirants from her native land. A shot in the foot that hobbles her
whole nation in Korea perhaps.
Then again, that may not be such a bad thing...who knows? |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 6:02 am Post subject: |
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The fact that the old boys at KAIST forced out two foreign educated Presidents, one from Stanford and the other from MIT, just because they wanted to up the standards of KAIST. God forbid if students and professors actually have to earn their degrees or tenure... the horror... gives me very little hope for Korean universities in the near future.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/10/117_122507.html
At first I thought getting rid of the Stanford guy may have been justified. Maybe an old white guy just couldn't adapt to the 'Korean' way. Maybe he was too arrogant, or rubbed Koreans the wrong way. But getting rid of the second Korean born academic just smacks of the old-boys resisting needed change, and protecting their piece of the cake.
And that video just shows how arrogant some of those Korean professors are. Probably payed a massive bribe to 'earn' his PhD. I wonder how they would stack up to some American PhD? The Korean guy would probably out of his element in a US university. |
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kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 6:23 am Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
The fact that the old boys at KAIST forced out two foreign educated Presidents, one from Stanford and the other from MIT, just because they wanted to up the standards of KAIST. God forbid if students and professors actually have to earn their degrees or tenure... the horror... gives me very little hope for Korean universities in the near future.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/10/117_122507.html
At first I thought getting rid of the Stanford guy may have been justified. Maybe an old white guy just couldn't adapt to the 'Korean' way. Maybe he was too arrogant, or rubbed Koreans the wrong way. But getting rid of the second Korean born academic just smacks of the old-boys resisting needed change, and protecting their piece of the cake.
And that video just shows how arrogant some of those Korean professors are. Probably payed a massive bribe to 'earn' his PhD. I wonder how they would stack up to some American PhD? The Korean guy would probably out of his element in a US university. |
Solid points, but in that video I didn't perceive 'Korean arrogance' as opposed to a man caught in a corner in which he didn't know how to extricate himself in a sensible manner.
As for the other points of KAIST and foreign educated presidents....well, Syngman Rhee and Kim Il-sung have set a precedence of Koreans being educated in foreign lands and the 'success' they brought about with trying to adapt their foreign influences in a solidly proud Korean peninsula. It simply didn't blend then, and unlikely to blend now. |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| This is the problem when you allow any old rice farmer to call themselves "professor". The students came across a lot more respectable, intelligent and dignified than their supposed mentor. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I told them I just wanted to see my certificate, take a picture and send it to my parents. I ran away with it and I did so on purpose. |
Sorry, but this sentence makes me lose any sympathy for the writer.
She gave no indication that she even tried to contact the professor and clarify the situation while he was away. Lying, grabbing the certificate, and running away is just not the way to handle the situation.
It's really hard to take someone seriously who engages in that kind of behavior. |
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aq8knyus
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I told them I just wanted to see my certificate, take a picture and send it to my parents. I ran away with it and I did so on purpose. |
Sorry, but this sentence makes me lose any sympathy for the writer.
She gave no indication that she even tried to contact the professor and clarify the situation while he was away. Lying, grabbing the certificate, and running away is just not the way to handle the situation.
It's really hard to take someone seriously who engages in that kind of behavior. |
The Professor used derogatory language that was racially motovated and in the video he tries to physically intimidate a young female student. Yet your problem is the taking of their own certificates when they were not supposed to?
Also this is from the KT article.
"On graduation day, Feb. 22, 2013, about 30 minutes before the ceremony was to begin, someone from the department office phoned to inform me that I could not receive my certificate that day, explaining that my professor wanted to personally present it after he returned to Korea three days later. "
They had earned the degree but because of some bizarre whim of the professor they had to delay it to suit him.
This 'professor' should be immediately suspended whilst the police conduct an investigation. I have worked for universities, dealing with international students, if this happened in my country the guy would be in serious trouble. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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| lemak wrote: |
| This is the problem when you allow any old rice farmer to call themselves "professor". |
There is a natural order to this world, and those who try to upend it do not fare well. |
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