Seoul National University has officially launched a new research program called the "SNU Grand Quest Initiative." The program aims to break away from the existing results-oriented research framework and lay the groundwork for solving societal challenges through provocative questions.
Seoul National University held the launch ceremony for the SNU Grand Quest Initiative at its Gwanak Campus on the 3rd. "Grand Quest" refers to challenging questions that can drive changes in knowledge systems and social structures among the difficult problems facing Korean society and humanity.
The project originated from the recognition that short-term results-oriented research approaches have limitations amid deepening challenges such as the advent of the artificial intelligence era, the future of life, and sustainability. In line with the trend of major overseas think tanks and research institutions strengthening mission-driven and challenge-focused research, Seoul National University has established a "question-proposing" research support system.
First, Seoul National University plans to identify challenging questions through the "Grand Quest Design Board," composed of distinguished scholars from various fields including science and technology, humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Selected questions will be officially announced at the SNU Grand Quest Forum scheduled for June, after which separate research programs will be conducted to enable researchers to tackle the solutions.
Evaluation criteria will focus on creativity and ambition rather than feasibility. Notably, the questions themselves will be evaluated as core achievements rather than short-term metrics such as the number of papers or patents. The university plans to foster a research culture that recognizes failure as part of the process by acknowledging rejected hypotheses or unexpected results as intellectual assets.
Professor Lee Jeong-dong of Seoul National University's Technology Management, Economics, and Policy program said, "We will support research that allows trial and error during the challenge process and enables course changes without prematurely judging success or failure," adding, "The essence of education is posing difficult problems and demonstrating the spirit of taking on challenges."
Seoul National University President Yoo Hong-lim stated, "Grand Quest is not simply a research support program but a declaration of a paradigm shift in Seoul National University's research," adding, "We aim to leap forward as a world-class university that first poses the questions humanity must answer and leads the way in solving them."