The Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University : an overview of its First Decade

Abstract

In April 1959, a new Graduate School of Public Administration was established in Seoul National University. It was the first school of this type in the country. The first class of one hunred MPA candidates was enrolled, consisting of some 40 day students fresh out of college and some 60 evening students drawn on a voluntary and self-financing basis from the middle and top echelons of the civilian bureaucracy, government corperations and the armed forces. A little over two years prior to that, i.e., in February 1957, a contract between Seoul National University, the University of Minnesota and the International Cooperation Administration(ICA) of the United States had been entered to surpport this project. In accordance with this contract, a two-way traffic of personnel was initiated. In August 1957 eleven young SNU faculty members originating mainly from the College of Law were selected to go to Minnesota to purpose one to two year intensive training there. A second group departed one year later. On the other lane of the traffic, the Minnesota advisers came. The first adviser arrived in March 1958. During the ensuing four years and three months, somewhat more than 22 manyears of advisory reservice from 14 individual advisers was put in. The contract was terminated in June 1962.