- Only 7 of 155 universities nationwide earned a Grade A in recognition of both research support capabilities and systematic approaches

  The University of Seoul has been rated a Grade A institution in the 2025 Research Support System Evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP). This outcome is a significant achievement that is particularly notable because the University of Seoul has achieved a Grade A for the second consecutive time, once again demonstrating the excellence of its research support system.

  The Research Support System Evaluation is a comprehensive assessment conducted biennially by the MSIT and KISTEP upon universities that voluntarily apply. Its purpose is to strengthen the systematic and professional nature of university research support systems and ultimately establish a foundation for enhancing research outcomes.

  The most recent evaluation was conducted based on performance in the period March 2023 to February 2024. One hundred and fifty-five universities with research support functions participated in the assessment, but only seven achieved a Grade A. Among these top-tier universities was the University of Seoul, which has been recognized for its outstanding performance in overall research support capabilities. The results were announced on November 18th, following document review, reverification, and deliberation by the evaluation committee.

  The evaluation covered five areas and encompassed 27 detailed indicators, and the University of Seoul received excellent ratings in all categories, including operational capacity of research support organizations, improvement of researcher treatment, transparency in research fund execution, rationality in research system operation, and monitoring of researcher difficulties.

  The University of Seoul Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, a designated institution for the integrated management system of research facility and equipment expenses, strives to enhance the expertise of its research support system. This entails sharing best practices through administrative exchange meetings with other universities to leverage the experience the institution has accumulated. Additionally, the Foundation has established a technology-transfer-linked support system for new science and engineering researchers to support the development of customized research strategy models that reflect individual researcher needs.

  The Foundation was also evaluated highly positively for conducting semiannual surveys on research support service satisfaction, the results of which have facilitated the continuous monitoring of researcher feedback, which is used to improve the research support system and enhance service quality.

  Moon Que Lee, director of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, stated that "Receiving a Grade A for two consecutive cycles is the result of sustained and systematic efforts on the part of the Foundation to strengthen research support capabilities." He added that "This evaluation has once again proven the excellence of the University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation. We will continue to develop and maintain the highest quality research environment and administrative support system to allow researchers to focus solely on their research.”