From November, KAIST launched the Backward Administration Committee and Backward Mentoring based on the management philosophy of President Kwang Hyung Lee that values servant leadership that embodies a decentralized organizational structure. The new administrative culture emphasizes mutual understanding, active participation, smooth communication, and flexible organizational culture.

The Backward Administration Committee, planned in September, was established as a communication medium to discuss major pending issues between the administration and employees. It functions to develop policies and systems in line with social needs and to form a consensus between different groups in KAIST. It is noted that the younger generation is given a high ranking position in order to induce changes and innovation: the new committee is composed of the millennial generation, of which 50% are juniors, 20% seniors, and 20% principals. Hyo Eun Park, the chairman of the Backward Administration Committee, stated that “I believe it is a huge opportunity for the younger generation to officially voice its opinions. We hope that the committee’s young voice will be actively reflected in policy making.”

Along with the establishment of the Backward Administration Committee, the Backward Mentoring program was launched. The goal is to reverse the concept of traditional mentoring in which seniors teach juniors; instead, young junior employees of KAIST work as mentors for senior employees such as directors and managers. It was designed in a way that the millennial generation can freely share its culture and values regardless of its job position or age. Mentors consisting of those under the age of 40 are to take the lead in deciding operational methods and locations and interact with mentees once or twice a month. Backward mentoring is operated both online and offline in the form of a 3:1 ratio of mentors and mentees. Discussion topics range from the occupational to the non-occupational, such as leisure life, culture, and occupational view of the millennial generation in order to establish close rapport and a sense of empathy between staff from varying generations. Backward Mentoring is also expected to be a venue for skill improvement by allowing the sharing knowledge of IT technologies such as the latest applications, SNS utilization methods, and metaverses.

Sun Tae Jeong, the director of the Administrative Affairs Office, who participated as a mentee, said, “I will go back to basics to communicate and sympathize with the younger generation. I hope it will be a good opportunity to grow and develop together by understanding the thoughts and culture of the Generation MZ, which forms the majority of society and workplaces these days.”

With the Backward Administration Committee and Backward Mentoring in place, KAIST employees can now implement unprecedented administrative changes and innovations to promote administrative advancement. Jin Seop Bang, the Associate Vice President who has been leading administrative innovation since he was the director of the Administrative Affairs Office, stated, “We will create an environment where employees can voluntarily form a consensus of change to promote innovation on their own. We hope that KAIST’s administrative changes and innovations will spread to the university society as a horizontal and dynamic administrative culture.”

Discussion topics range from the occupational to the non-occupational, like views of the millennial generation on leisure life and culture to establish close rapport and a sense of empathy between staff from varying generations.