Starting this semester, TELOS Track has been renewed with three additional tracks from the College of Engineering. Tracks on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, Smart Interaction, and Block Chain are respective programs designed from the Department of Cyber Security and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
TELOS Track was initiated in 2015 with the purpose of helping students design their career through customized courses within and beyond the boundaries of one’s major. Since 2019, the program has been managed in the Center for Future Innovation after the school was chosen as a member of the Ministry of Education’s University Innovation.
Enrollment to TELOS Track courses open every March and September allowing students to register for tracks each semester. According to Jo Jung-hee from the Center for Future Innovation, professors from certain department or major can propose their envisioned track curriculum which will then be evaluated by the committee for track certification in the following semester of the application.
Therefore, if students have any inquiries about new tracks, Jo recommends contacting the advisory professors.
The specific courses for each track will be mostly opened during this year’s fall semester. The availability of Big Data and AI track courses such as Open SW Platform, Cloud Computing, and Applied Big Data will be dependent upon the department in charge. Moreover, extracurricular activities included in this track, such as SW education volunteer work, may be postponed due to COVID-19.
Smart Interaction Track focuses on SW contents that can be applied to areas such as human computer interaction and the game industry. The track enables students to choose courses that teach technology applied in UI/UX contents. While the course on Virtual Reality Content is opened this spring semester only in Korean, the course on Computer Graphics plans on opening in the fall semester.
The Block Chain track has courses for students to learn about basic and applied block chain technology. The program aims to support students interested in fields of security, finance, and IT. Although the track contains benign intent as it prepares students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the effectiveness of the course has not yet been proven.
“I honestly am not expecting much from the overall TELOS Track as well as the Block Chain Track I enrolled for this semester,” a senior from the Department of Cyber Security who wished to stay anonymous said. “Despite the fact that the courses are in relation to my interests and career, I applied for the track merely for the reason it was easy to apply for. I do think the programs need more promotion and explanation on what TELOS can offer as well as numerical results.”
When the Center for Future Innovation was inquired about promotion methods, they replied that the tracks are usually introduced through each major orientation session for freshmen. As this was not feasible this year, they are planning on using Instagram, school news, and external news to inform the students.
Jo gave more detailed progress of the programs based on 2019. In the first semester, 422 students enrolled and in the second semester 431 students did. Meanwhile, 66 and 80 students withdrew their tracks in respective semesters. It is estimated to take two to three years to finish their tracks and earn the certificates.
“According to a survey conducted last year to participants of TELOS tracks, it is presumed students withdrew their tracks due to changes of interest or major,” Jo said. “Others expressed the opinion that the track enables them to manage their courses focused on their future career. Also, they appreciated the extracurricular activities provided through the tracks.”
Additionally, Professor Min Dong-bo shared his opinions on the Big Data and AI track he supervises. Although the track is open to everyone interested in the field, he recommends it to students who are confident with computer programming such as C/C++ or Python. He mentioned that helpful prerequisites would be basic mathematical skills which can be attained through school courses like Linear Algebra and Numerical Methods.