{"691897":{"#nid":"691897","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Through a Visiting Scholar\u0027s Lens","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn his native South Korea, Sanghyun Jang served as director of the Education Data Center at the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), where he developed policies governing the use of artificial intelligence in education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo inform that work, he has researched beyond his home country, asking how higher education institutions, including those traditionally data-driven, can evolve in the age of AI and how they are responding to that change. He brought this question with him to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith an academic background in computer engineering and a specialization in computer vision, a core technology behind modern AI, he has worked with AI-related concepts and technologies long before they became widely commercialized and part of everyday life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere Data Meets AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have long believed that data would become the \u0027oil\u0027 of the future\u2014a critical resource driving innovation, economic growth, and decision-making. That belief naturally led me to focus on data governance and AI, which I see as essential to the future of education, industry, and society,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJang\u0027s research on data-informed institutional decision-making in the age of AI underscores the need for thoughtfully designed data governance to ensure data accuracy and trustworthiness and to protect personal information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt universities, Jang has observed practices that fragment data production and management, including colleges pursuing independent projects, siloed administrative practices that discourage interdepartmental sharing, and passive approaches to its exchange due to concerns about personal data protection. As a result, a centralized data governance framework is necessary to oversee and coordinate data across the institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe biggest challenge with AI in higher education \u201cis not how fast you adopt AI\u2014it\u2019s whether you can govern it responsibly. Without clear policies and accountability, rapid adoption can create more problems than benefits,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI in Practice at Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn South Korea, Georgia Tech has long been recognized as one of the world\u0027s leading innovation-driven universities, particularly in applied technology and research. Because Jang\u0027s work focuses on higher-education innovation, he was already familiar with Tech\u2019s reputation before coming here as a visiting scholar at the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) in the College of Lifetime Learning in October 2025. In fact, he recommended Georgia Tech to his son during his college search.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJang first connected with C21U at the 1EdTech 2022 Digital Credential Summit and later reached out to explore collaboration, which led to his invitation. From day one, he set out to observe how the Institute integrates diverse forms of institutional data across campus and uses it to support student success and inform broader decision-making in the age of AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlongside Director of Research in Education Innovation Jeonghyun (Jonna) Lee, he has facilitated virtual seminars and advanced cross-institutional knowledge exchange between Georgia Tech and Korean institutions. He also collaborated with Lee on a project to explore learner personas over their lifetimes and to design recommendations for a learning platform to support them. Because Jang has expertise in lifelong learning research and policy in Korea, his input has greatly benefited this project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is real momentum toward building thoughtful, shared approaches to AI,\u201d Jang said, reflecting on campus discussions. He also noted that the Institute invites scholars to host seminars and conferences, offering opportunities to hear expert perspectives and incorporate them into institutional practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few months into his residency, he presented \u201cStrategies for Using Data and AI in Education\u201d at a C21U Learning Lab. The session brought together leaders from AI-related units across the Institute, demonstrating that they are actively exchanging ideas and working toward better AI policies and guidelines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on what he has seen at Georgia Tech, Jang views the Institute\u2019s efforts to implement AI usage guidelines as a strong example. For him, it is particularly significant that the policy treats AI as a technology that affects \u201cteaching and learning, research, and everyday operations,\u201d he said. \u201cIt treats AI as part of the entire institution\u2014not just a classroom issue.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile some institutions approach AI primarily through a \u0027ban or allow\u0027 framework, Georgia Tech combines controlled access, experimentation, training, and security review,\u201d he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne aspect that stood out was that responsible data stewardship is embedded in everyday research practice, not just in formal governance procedures. Georgia Tech provides researchers with a clear, structured pathway for using de-identified institutional data, with appropriate oversight and training. \u201cResponsible access to data is what makes meaningful research possible,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERethinking What Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a personal level, Jang\u2019s time at Tech made him realize that the future of institutional research will be defined not by data collection alone but by an institution\u2019s capacity to connect data, governance, human judgment, and AI to support better decisions for students, faculty, and society. One way he has seen this at the Institute is by preserving space for individual initiative and innovation while fostering collaboration within the Institute and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople take ownership of their work while enjoying the freedom to explore,\u201d he said. \u201cThis drives innovation at the Institute and across its fields, thereby amplifying each individual\u2019s impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his time here, he has participated in seminars and conversations across campus. Jang would like to bring back to South Korea the strong collaboration among higher education institutions, local communities, and industry that he observed in Atlanta and at Tech. His son, Ricky Jang, a third-year Yellow Jacket majoring in industrial engineering, recently participated in a program in partnership with Invest Atlanta to address challenges facing the local community. The students presented their project outcomes and received feedback in the mayor\u0027s presence. In some cases, students\u2019 ideas were accepted on the spot, later leading to business development by companies or policy initiatives at the city government level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis showed me that Tech\u2019s education extends beyond classroom knowledge. It offers practical, problem-solving learning experiences that connect academic knowledge to real-world community challenges,\u201d Jang said. \u201cExperiences like this create a powerful ecosystem in which universities, industry, and communities work closely to solve problems and drive innovation. I believe this model could have a significant positive impact in South Korea as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecifically, Jang plans to recommend to the policy team of the South Korean government\u0027s Regional Innovation System \u0026amp; Education (RISE) initiative that they examine the Institute\u2019s collaborative model and consider incorporating its practices into future policy design and implementation. \u201cSuch benchmarking could help build a more sustainable regional innovation ecosystem and reduce the long-standing imbalance between the capital region and the rest of the country,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis time at Georgia Tech has provided him with valuable data for his ongoing research and unexpected opportunities. In South Korea, his work consumed most of his time, including frequent business trips, leaving little time for himself. By contrast, although Atlanta\u2019s traffic has been challenging, the campus and reduced work travel have given him more time and space to reflect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy experience at Tech has broadened my understanding of AI\u2019s role in society\u2014not just as a technology, but as a tool that must be guided by trust, responsibility, and public engagement,\u201d Jang said. \u201cSurrounded by nature and spending more time with my family, I find myself thinking every day about how AI and humans should collaborate and coexist, and about the essence of humanity, the redefinition of work, and the role of education\u2014questions I keep returning to.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA South Korean visiting scholar is studying how Georgia Tech approaches AI governance, data stewardship, and collaboration, with lessons that may help shape future education policy in his home country.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A South Korean visiting scholar is studying how Georgia Tech approaches AI governance, data stewardship, and collaboration, with lessons that may help shape future education policy in his home country."}],"uid":"33969","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 15:36:37","changed_gmt":"2026-08-24 16:17:25","author":"ymrv3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680960":{"id":"680960","type":"image","title":"Sanghyun_Jang_GT2025.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787585915","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 15:38:35","changed":"1787585915","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 15:38:35","alt":"Sanghyun Jang enjoying the EccoCommons at Georgia Tech.","file":{"fid":"265300","name":"Sanghyun_Jang_GT2025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Jang_GT2025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Jang_GT2025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2128041,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Jang_GT2025.jpg?itok=AdAVJj1D"}},"680961":{"id":"680961","type":"image","title":"Sanghyun_Ricky_Jang_Buzz.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787585991","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 15:39:51","changed":"1787585991","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 15:39:51","alt":"Sanghyun Jang with son Ricky and Buzz.","file":{"fid":"265301","name":"Sanghyun_Ricky_Jang_Buzz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Ricky_Jang_Buzz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Ricky_Jang_Buzz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":744631,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Sanghyun_Ricky_Jang_Buzz.jpg?itok=LqVxw4gS"}}},"media_ids":["680960","680961"],"groups":[{"id":"660375","name":"Lifetime Learning"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193940","name":"college of lifetime learning"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"195236","name":"data governance"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ymrv3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYelena M. Rivera-Vale\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Lifetime Learning\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}