The primary importance of the foundation of academic Baduk is that it upgrades the image of Baduk. Baduk is not only an instrument for leisure, but also provides the cultural functions of educating kids, and maintaining the health of the elderly.
But there are still a lot of people who understand it as a kind of play. We all know that their point of view is biased, but their biases will not be easily changed because of their associations of Baduk with gambling.
The existence of academic Baduk will help a lot to keep this association with gambling from devaluing Baduk. It is obvious that if Baduk is taught in a higher institution of learning, it will be perceived as having higher value. The more practical side of academic Baduk is the systematic study of cultural phenomena associated with Baduk.
Recognizing Baduk as one of the valuable cultural activities which contribute a lot to human life, this kind of study should be carried out. But to date, most of the attention of academics has been centered on Baduk technique, and other areas have not yet been studied in much depth.
Beliefs such as "Baduk helps brain-storming" or "Baduk protects elderly from dementia" are still untested hypotheses. No one can yet be sure if Baduk really makes us brainier. Even if it does, it is still a mystery whether that is limited to playing Baduk or extends to other mental activities.
The influence of Baduk on protection from dementia is not yet proved. Baduk school studies hypothetical Baduk phenomena scientifically through academic approach, so that well-grounded theories can be established.

-- by Jung Soo-hyun 9dan, Professor of Department of Baduk