The beginning of the new millennium seemed to mark the start of a promising period for the internationalisation of higher education in South Korea. Since 2000, the number of international students in South Korea had dramatically increased, reaching 11,646 in 2001, 16,832 in 2004, and 63,952 in 2008. An ambitious government-led plan advanced the internationalisation of higher education to accompany the rapidly increasing number of foreign students, and the increasing popularity and global impact of Korean culture due to the Korean Wave.

DRIVING FORCES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

More than $1 billion was committed towards the national project of establishing South Korea as the education hub of Northeast Asia. The initial reasons behind the hub was to prevent a brain drain among Koreans, as well as to minimise the national trade deficit in education, and to further internationalise higher education in the country. In 2004, when the Study Korea Project was launched by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to increase foreign student enrolment in Korean universities, about 217,000 Korean students were studying abroad, while only about 17,000 foreign students were studying in Korea. The financial deficit in education was about $2.49 billion, and it was expected to increase.

The Hub was expected to improve the quality of Korean higher education by hosting reputable foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) and by creating an environment of international research cooperation. It was also assumed it could be effective in attracting domestic who want to study in a global environment.

The other objectives of the hub were to improve the quality of higher education in the country, and stimulate international competitiveness and cooperation by attracting a prestigious foreign university and establishing a global educational environment. The hub, in addition, was also conceived to facilitate the internationalisation of higher education in South Korea by absorbing regional demand for higher education from Asian countries.

In addition to the hub, the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) in Songdo Global City, one of the areas in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) with geographical advantages and existing infrastructure, also became increasingly prominent in the internationalisation of South Korea’s HEIs. Between 2012 and 2014, the State University of New York (US), George Mason University (US), Ghent University (Belgium), and the University of Utah (US) launched campuses in the IGC, where they each operate three to five of their most competitive and reputable programmes.

IMPACT AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The higher education hub is still in its infancy, but has already demonstrated positive impact on both students and the foreign HEIs themselves. The universities on the IGC adopt the “extended campus” model, which requires identical curricula, programmes, faculty qualifications, admission standards, graduation assessments, accreditation agencies, and educational management as those of their home campus, making the experience at Incheon as close to that at the home campus as possible.. Faculty members are also required to hold qualifications equal to those stipulated for the home campus. Consequently, institutional and programme accreditations are under the same accreditation agencies as at the home campuses.

Therefore, students can take the same educational curriculum and programmes, learn from faculty of equal quality, and earn the same degree as students at the home campus. In addition, students are required to spend one year studying at their university’s home campus, which also allows them to experience a foreign environment. The universities on the IGC, in general, enjoy a high level of student satisfaction and student enrolment has begun to increase.

Students in Songdo can also access extensive career opportunities with many well-known domestic and global companies and international organisations, such as Samsung BioLogics and the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD). The IGC universities collaborate with such companies and international organisations to advance their students’ internship opportunities and career prospects. The universities report that many students have already benefited from the programmes.

Above all, the environment surrounding the IGC has changed over the past few years, indicating positive prospects for the continuous development of the higher education hub. Some major domestic universities opened their branch campuses and international schools at primary and secondary levels in Songdo, and more higher education and research institutions are expected to be established.

More than 1,700 domestic and foreign companies, including about 50 global companies and international organisations, are also located in the Songdo Global City. The total population in Songdo doubled between 2012 and 2016 and is expected to continue increasing. All these developments are expected to revitalise the global education hub.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD

Despite the successes thus far, some issues and challenges lie ahead. The most critical issue for the IGC universities is financial, since the universities are financially independent from their home campuses. The South Korean government has provided US$1 million for the initial settlement, and US$1 million to US$2 million for the first four years of operation to each university. The government has also waived management costs for buildings, auxilliaries, libraries, and other facilities for the first five years for the IGC universities. Although generous, these provisions from the government will end in four to five years. The extended campus model involves extraordinary financial costs and human resource management issues in order to maintain environments identical to those of the home campuses. The top priority for the IGC universities is to figure out how to be financially sustainable without government intervention.

As of 2016, 1,144 students were enrolled, accounting for only 27% of the target enrolments. Although enrolment has increased every year, the number of students on the IGC is still lower than original estimates. The IGC universities do not seem troubled at this time, focusing on admitting only high-quality students based on the same admission standards as at their original campuses; however, the South Korean government is concerned that the HEIs will not meet the original enrolment projections – a major indicator of the hub’s success.

Other issues, including differing views on the IGC among government agencies, restrictive regulations for foreign institutions, the need to build additional campuses and facilities to attract more foreign institutions, and a sceptical view of the real effect of the extended campus model, all need further consideration.

More foreign HEIs plan to locate in Songdo Global City sooner or later. With continued marketing efforts and innovative ideas, it is expected that the initiative will be a success. For the IGC to become sustainable, substantial financial investment, planning and collaboration should be arranged not only by the South Korean government, but also by the home institutions, philanthropic foundations and surrounding corporations.