Jeonnam Provincial Council Urges Establishment and Expansion of Advanced Departments at Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus

Choi Mugyeong, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] On the 21st, the Jeonnam Provincial Council announced that it adopted a resolution at the 2nd plenary session of the 337th extraordinary meeting urging the Ministry of Education to approve the establishment of advanced departments and increase enrollment quotas so that Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus can emerge as a differentiated university.

On this day, Representative Choi Mugyeong proposed the resolution titled "Resolution Urging the Establishment of Advanced Departments and Increase of Enrollment Quotas at Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus," jointly proposed by all 58 members, emphasizing the urgent need to establish advanced departments and increase admission quotas to enhance competitiveness through the specialization of Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus.

Recently, Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus applied to the Ministry of Education for the establishment and increase of one faculty and two departments for the first time in 15 years since the university integration: the Healthcare Medical Engineering Department (50 students), the Petrochemical Materials Engineering Department (40 students), and the Smart Fisheries Resource Management Department (40 students).

Representative Choi stated, "Special measures are necessary to normalize Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus, improve the local educational environment, and serve as a turning point for regional educational development. The application to establish one faculty and two departments along with an increase of 130 admission quotas is a very beneficial measure to improve the local educational environment and enhance regional competitiveness as a solution to the regional educational hollowing-out phenomenon and the crisis faced by Jeonnam National University Yeosu Campus due to university integration."

He continued, "At the time of university integration, the Ministry of Education justified the move by claiming it would enhance university competitiveness and improve educational conditions through specialization that leverages regional and university strengths. However, contrary to the Ministry's original purpose, university integration weakened the competitiveness of local universities and caused educational hollowing, resulting in feelings of betrayal and disappointment among Yeosu citizens."

Along with this, he argued, "Due to university integration, over the past 15 years, one college and ten majors have been reduced, admission quotas decreased from 1,219 to 701 (a 42.5% reduction), and enrolled students dropped from 4,208 to 2,702 (a 35.8% reduction), turning the university into an abnormal institution."

Finally, he emphasized, "As a self-help measure to resolve the aftereffects of the university integration policy, supplementary measures to fill the student quota deficit of local universities are urgently needed. Strategies that can overcome structural limitations such as changes in job types due to the 4th Industrial Revolution and declining school-age population are required."

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