Incheon Songdo Foreign Universities Included as 'Industry Education Institutions'... Foundation for Industry-Academia Cooperation Established

Incheon Global Campus View
[Photo by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A foundation has been laid for foreign universities located in the Incheon Global Campus within the Songdo International City of the Incheon Free Economic Zone to be included as industrial education institutions, enabling them to promote industry-academia cooperation with domestic companies.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced on the 9th that the "Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Industrial Education and Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation," which includes foreign universities established in free economic zones as industrial education institutions, recently passed the National Assembly plenary session.

The amendment includes higher education institutions among foreign educational institutions approved for establishment under Article 5 of the "Special Act on the Establishment and Operation of Foreign Educational Institutions in Free Economic Zones and Jeju International Free City" and corresponding individual laws, as part of industrial education institutions.

Accordingly, five foreign universities located in the Incheon Global Campus?SUNY Korea, George Mason University Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, University of Utah Asia Campus, and the Fashion Institute of Technology New York?can now promote industry-academia cooperation with domestic companies.

Through industry-academia cooperation, these foreign universities can ensure the continuous and stable operation of the Incheon campus, while domestic companies are expected to utilize the excellent technologies and human resources possessed by these universities without having to go abroad.

Although the foreign universities in the Incheon Global Campus are extension campuses of globally recognized academic institutions, they have not been included as industrial education institutions until now, resulting in restrictions on industry-academia cooperation activities unlike domestic universities. For this reason, these foreign universities have continuously requested the relaxation of related regulations.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "With this legal amendment, foreign universities in free economic zones will cultivate specialized talent needed by industry and develop and commercialize knowledge and technologies essential for industrial development, greatly contributing to regional and national development. Since foreign universities are already allowed to participate in the Ministry’s research and development (R&D) projects, we expect many achievements."

Lee Won-jae, Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, emphasized, "Foreign universities located in the Incheon Global Campus will become a hub for industry-academia cooperation and serve as a new driving force leading Incheon to innovative growth."

Meanwhile, the Incheon Global Campus first opened SUNY Korea in March 2012, followed by George Mason University Korea in March 2014, Ghent University Global Campus in September 2014, University of Utah Asia Campus in September 2014, and the Fashion Institute of Technology New York in September 2017. As of the fall semester last year, the total enrollment (including graduate schools) of these five universities was 4,647, with 2,716 students currently enrolled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.