Pohang City, the Only Local Government Nationwide to Have Two Universities Pre-Designated as Glocal Universities

Proposed Innovation Plan: POSTECH and Handong University Selected as Glocal University Candidates

Efforts for Regional-University Co-Growth Including Establishment of New Departments for Emerging Industries

Mayor Lee Kang-deok: "Full Support

포항시 announced that two universities, POSTECH and Handong Global University, have been provisionally selected in the Ministry of Education's ‘2023 Glocal University Preliminary Designation Evaluation.’

In May, Pohang City signed a "Local-Glocal University Joint Promotion Agreement for the East Sea Region" at the city hall's main conference room.

Glocal universities are institutions selected by the government for their global competitiveness, aiming to break down barriers inside and outside universities and promote co-growth between universities and local industries. These universities will receive 100 billion KRW in support over the next five years.

If POSTECH and Handong Global University, which have joined forces to nurture talent tailored to new industries such as secondary batteries, are finally designated as Glocal universities, it is expected to provide a significant boost to strengthening the global competitiveness of Pohang’s regional strategic industries, including secondary batteries, hydrogen, and bio sectors, which will lead the city’s future.

Pohang City has achieved the remarkable feat of having two universities selected, the only local government among basic local governments nationwide to do so, firmly establishing itself as a global education city representing the East Sea region.

Moreover, this achievement is even more meaningful as it is the result of various efforts by the government, industry, and academia to promote co-growth between the region and universities, including the establishment of new departments to nurture talent tailored to new industries such as secondary batteries.

The city plans to form a joint response TF team for Glocal university selection to ensure that both provisionally designated universities receive final designation, and will do its utmost to establish concrete implementation plans through cooperation with Gyeongbuk Province and related institutions.

According to the announcement made on the 20th by the Ministry of Education and the Glocal University Committee, 108 universities nationwide submitted 94 innovation plans for the Glocal university preliminary designation application, and among them, 15 innovation plans, including those from POSTECH and Handong Global University, were provisionally selected.

POSTECH, a research-oriented university with world-class technology and talent, presented an innovation model in its innovation plan aiming to be “a world-class university that leads innovation and globalization, creating regional prosperity and the foundation for the nation’s future industries.”

Specific implementation measures include establishing three boundary-free zones (departments, government-industry-academia, and national), demand-centered educational innovation, building a government-industry-academia cooperation system to lead the globalization of regional strategic industries, and creating a startup Pacific Valley to support new industries and overseas expansion.

Handong Global University, which has led educational innovation by breaking down boundaries, proposed an innovation model with the goal of “Problem-Solving One College Global ESG Realization.”

Its implementation plans include boundary-breaking educational innovation, establishing an ESG startup innovation park, carrying out the ‘Ulleung Green Island Project’ at Handong’s Ulleung campus as part of regional innovation by the government-industry-academia community, establishing an East Sea internationalization promotion organization, and realizing global innovation through building a global campus.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “The designation of Glocal universities embodies the government’s firm goal to nurture local talent as well as to develop regional balance and national competitiveness,” adding, “Since one of the solutions to overcoming local extinction is university competitiveness, Pohang will work closely with Gyeongbuk Province and related institutions to provide full support for the final designation of Glocal universities, striving to create synergy with government policies.”

The provisionally designated universities will submit detailed implementation plans by September, and after the final designation evaluation, a total of 10 domestic and international universities will be finally selected as Glocal universities in October.

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