Suncheon National University and Central Luzon State University in the Philippines Sign MOU to Establish Network

Joint Operation of King Sejong Institute and Academic Exchange MOU

Suncheon National University (President Lee Byungwoon) announced on the 22nd that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Central Luzon State University in the Philippines for joint operation of the King Sejong Institute, student exchange, and collaborative research.

The signing ceremony, held on the 13th, was attended by Suncheon National University Vice President for Academic Affairs Nam Kichang, Professor Seo Kangseok from the Department of Animal Resources Science, and Assistant Professor Kim Jihyun from the Department of International Korean Language Education. Key officials from Central Luzon State University, including the Vice President for Administration, Vice President for Academic Affairs, relevant deans, and the Director of International Relations, were also present.

Sunchon National University signed a memorandum of understanding with Central Luzon State University in the Philippines for the joint operation of Sejong Institute, student exchange, and collaborative research. Photo by Sunchon National University

Nam Kichang and his delegation visited the Philippines to conduct an on-site inspection and preliminary discussions for the application to designate a King Sejong Institute, and officially signed the memorandum of understanding for joint research and academic exchange. Through this agreement, Suncheon National University plans to offer various programs that allow local young talent in the Philippines to experience the Korean language and culture.

In addition, to strengthen the overseas university network and global competitiveness as part of the Glocal University 30 project, the delegation visited Central Luzon State University and its affiliated institutions: PhillMech (the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization under the Department of Agriculture), Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Carabao Center, and Freshwater Aquaculture Center. The parties pledged to activate joint research and academic exchange.

Central Luzon State University, established in 1907, is a comprehensive university that began with an agricultural college and now has nine colleges, including a medical college.

Renowned for its leadership in nurturing talent in the field of agriculture, the university has maintained continuous exchanges with Suncheon National University since the signing of their agreement in 2022.

Under this new agreement, Suncheon National University plans to actively cooperate in various areas, including the application and joint operation of the King Sejong Institute, fostering undergraduate and graduate student collaboration through strengthened language education, joint research through sharing academic resources, and credit exchange programs.

Nam Kichang, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Suncheon National University, stated, "To respond to the growing interest and demand for the Korean language and culture in the Philippines, we are preparing to apply for the designation of a King Sejong Institute supported by the King Sejong Institute Foundation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. We have officially signed the memorandum of understanding to institutionalize cooperation between the two universities and to further develop the scope and content of our collaboration."

He added, "This agreement will serve as an important catalyst for securing educational and research competitiveness in the Green Smart Farm field, which is one of the three specialized areas of Suncheon National University, going beyond just Korean language education."

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