KEDI Explores Policy Tasks for Strengthening University Competitiveness

KEDI International Seminar and Policy Forum on Education Policy
to Be Held on November 6

The Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) will host the KEDI International Seminar on Education Policy and the 225th Education Policy Forum on November 6 at the Diamond Hall of The Plaza Hotel, under the theme "Universities as Drivers of Innovation, Regional Growth, and Global Cooperation."

On November 4, KEDI announced that the seminar has been organized to re-examine the challenges facing higher education and to explore response strategies and innovative solutions. Co-hosted with the Australian Embassy in Korea, the event will examine various factors and key issues influencing university-led regional innovation and sustainable development. It will also share cases of performance enhancement, inter-university cooperation, and industry-academia collaboration from universities in Korea, Australia, and Japan. Through these discussions, the seminar aims to explore ways to strengthen the role of regional universities as international hubs and as centers for regional development.

The seminar will begin with opening remarks from KEDI President Ko Youngsun and a welcome address from Martin Walker, Charg? d’Affaires at the Australian Embassy in Korea. This will be followed by keynote speeches, case presentations, a comprehensive discussion, and a Q&A session.

In the first keynote speech, President Ko will analyze the current state of competitiveness in Korean higher education under the theme "Key Tasks for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Higher Education," and will present policy tasks and future directions for enhancing competitiveness. The second keynote speech will be delivered by Susan Jones, Counsellor for Education and Research at the Australian Embassy in Korea, who will provide an overview of the policy direction and innovation strategies of Australian higher education under the theme "Policy Direction and Innovation Strategies for Australian Higher Education."

The following panel session will be moderated by Kim Eunyoung, Director of Global Cooperation at KEDI. Four presenters will introduce strategies for enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of universities in Korea, Australia, and Japan, as well as specific cases of innovation and collaboration. The first presentation, titled "Diagnosis and Challenges of Korean University Performance," will be delivered by Paek Seungjoo, Research Fellow at KEDI. He will assess the current state of performance management at Korean universities amid demographic changes and shifts in industrial structure, presenting achievements, limitations, and suggestions for improvement.

The second presentation will be given by Lucas Walsh, Professor at the Faculty of Education and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice at Monash University, Australia, on the topic of the "Monash University-Korea Innovation Partnership." The third presentation will be delivered by Amy Hunter, Executive Director of the Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) at Deakin University, Australia, who will discuss "Research Commercialization through Industry-Academia Collaboration in Victoria, Australia," and will address sustainable models and commercialization strategies for future industry-academia cooperation. The final presentation will be given by Toshiro Ohashi, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University, Japan, on the topic of "Australia-Japan Strategic Partnership and Talent Development Cooperation."

KEDI stated, "This seminar will re-examine the role of universities as innovation hubs driving regional growth," adding, "We hope it will serve as an opportunity to strengthen governance for cooperation in higher education among Korea, Australia, and Japan, and to solidify the foundation for collaboration to enhance global competitiveness."