How about going to the State University of New York in Song-do, Incheon? And how about going to FAU (Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg), a German University, in Busan? Going to a foreign university in Korea is becoming a reality! The Ministry of Education & Science Technology made a measure that foreign education organizations can come to Korea freely. This is because great universities are making foreign branch schools expansively and many countries compete to hold those branch schools, so our government decided to try to occupy the global education service industry. Our government supports those foreign branch schools to lease their sites and buildings. Plus, those schools can be given 1 million dollars per a year. However, there are those who oppose this movement. Opponents insist that the fact which foreign branch schools are held is not sure. Now, the certain thing is just the State University of New York, in Song-do, and the other schools are not correct that they can come in Korea. Moreover, our real estate market is not good, so foreign schools are difficult to come in. For that reason, the Sookmyung Times researched our SMU students’ opinions on inviting foreign universities to Korea.
- Debate Topic -
Global Campus in Korea Should be Established.
Pro
Kim Eunkyung /
Division of Chinese and Literature ’12
We have a chance to get foreign universities’ educations in Korea. Recently, Song-do Global Campus came to Song-do, Incheon. I think this establishment of that campus is very great and agree to holding foreign universities, because there are many advantages in establishing a foreign university.
First, we can expand our learning opportunities. In Korea, we can learn our domestic universities’ educations for now. Of course, there are methods for going as exchange students and language study, and training for learning foreign schools’ education. However, those methods have some problems that
our students should go to the foreign country and have the burden of the cost and living problems and different culture. However, if they study on this campus, they can get a chance to study with a foreign education in Korea.
Second, we can get a job easily. For example, in FAU Busan campus, their students are great in getting jobs at foreign corporations. There are many students who worry about getting a job; I think educating in the Song-do campus and connection with foreign corporations can be a help for them, and these global campuses are educating in English and study with other foreign students, so Korean students who study there can be competent candidates for foreign corporations.
Third, there is economic profit in a global campus. For the global campus in Incheon, not only Korean students can apply, but also other Asian students can. If many foreigners come to Korea to apply to the Korean global campus, there will be economic gains by them.
In conclusion, holding the global campus has many problems, but if they succeed in previous objects, they can be helpful. I think we should think positively about this.
Con
Jung Juwon /
School of Communication and Media ’12
Since May 2009, many foreign universities started to move into Song-do Global University campus, Incheon. Students who study in the global campus will get the same diploma as the one that students abroad will receive. There are three major demerits; current shortage on new students, less foreign students than what experts expected, and disorganized program plans.
First of all, even though only one out of seven colleges has opened, there is a problem attracting enough students to the campus. Last year, the graduate school program of the SUNYStony Brook University had 46 students, which is only 11% of maximum capacity.
In addition, most of them are Korean students, which is the opposite of what the program has aimed for. Experts said that the program will be filled up to at least half with foreign students from East Asia, and so on. However, only 5 of the 46 students are foreign.
Furthermore, the program plan itself has countless flaws on many levels, especially on the financial side. The Song-do Global Campus program was selected as one of the main plans of the government, so that it passed a pre-check up on profitability. However, most of the apartments nearby the campus still remain empty and the campus itself is short on students, the program now has a gaping deficit.
To sum up, Song-do Global Campus program started well with a big hope; however, now it has become just a huge problem that the government and Incheon City have to deal with. The program has obviously failed to achieve any success that was guaranteed by all those authorities. Due to numerous drawbacks of the program, I am strongly opposed to the Song-do Global Campus program.
