The University has been invited by the South Korean government to open a campus in South Korea's Incheon Free Economic Zone, Larry Nielsen, provost and executive vice-chancellor, said.
The Incheon Free Economic Zone is a $200 billion dollar project the South Korean government has created to build a business, residential, and educational city that is "basically Research Triangle Park on steroids," according to Nielsen.
The South Koreans have also invited Stony Brook University, the University of Southern California, the University of Missouri and Georgia Tech University to open campuses in Incheon along with South Korean universities Seoul National, Yonsei, Inha and Hanyang.
"We think this is a really interesting possibility," Nielsen said.
The South Korean government is agreeing to pay for all the universities to take part in feasibility studies to explore the options of opening campuses there.
So far only Stony Brook University has signed the agreement, according to a presentation Chancellor James Oblinger made to the UNC Board of Governors.
However, the University is looking into becoming the second to sign on to this program. On Jan. 8 Oblinger, Nielsen, and Vice Chancellor Charles Leffler proposed to the Board of Governors a request for the University to take part in the feasibility study of a campus in South Korea.
"We hope to get started in the next month, we are just waiting for the papers to be signed by the South Korean government and NCSU," Nielsen said.
That could be very interesting. The article mentions offering biotechnology, engineering, managment and science, though I can't help but think having an American, English-language campus would be a great opportunity to provide MA TESOL programs. Perhaps some type of local distance-learning program could be set up, one that native speaker teachers could take advantage of given their busy schedules, similar to the Teachers' College Columbia University in Tokyo and the three campuses comprising Temple University Japan.
4 comments:
Since I already live in South Korea, I wouldn't mind working at one of these Stateside universities once I get my PhD, assuming they give tenure-track positions.
This is an excellent idea. Besides attracting Western universities, Korea desperately needs some of its own major universities to open campuses (or even move) to other parts of the country.
That is, if they actually want to develop the nation beyond Seoul.
I do hope they can invite the best universities in Europe too especially UK, German, Swiss and French Universities.
And like kushibo, its ok for me to work there assuming they will offer positions that suits me and my field.
A bit of an update:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/07/16/2009071600258.html
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