"Essential for Strengthening Regional Education Competitiveness and Cultivating Quality Talent"
[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] Goyang City, which is set to launch as a special city in January next year, has asserted the necessity of establishing a university in the special city.
On the 15th, Goyang City stated, "In order to strengthen the region's educational competitiveness and foster high-quality customized talent, the special city must secure the authority to establish universities."
Currently, Article 7 of the 'Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act' prohibits the establishment of new universities in overcrowding control zones. Article 3 of the 'Higher Education Act' limits school establishment authority to the national and metropolitan city levels.
If the authority for 'establishment and operation of universities' is transferred to special cities, Goyang City will also be able to establish universities.
Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Goyang City, said, "To meet the insufficient university demand within Goyang City and to promote mutual development between universities and local communities through human resource development and regional economic revitalization, the authority for 'university establishment and operation' must also be transferred."
Goyang City currently has four universities: Korea Aerospace University, Nonghyup University, Joongbu University Goyang Campus, and Dongguk University Biomedi Campus.
The city expects that if the authority to establish universities is transferred to the special city, the 1.09 million citizens of Goyang will be able to receive quality higher education at affordable costs, leading to an improvement in the average educational level in the Goyang area and economic value creation through employment generation.
Additionally, it will be possible to establish customized universities suited to regional characteristics linked with Gyeonggi Goyang Broadcasting and Video Valley, Goyang Ilsan Techno Valley, CJ Live City, and IP Convergence Content Cluster, as well as to build industry-academia cooperation systems.
However, although Goyang City has been designated as a special city, it still faces some restrictions in becoming a self-sufficient city due to triple regulations of overcrowding control zones, development restriction zones, and military protection zones.
Regarding this, a city official said, "With amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Local Autonomy Act and others, allowing university establishment in the special city of Goyang with a population of 1.09 million will enable it to be a 'substantial special city,' not just in name, thereby improving citizens' quality of life."
Meanwhile, following the passage of the 'Complete Revision of the Local Autonomy Act' by the National Assembly at the end of last year, Goyang City with a population of 1.09 million will be promoted to a special city on January 13 next year.
The National Assembly's Administration and Security Committee specified in its supplementary opinion that "when designating special cities, no special provisions may infringe on financial privileges or the authority to approve city or provincial basic urban plans."
The four cities (Goyang, Suwon, Yongin, Changwon) view the transfer of authority commensurate with their designation as special cities as essential for the launch of special cities and are actively seeking to secure such authority.
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