[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] The crisis facing local universities, such as the decline in school-age population and under-enrollment of new university students, has come to the forefront.
Suncheon City (Mayor Heo Seok) believes that the crisis of universities should not be left to the universities alone, as the crisis of universities is also the crisis of the region. With this in mind, the city and universities have come together to form a win-win cooperation council to respond to the extinction crisis of local universities, taking the first step on the 30th.
At a small conference room in Suncheon City Hall, the Suncheon City Council, three universities located in Suncheon, the Suncheon Office of Education, and the Suncheon Chamber of Commerce gathered in one place to explore ways for regional and university win-win cooperation.
At this meeting, each institution shared the current status of university cooperation projects and proposed projects that could be linked between the region and universities in the future.
The Suncheon City-University Win-Win Cooperation Council plans to jointly seek ways to enhance competitiveness tailored to the characteristics of each university regarding various issues faced by local universities, and to prepare plans to introduce a customized vocational education system linked to regional specialized industries.
Mayor Heo Seok of Suncheon said, “Universities and the region will have a sense of solidarity and mobilize all regional capabilities to prevent the outflow of excellent local talent to the metropolitan area. We will nurture local talent at universities and establish a virtuous cycle structure so that they can find employment and settle in our region.” He added, “We will innovate local universities and ensure they can settle in the region through communication and cooperation among local governments, businesses, and universities.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
