Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: "Innovation Convergence Campus Now Open to Junior Colleges Starting This Year"

Application Submission for Construction Plan by the End of March

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 2nd that from this year, the 'Innovative Convergence Campus' project, which relocates some departments of regional universities to innovation cities to create university campuses, will be expanded to allow junior colleges to apply.

The Innovative Convergence Campus was established to nurture and supply talent needed by companies and public institutions located in innovation cities through cooperation between innovation cities established in 10 locations nationwide and regional universities.

Universities selected as Innovative Convergence Campuses will receive 1.58 billion KRW each from national and local governments, totaling 3.16 billion KRW over four years. In the first year, 1.64 billion KRW will be provided for campus construction costs, and from the second to fourth years, 1.52 billion KRW will be allocated for operating educational programs, employment, and startup support. Especially from this year, the eligibility criteria have been relaxed to allow junior colleges to apply in order to activate university participation.

Last year, Busan Korea Maritime and Ocean University and Dongshin University in Naju, Jeonnam, were selected as project targets for the first time, and the campuses are scheduled to open in March this year.

Universities wishing to participate in this project must prepare an Innovative Convergence Campus construction plan and submit it to the metropolitan city or province. The city or province will then apply to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by official letter by the end of this month.

The constructed campus must be located within the innovation city, and the departments and majors to be relocated must have relevance to the public institutions relocated to the innovation city and the strategic industries of the innovation city.

Additionally, they must comply with the Ministry of Education's 'Regulations on University Establishment and Operation' regarding standards for school buildings, land, and faculty. However, in the case of the Innovative Convergence Campus, it is possible to lease buildings and land to be used as school buildings and land.

A review committee composed of private experts will conduct document screening and on-site evaluations based on the project plans submitted by universities applying for the project. After a two-month review, the support targets for the Innovative Convergence Campus will be decided, and national subsidies are planned to be granted in June.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated that it plans to gradually expand the Innovative Convergence Campus in the future.