First National and Public University Merger
1,539 Freshmen to Be Admitted
Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 11th that it will launch the newly integrated "National Kyungguk University" in March 2025 by merging the national Andong National University and Gyeongbuk Provincial University, making it the first such integration of national and public universities in Korea. The new institution will serve as a model for a K-Humanities-centered, public university leading regional innovation.
In response to the government's "Era of Local Universities" initiative last year, Gyeongbuk Province has proactively prepared for the innovation of integrated national and public universities as a university-centered regional development model to overcome the crisis of local extinction caused by declining school-age populations and industrial restructuring.
Based on these efforts, an innovative integration model was pursued, resulting in the selection of the university as a Glocal University by the Ministry of Education in 2023.
As part of the process, a joint committee for the integration of Andong National University and Gyeongbuk Provincial University was formed and operated in August 2023. After collecting opinions from each university and holding explanatory sessions and public hearings, an application for integration was submitted to the Ministry of Education on October 23, 2023.
The Ministry of Education reviewed the feasibility and post-integration specialization plans through five rounds of deliberations and additional written reviews by the National and Public University Integration Review Committee. Based on these results, final approval for the integration was granted on the 7th, and the Ministry plans to revise the National School Establishment Decree to provide a legal basis for the integrated university.
Specifically, the integration will take effect on March 1, 2025, and the new university will be named "National Kyungguk University," which signifies "Comprehensive National University of Gyeongsangbuk-do."
The university headquarters will consist of four divisions, one bureau, and one main office. The Andong campus will have four colleges, while the Yecheon campus will have one college (with four departments). Starting with the 2025 academic year admissions, a total of 1,539 students will be selected (1,429 at the Andong campus and 110 at the Yecheon campus).
As for the main functions of each campus, the Andong campus will focus on leading regional strategic industries in the humanities, bio, and vaccine fields as its key innovation agenda, while the Yecheon campus plans to drive regional development by nurturing talent based on local public sector demand.
The integrated university aims to become a central university for northern Gyeongbuk, encompassing Andong City and Yecheon County, and ultimately the representative comprehensive national university of Gyeongsangbuk-do. Its vision is to become a "K-Humanities-centered, public university at the heart of the world," leading Gyeongbuk's development and growing into a globally competitive institution by promoting glocal university initiatives that reflect local policies and industrial demand.
The main specialization strategies for the integrated university include: (Public University) joint operation with educational and research public institutions to fulfill education and research functions; (Humanities Revolution) globalization of K-Humanities through convergence education with the Korean Studies Advancement Center; (Barrier-Free) building an integrated university among institutions, universities, and students to provide student-centered education; and (Regional Coexistence) fostering regional culture, bio, and vaccine industries to realize cooperative development among high schools, universities, and businesses.
To ensure stable operation of the integrated university, Gyeongbuk Province will actively cooperate to protect the learning rights of current and on-leave students from both Andong National University and Gyeongbuk Provincial University prior to integration, and support the job security of faculty and staff, so that the integrated university can operate smoothly.
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "The integration of Andong National University and Gyeongbuk Provincial University will serve as the only leading model for national and public university integration in Korea. We plan to make it a public university model in which all members of the local community participate for regional innovation," adding, "We will spare no administrative and financial support to ensure that local universities become a successful example of revitalizing the region."
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