'100 Billion Won Over 5 Years' Glocal Universities 10 Sites Main Designation... "No Regional or School Type Quotas" (Comprehensive)

Daegu Health College - Gwangju Health College - Daejeon Health College, etc.
Universities in 'Alliance' Form Also Selected... Preliminary Selection This Year
Universities Recommended to Recognize Preliminary Designation Status Next Year

This year, 10 schools have been selected as Glocal Universities, which will receive approximately 100 billion KRW in support and regulatory innovation over the next five years. The Glocal University Committee emphasized that the selection process focused on 'innovation' without separate consideration of regional balance or types such as national or private universities.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Education and the Glocal University Committee announced the results of this year's official designation evaluation for Glocal Universities, selecting a total of 10 schools: ▲Konyang University ▲Kyungpook National University ▲Mokpo National University ▲Changwon National University, Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College, Gyeongnam Provincial Namhae College, Korea Elevator University ▲Dong-A University, Dongseo University ▲Daegu Health College, Gwangju Health College, Daejeon Health College ▲Daegu Haany University ▲Wonkwang University, Wonkwang Health Science University ▲Inje University ▲Handong Global University.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Glocal University 30 project was launched last year to overcome the common crises faced by regions and regional universities, such as population decline, youth migration to the metropolitan area, and changes in industrial structure. The strategy focuses on intensive investment in 30 models that can lead university-regional co-growth based on innovation breaking down barriers inside and outside universities and partnerships with local governments and industries. Once designated as a Glocal University, each school will receive about 100 billion KRW in support over five years. Following the selection of 10 schools last year and 10 this year, the Ministry of Education plans to designate around 30 universities by 2026.

Kim Joong-soo, Chair of the Glocal University Committee, explained at a briefing on the official designation results held at the Seoul Government Complex on the morning of the 28th, "During the evaluation, there were no regulations discriminating based on whether the university was national or private, general or specialized, nor was there regional balancing." He also emphasized that the principle of no regional or school-type discrimination will be maintained when selecting an additional 10 schools later.

A total of 109 universities applied for designation as Glocal Universities this year, and 20 passed the preliminary designation evaluation in April. In this official designation evaluation, the implementation plans established jointly with local governments and industries to realize the innovation plans of the preliminary designated universities were assessed. The evaluation covered three areas: appropriateness of the plan, performance management, and local government support.

The evaluation committee assessed that the innovation strategies of Glocal Universities have become more systematized compared to last year. Differentiated models were presented, including maximizing synergy through university integration and alliances, alliances with research institutes and industries, and global expansion based on university specialization, all while fundamentally including academic system flexibility. For the first time this year, a 'university alliance' model was selected.

The Glocal University Committee recommended to the Ministry of Education that the three universities (Soonchunhyang University, Chonnam National University, Yonsei University Mirae Campus) that were not designated in the 2023 official designation evaluation but received preliminary designation status this year should not be granted preliminary designation status next year. However, the seven universities newly preliminarily designated in 2024 should have their preliminary designation status recognized. Chair Kim stated regarding the three universities that consecutively failed the official designation evaluation last year and this year, "If they want to try again, they must start over from the beginning," adding, "There was no special treatment or discrimination for universities that had preliminary designation."

Matters related to maintaining preliminary designation status will be finalized through public hearings on the 2025 Glocal University designation plan and other opinion-gathering processes. A Ministry of Education official added, "We will finalize and announce the plan for next year's Glocal Universities within this year."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education warned three universities selected as Glocal Universities last year?Gyeongsang National University, Kangwon National University & Gangneung-Wonju National University, and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology?that if they fail to properly implement their innovation plans, their Glocal University designation may be revoked or funding reduced. Yoon So-young, Director of Regional Talent Policy at the Ministry of Education, said, "We have sent official letters warning that for the three universities that lowered their targets compared to the original execution plans, we may reduce project funds or cancel designation. However, we must go through a process to verify whether the targets proposed last year can actually be achieved. Rather than specifying a timing, we need to closely monitor trends to decide the timing of re-evaluation."

In response, Chair Kim said, "We held a Glocal University Committee meeting last month to evaluate performance management and recommended the results to the Ministry of Education," adding, "Our goal is to encourage universities to keep their original commitments rather than to impose penalties. We do not intend to penalize any school for mistakes."