National Changwon University Applies for Integration with Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang and Namhae Universities ... Aiming to Launch in 2026

National Changwon University has submitted an integration application to the Ministry of Education together with Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College and Gyeongnam Provincial Namhae College.

The integration application submitted by National Changwon University on the 30th included ▲a specialization plan for the integrated university combining Provincial Geochang College and Provincial Namhae College ▲a plan to reorganize the university operation system after integration ▲a plan to restructure the academic system ▲annual budget requirements ▲and measures for the universities to be integrated.

Changwon National University. Provided by Changwon National University

National Changwon University will name the integrated university "National Changwon University" and designate the existing Changwon University campus as the Changwon Campus, with Geochang College and Namhae College becoming the Geochang Campus and Namhae Campus, respectively.

The Geochang and Namhae campuses will introduce a vice-presidential system, and the administrative organization will be reorganized into 5 offices, 1 bureau, and 5 headquarters.

Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College. Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College Website

The Changwon Campus will transition into a research-oriented university focusing on defense industry, nuclear power, and smart manufacturing linked to regional key industries, as well as nanobio and hydrogen energy.

The Geochang Campus will focus on nurturing customized talents needed for regional characteristics and industrial demand, specializing in public nursing, anti-aging human care, and drone fields, as well as establishing new majors in the defense industry. It will also promote specialization in health fields such as physical therapy and radiology.

The Namhae Campus will specialize in the Department of Aviation, Marine, and Defense to cultivate talents tailored to the province's key industries, the Department of Tourism Convergence to expand education in resort city strategies and healing tourism, and the Department of Energy Safety Convergence to respond to manpower demand in future energy and industrial safety fields such as nuclear power.

Gyeongnam Provincial Namhae College. Screenshot from the official YouTube channel of Gyeongnam Provincial Namhae College.

The integrated university will consist of 3 campuses, 8 colleges, 19 departments, and 55 majors, operating both 2-3 year associate degrees and 4-year bachelor's degrees concurrently.

The student population is expected to be maintained at the current level, and the nursing departments operated by the existing Changwon University and Geochang College will be run separately through campus-specific differentiation.

The Geochang and Namhae campuses will also enable the conversion or establishment of 4-year departments through analysis of admission resources and linkage with regional industries.

The integrated university's budget will total approximately 124.6 billion KRW, including funding from the Glocal University 30 project, national treasury, and the RISE project, with 39.5 billion KRW allocated for building the specialization foundation of the integrated university and 85.1 billion KRW for establishing the educational environment foundation.

Through strengthening cooperation among local government, industry, academia, and research via projects such as the National University Development Project and Glocal University Project, financial investment will be expanded. Even after the Glocal Project ends, various government public projects and national funding programs will be pursued to maintain and develop the current education level and infrastructure of the Geochang and Namhae campuses.

For current students of the existing provincial colleges, measures have been prepared such as allowing transfers to similar departments within the integrated university if their current department is abolished, special transfer admission regulations for similar 4-year departments, maintaining the current scholarship system for 5 years after integration, and granting academic status selection rights upon graduation.

For faculty and staff, efforts will be made to convert faculty members currently holding local government official status to national government officials, and university accounting staff, public officials, and contract workers will be transferred to Changwon University to continue their employment.

Additionally, to ensure stable operation after integration, public officials from Gyeongnam Province will be temporarily dispatched.

Gyeongnam Province and Changwon University aim to launch the integrated university in March 2026, pending approval of the integration by the Ministry of Education in the first half of next year.

The province and Changwon University plan to gather opinions from university advisory committees, university stakeholders, and local residents to prepare for any requests for revisions or supplements to the Ministry of Education's integration plan, striving for a successful university integration and joint growth of the university and the region.