The international school establishment project promoted on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon is set to accelerate after more than 10 years.
On the 31st, Incheon City announced that it had selected 'Wycombe Abbey,' a private school in Buckinghamshire, UK, as the preferred negotiator for the international public competition for foreign school corporations in Yeongjong Midan City. 'Wycombe' is the name of a town located in Buckinghamshire, England, UK, and 'Abbey' refers to a monastery or dormitory, reflecting the identity of a boarding school.
The core of this project is to attract an international school to the educational research facility site (96,000㎡) in Yeongjong Midan City, aiming to open in 2028, marking the start of the project after more than a decade. Notably, this international school attraction is recognized as the first successful case in Korea through an international public competition, unlike the previous method pursued through private contracts.
Founded in 1896, Wycombe Abbey has maintained a high level of education and admission rates for 129 years, producing distinguished alumni in fields such as politics, law, and media. Notable alumni include Dame Sue Carr, the first female President of the Supreme Court of Wales, former UK Senator Elspeth Howe, and Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer of the BBC.
Wycombe Abbey has sent 93% of its graduates to the top 100 global universities according to QS rankings, and about 30% of its graduates over the past 10 years have been admitted to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
In addition to its main campus in the UK, Wycombe Abbey operates five expansion campuses in China and Hong Kong and is preparing to open campuses in Singapore and Egypt. While the main campus operates as a girls' boarding school, overseas campuses including Yeongjong Midan City will be coeducational. Wycombe Abbey’s experience in operating overseas branches was highly evaluated in this selection process.
Aerial view of Wicom Abby Incheon Midan City Campus. Provided by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority.
Earlier, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority held the main evaluation on the 28th and reviewed seven foreign school corporations from the US, UK, and Canada that participated in the competition. Wycombe Abbey submitted a proposal for an international school equipped with academic facilities, arts and performance facilities, a library, and a sports complex.
The final establishment plan will be confirmed through business agreement negotiations with the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority and consultations with the education office. The Authority plans to visit Wycombe Abbey’s main campus within this year to verify the proposal and conduct due diligence before signing the business agreement.
Wycombe Abbey will be the first international school in Yeongjong International City. Based on this, the city plans to improve living conditions for foreigners, promote investment attraction, and accelerate the revitalization of Midan City. Currently, among the Incheon Free Economic Zones, Songdo has two international schools, Chadwick and Calvin Manitoba, and Cheongna has the Dalton Foreign School.
Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, said, "The establishment of the first international school in Yeongjong will be a turning point that raises the region’s international status beyond simply expanding educational infrastructure," adding, "We will spare no administrative support to ensure the international school establishment proceeds smoothly."
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