"Project Heavily Concentrated in Cheonan and Other Northern Areas...
Regional Imbalances Are Worsening"
Chungnam Provincial Assembly member Lee Sanggeun delivering a 5-minute speech related to the Chungnam Rise Project
On the morning of April 22, Lee Sanggeun, a member of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly (People Power Party, Hongseong 1), emphasized the need to consider balanced regional development when implementing the 'Chungnam RISE (Regional Innovation System for Education) Project' during a 5-minute speech at the 4th plenary session of the 358th temporary meeting of the provincial assembly.
The RISE Project is a national initiative that aims to foster talent and revitalize the local economy by using regional universities, which are facing crises due to population decline and concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area, as hubs. This year, Chungnam Province received the highest rating in the Ministry of Education's evaluation, secured an additional 17.4 billion won in national funding, and is now carrying out the project with a total budget of 136.2 billion won.
Lee pointed out, "Universities in Chungnam are concentrated in the northern region, such as Cheonan and Asan, and there are significant differences in scale and capabilities between universities in the northern and southwestern regions." He added, "A competition-based selection process that focuses solely on competitiveness could further intensify regional imbalances."
He then cited Gyeongbuk Province's 'One City/County-One University-One Specialization Project' and Jeonnam's 'Regional Cooperation System' as exemplary cases, suggesting, "Chungnam should also ensure that the project is not concentrated in certain areas by allocating separate budgets for universities in the southwestern region and providing systematic support for the development of specialized educational programs."
He continued, "For the RISE Project to succeed, attracting outstanding companies must go hand in hand with university support," and stressed, "If there are no quality jobs, it will be difficult for local talent to settle in the region."
He also emphasized, "We must strengthen existing industrial foundations while actively working to attract competitive companies in advanced and new growth industries," and added, "To achieve this, it is urgent to create a business-friendly environment and expand effective tax benefits."
Lee stated, "Fair evaluation and flexible policy implementation that reflects regional characteristics are necessary," and called on Chungnam Province to "create a new growth model in which universities, businesses, and the region can prosper together through the RISE Project."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
