20 universities, including Kyungpook National University and Chonnam National University, were designated as preliminary glocal universities

Twenty universities, including Kyungpook National University and Chonnam National University, have been preliminary designated for the ‘Glocal University’ project, to which the government is providing unprecedented support of 100 billion won.

The Ministry of Education and the Glocal University Committee announced the ‘2024 Glocal University Preliminary Designation Evaluation Results’ on the 16th.

Glocal University is a project where the government provides financial support and relaxes various regulations so that universities outside the metropolitan area can grow into world-class local universities. The government plans to select 30 places by 2026 and provide support of 100 billion won to each place, 20 billion won each year. Last year, 94 innovation plans were submitted and 10 were selected, and this year, 15 out of 65 innovation plans passed preliminary designation. In addition, five universities (Soonchunhyang University, Yonsei University Wonju, Inje University, Chonnam National University, and Handong University) that were eliminated from the main designation after passing the preliminary designation last year also maintained their preliminary designation status this year.

A total of 39 universities (31 general universities, 8 junior colleges) applied independently this year, and 6 of them received preliminary designation (Konyang University, Kyungnam University, Kyungpook National University, Daegu Haany University, Mokpo University, and Hannam University). As for the integrated application submitted on the premise of integrating two or more universities, three out of six (Wonkwang University + Wonkwang Health Science University, Changwon National University + Provincial Geochang University + Provincial Namhae University and Seunggang University, and Chungnam National University + Hanbat National University) received preliminary designation.

The joint application (two or more universities jointly submitting an innovation plan), which was introduced for the first time this year, received 20 applications and 6 were adopted. The places that passed were △Dongmyung University, Silla University, △Dongshin University, Chodang University, Mokpo University of Science, △Dong-A University, Dongseo University, △Daegu Public Health University, Gwangju Public Health University, and Daejeon Public Health University, △Yungnam University, Geumoh Institute of Technology, △Ulsan College of Science, and Yeonam Institute of Technology.

Last year, in the first round of designation, only 3 out of 10 were private universities, and the acceptance rate of universities that applied on the premise of integration was high, raising voices of dissatisfaction among general private universities. This year, 16 private general universities and 10 junior colleges were included in the preliminary designation, which appears to be a leap forward compared to the previous year. However, in the case of private general universities, most of them applied for integration or joint applications, and out of 26 schools that applied independently, only 4 were selected and are still applying independently. The passing rate was low. On the other hand, two of the five national universities that applied independently were selected. Five out of nine regional national universities were selected as glocal universities last year, and three of the remaining four were preliminary designated this year, so there was still a ‘concentration of applications for national universities and integrated universities.’

Universities that have been preliminarily designated this time must establish and submit an action plan specifying the tasks contained in the innovation plan together with local governments and local industries by the end of July. The Ministry of Education and the Glocal University Committee plan to review the action plan and finally designate about 10 glocal universities at the end of August.

Sejong = Reporter Yuna Kim [email protected]

[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]