ID :
39030
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 13:03
Auther :

(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Jan. 6) - Foreign students

The number of foreign students in Korean universities is growing rapidly. Their
contribution to total enrollment still remains low compared to U.S. and European
universities and a further influx should be welcome to help Korea become a
regional hub of education. But the sudden increase in foreign students on
university campuses, which is more evident in provincial universities, is not
without problems.
A lack of geographical diversity is a major problem. Education authorities reveal
about 44,000, or more than 70 percent of the 60,000 foreign students here, are
from China, and disproportionately large numbers are attending schools in
Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces. They come to these areas chiefly for what are
seen as logistical factors - relatively lower living costs and proximity to Seoul
- rather than any particular academic reasons. A bigger problem is that some
schools operate "international exchange programs" as a means of easing their
financial difficulties.
Provincial universities which in recent years have suffered from declining
applications have turned their eyes overseas and the outcome is remarkable.
Cheongju University in North Chungcheong Province, for example, now has 1,420
students from 27 foreign countries, accounting for nearly 9 percent of total
enrollment (comparable to the OECD average of 9.6 percent). Chungnam National
University has 1,084 international students while as many as 17 provincial
institutions have attracted more than 500 foreign students each, according to a
Weekly Chosun report.
These universities have made considerable investments in facilities to provide
for the growing number of international students. Yet, their efforts to improve
international faculty remain much less enthusiastic because of the high cost
involved and not many lectures are given in English, thus requiring foreign
students to spend a lot of time learning Korean.
Students are coming from China, Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan mostly with the
purpose of becoming specialized in Korea and getting Korea-related jobs in trade,
finance, tourism and other areas. And many chose Korea because it is less
expensive than Japan. Universities need to make more effort to offer quality
education for foreign students, whatever goals they might have.
It is accepted nowadays that universities, including reputed ones in America and
Europe, try to attract foreign students to undergraduate and graduate programs
for increased tuition income as well as higher global recognition. But there can
be a big difference in what is given in return - between academic excellence that
can help graduates enjoy a successful career, and a mere diploma that carries
little practical value.
Korean universities, whether in Seoul, Busan or the provinces, should seek
academic advancement through broader acceptance of international faculty as they
expand international student admissions. If individual schools try to recruit
students from overseas simply to meet their financial needs without corresponding
efforts to enrich their academic capabilities, Korean institutes of higher
learning will collectively lose out to the international educational competition.
(END)

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