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By: Park Jun-hee - The Korea Herald
https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40030278 Featured articles
South Korea unveils 5-year plan to

attract 300,000 foreign students

South Korea’s Ministry of Education on Wednesday Once the system takes effect, students with
unveiled a five-year plan aimed at attracting 300,000 either a master’s or doctoral degree in science
international students to tackle the nation’s rapidly and technology can receive permanent resident
declining school-age population and to strengthen status or Korean citizenship in three years instead
the competitiveness of local universities already of six. As part of post-graduation work programs,
reeling from enrollment shortages. the Education Ministry will also help science and
technology students gain work experience in their
To attract more foreign students to enrol in Korean field at medium-sized companies after graduating.
universities, the Education Ministry plans to revise
the International Education Quality Assurance Those with a D-2 visa, or student visa holders, will
System, which stipulates that more than 30 % of be able to work up to 40 hours per week. Previously,
foreign first-year students must be either level two they were not allowed to work more than 25 hours
or three holders of the Test of Proficiency in Korean per week. Foreign students can also do up to 30
(TOPIK). hours of part-time work.

Instead, the ministry will consider lifting the Separately, a “science card,” which includes
requirement barrier while strengthening education incentives such as a longer stay in Korea, will be
on the Korean language and culture. It will also make given to international students recruited by national
the current offline TOPIK exam available online. The research institutes.
Education Ministry will also team up with the Culture
Ministry to cater to the growing demand for Korean To draw foreign talent from English-speaking
language learning. countries, the Education Ministry plans to offer more
courses taught in English at universities, since most
Addressing the prolonged decline in birth rate, such classes are in Korean. Tailor-made courses on
leading to labour shortages and a workforce affected academic writing and research ethics will be available
by a brain drain, the ministry said it would bring in on open online services that provide free education
foreign students specializing in science, technology courses.
and engineering to bolster the country’s high-
tech industries. The fully funded Global Korea The ministry will also inject 80.7 billion won (US$60.4
Scholarship program will provide financial aid for million) into universities’ graduate school support
2,700 international students studying science and projects -- a project aimed at improving universities’
engineering in master’s and doctoral programs by academic climate and capacity to respond to societal
2027. The scholarship will also support 6,000 non- changes -- to enhance the quality of the international
science subject students. student experience on campus.

To attract high-skilled talent, the ministry in particular The ministry will collaborate with regional
hopes to expand state scholarships for students administrations beyond Seoul to attract international
from countries with high demand for economic talent to universities in these areas, which it sees as
cooperation with Korea. These include Poland -- a measure that could rescue colleges in rural areas
known for its aerospace and defence industries -- and suffering from enrollment shortages.
the United Arab Emirates, which has a large nuclear
energy sector. It plans to rename international education zones
Currently, students from China, Vietnam and “Global Talent focused Special Zones for the
Uzbekistan make up 68 % of the international student Internationalization of Education” to develop
quota in Korea, with many of them concentrating regional balance and foreign talent.
their studies on humanities majors, according to the
ministry. The government will also establish service centres for
international students at overseas Korean education
Calling cutting-edge industries the “source of national centres to encourage them to study in Korea.
competitiveness,” Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said
his ministry is committed to supporting foreign For non-science students, the ministry will help
talents to settle in local communities. them learn Korean culture and norms through
courses at Korean language centres. They will also
“We are in desperate need of nurturing (science) explore career paths through internship programs
talent at a time when the war for technological and hands-on experiences offered by universities
supremacy is intensifying. Japan, for example, has and local governments.
set a target of attracting 400,000 foreign students
by 2033. Now is the time to attract foreign talent More international exchange programs will be
strategically,” Lee said during a press briefing held at offered to elementary, middle and high schoolers so
the Government Complex Seoul. that young foreign students could later visit Korea
for academic purposes.
Under the new scheme, the Education Ministry
said it would team up with the Ministry of Justice “Strengthened trilateral cooperation between South
to establish a fast-track visa system to woo foreign Korea, the US and Japan, for example, could pave
science and technology talent so that foreign-born the way for more diverse youth exchanges and
applicants will no longer face red tape and excessive study abroad programs that could improve students’
visa delays. intellectuality,” Lee said.

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