Skip to main content

International Expansion: What Can We Learn from Temple University Japan's Success?

Syracuse University, based in the United States, has highlighted its interest in establishing an International Branch Campus (IBC) in South Korea. This is part of a broader initiative led by the university's president to strengthen ties with South Korea and is indicative of the global engagement trend that is increasingly being embraced by higher education institutions worldwide.


South Korea's higher education system is faced with a challenge due to an impending decline in the number of potential college students - projected to drop from 450,000 in 2020 to a worrying 280,000 in 2040. This demographic shift might suggest that the timing is not right for such international expansion. However, the reality on the ground indicates that there has been steady enrolment growth in the three US and one Belgian branch campuses currently hosted in the country.


The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the value of IBCs in South Korea. With international travel restrictions in place, these campuses have provided a much-needed alternative for students seeking a diverse educational experience. The result has been a surge in enrolment at IBCs over the past decade, peaking at a record high in 2023 when the aggregate enrolment exceeded 4,000 students.


As cross-border travel restrictions begin to ease, more students are exploring alternatives to traditional higher education. They are considering attending foreign higher learning programmes in South Korea, a shift accelerated by foreign universities' initiative to recruit students using the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test, the national examination for college admissions.


Temple University Japan Campus (TUJ) provides an illuminating case study for IBCs. Despite facing demographic and competition challenges similar to those in South Korea, TUJ has successfully diversified its enrolment. This has been facilitated by its ability to sponsor visas for its international students, reducing dependence on the local market.


South Korea can learn valuable lessons from TUJ's experiences as it seeks to ensure the viability of its own IBCs. Unlike Japan, transnational higher education in South Korea has grappled with a low international enrolment rate, despite several government incentives such as accreditation from the Ministry of Education, start-up funds, annual subsidies, tax exemption and full facility support.


South Korean IBCs could benefit from implementing strategies similar to TUJ's to diversify and increase enrolment, thereby enhancing their relevance to both local and global markets. However, they must also adapt to the evolving higher education landscape, being ready to respond quickly and effectively to new conditions and trends. The global context in which these branches operate has changed dramatically, and they must be prepared to adapt just as rapidly.


--------------------------

* Disclaimer

This content is an edited summary of the article published in June 2023 on the "University World News". For the original article, please visit https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230613094727593.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Export of Education: Korean Universities' Path to Internationalization in post-COVID World

The COVID-19 pandemic has held sway over the globe for over two years now, yet the fervor of countless experts involved in internationalization at local Korean universities remains undeterred. In January, approximately 230 faculty and staff members from various local universities converged at the 22nd regular general meeting of the Korean Association of International Educators in Jeju. The gathering served as a platform for them to engage in fervent dialogues on innovation and development in international exchange, as well as the management of foreign student recruitment. This could be attributed not only to their concerted efforts toward internationalizing domestic universities, but potentially also to their experience working in American universities operating within Korea. The idea of 'internationalization' has entrenched itself as a top policy priority in our universities for over two decades. Despite apprehensions over rapid quantitative growth and the manifestation of uni...
5 comments
Read more

Beyond Traditional Models: Analyzing Tuition Policy Change with Brand-new Conceptual Framework

The university tuition policy is a critical issue from the perspective of "Who should bear the cost of higher education services?" It's a significant higher education policy intertwined with many societal interests and a political agenda, drawing substantial attention from educational policy authorities and the political realm. Research on university tuition fees has largely focused on the justification and development direction of tuition policies in terms of educational finance, social and historical interpretations, and analysis of tuition fee determination processes. Some previous studies have used the Multiple Streams Framework for policy formation and change analysis, but they generally rely on the traditional Kingdon model, resulting in a superficial description of policy change phenomena.  Efforts have been made to refine and apply these models in educational policy analysis, both domestically and internationally. This study combines the Modified Multiple Streams ...
2 comments
Read more

10 Years of Incheon Global Campus: Achievements, Obstacles, and Future Prospects

In 2012, South Korea initiated a global educational hub called Incheon Global Campus (IGC) as part of government-led efforts to globalize higher education. This article explores the developments at the US campuses in Korea over the past decade. South Korea is globally renowned for its contribution to international student mobility, with roughly 200,000 Korean students enrolled in higher education institutions worldwide in 2020. Notably, the most popular destination was the US, followed by China, Japan, and Canada. However, this student mobility is largely outbound, with the number of Korean students studying abroad significantly outnumbering incoming international students. This has led to a substantial trade deficit in education. In an attempt to balance this situation, the Korean government, inspired by globalisation and international pressures, encouraged educational exchanges by setting up the IGC, inviting prestigious universities to establish campuses in Korea. This initiative ai...
1 comment
Read more