Higher Education in a Tense Northeast Asia: What To Do for 300K International Students?
In August, President Joe Biden expressed enthusiasm about the summit involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan at Camp David, describing it as a "great meeting." This was followed by a September summit between North Korea and Russia, and an October summit is scheduled between China and Russia at the Belt and Road Forum. These developments show a shifting political dynamic in Northeast Asia, with South Korea, the U.S., and Japan on one side, and North Korea, China, and Russia on the other.
Global higher education education trends and international student movements are notably affected by these geopolitical shifts, as seen from the world universities' focus on the Middle East due to the conflicts involving Israel and Hamas.
South Korea's strategy to draw closer to the U.S. and Japan while distancing itself from China was also evident in the "Study Korea 300K" initiative announced in August. Under the banner of strengthening global collaborations to attract 300,000 international students during President Yoon Seok-yeol's term, the plan heavily emphasizes increased exchanges with the U.S. and Japan. It suggests initiatives like creating a joint exchange program between South Korea and Japan and strengthening private sector collaborations. This strategy notably underscores cooperation primarily with the U.S. and Japan.
Data from 2022 shows that South Korean universities hosted around 3,300 students from the U.S. and 5,700 from Japan, making up 2% and 3.4% of the total foreign student populace, respectively. Interestingly, a significant portion of these students from the U.S. and Japan are not pursuing regular degree programs, indicating the need for strategies to encourage them to seek full degrees. Conversely, the influx of Chinese students to South Korea has consistently ranged between 60,000 to 70,000 since 2016, after crossing the 50,000 mark in 2009.
About 40% of South Korea's foreign student demographic is Chinese, with a vast majority enrolled in traditional degree courses, and a significant fraction in postgraduate programs. While there have been concerns about the lack of support for Chinese students potentially fostering anti-Korean sentiments, South Korean academic qualifications still appear to be seen as cost-effective.
However, there are uncertainties regarding how Chinese educational bodies and students will perceive South Korea's inclination to distance itself from China. China's prominence as a leading sender of international students underscores its importance, especially for South Korean universities aiming to attract the best international talent.
The focus shouldn't exclusively be on the U.S., China, and Japan. Regions like the Middle East, India, and Africa, which are gaining attention from global academic institutions, should also be on South Korea's radar.
Donald Trump's "America First" stance was a significant factor in the reduced growth of foreign students in the U.S. over recent years. Similarly, the 2016-2017 THAAD controversy resulted in a decline of Chinese students in South Korea. The strategy emphasizing relations between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, along with plans to boost international student numbers in the upcoming years, should be thoughtfully evaluated, considering Northeast Asia's educational dynamics and the global race for top talent.
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* Disclaimer
This content is a translation of the article in Korean published in The Kyunghyang Shinmun, one of the widely-subsribed news outlet in South Korea. For the original article, please visit https://www.khan.co.kr/opinion/contribution/article/202310222024015.
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