KS's Global Insights into Higher Education

In the arena of transnational higher education, South Korea has historically been more of an importer than an exporter. This is exemplified by the array of international branch campuses at the Incheon Global Campus in Songdo International City. However, South Korea's foray into establishing a global presence for its higher education institutions has been relatively recent, commencing in earnest only after 1995, when the concept of ‘education as a service’ was formalised following the General Agreement on Trade in Services. Since 2006, the South Korean government has pursued policies to elevate the global standing of its higher education sector. Initial efforts were centred around exporting higher education services and supporting the establishment of overseas branch campuses, coupled with regulatory adjustments to aid these expansions. These policies have evolved over the years, embodying a more dynamic and versatile approach to global education, and South Korean universities have ...

In an interconnected world suffused with digital media, the framework of governance has shifted, morphing into what is termed as "Infocracy." This concept has not only redefined the shape and form of democratic governance but also extended its reach to the sphere of international higher education.  In his book “Infokratie”, Byung-Chul Han, a well-known South Korean-born philosopher, argues that Infocracy represents a new form of governance in the context of modern informational capitalism. Unlike industrial capitalism, which exerts control through force and oppression, Infocracy manipulates freedom for control. While we perceive ourselves to be free in this world, awash with accessible information, the reality is that our lives are being meticulously documented, making us susceptible to institutional control. It is an insightful paradox that, under a neoliberal information system, power mechanisms operate not because people are aware of constant surveillance, but because they...