KS's Global Insights into Higher Education

Within the capitalist system, the functioning of the world can be broadly divided into two parts: those who 'give money' and those who 'receive money'. Employers provide wages to employees, expecting corresponding or, at times, greater productivity in return. Those on the receiving end get paid as a reward for the added value and utility they provide to those who give the money. Consider the term 'draw' commonly used in a business environment, from this perspective. 'Draw', literally meaning 'a tie', represents a so-called 'honeymoon' period – a temporary phase where an employer tolerates the absence of corresponding returns to the resources invested, such as wages, training expenses, and employee benefits. This usually happens when a new employee is hired or moves to a new position. It's evident that generating immediate results commensurate with the received wage is not an easy task, regardless of the organization or the rank and st...

In the year 2012, while travelling through Australia with my family, we set out on a quest to see kangaroos in the wild. After scouring the internet, we stumbled upon a series of Korean blog posts that indicated we could encounter these fascinating creatures frolicking in vast, verdant meadows in a small town, roughly two hours northeast of Sydney. We arrived in this quaint, sparsely populated town by train, only to learn we had to journey another 20 minutes by taxi to reach our desired location. A local Aussie lady, upon seeing our group waiting for the taxi, appeared bemused, then left us with this parting comment before continuing on her way: "Our quiet town has recently begun to see many visitors from South Korea." Once we encountered the kangaroos, bounding freely through the grassy expanse, our family was filled with a sense of exhilaration as our ignorance and curiosity were simultaneously satiated. As the lady at the train station suggested, Korean tourists indeed see...

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...