KS's Global Insights into Higher Education

At OO University, President Z initiated a town hall meeting, seeking input on the pressing issue of internationalization. Student Council President A was the first to point out the struggle faced by foreign students in integrating with the campus learning community and its culture. When Dean B lamented the decline in class quality due to the influx of underqualified foreign students, Director C of Planning rebutted, arguing the necessity for financial gain and improved external evaluations. Director D of the International Affairs Division underscored the need for the university's active participation and support in internationalization initiatives, citing a recent meeting with the Department of Education's official in charge of international education. Director E of the Office of International Affairs underscored the urgency for preemptive measures given the unprecedented intensification of global competition for student recruitment. Pondering these remarks, President Z asked, ...

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...