Education leaders, envoys urge Korean universities to expand global reach

Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Ho, right, speaks to other foreign envoys during a VIP session at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference in Seoul, Wednesday. From left, Omani Ambassador to Korea Zakariya bin Hamad Al-Saadi, Kazakh Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov, Malaysian Ambassador Dato Mohd Zamruni Khalid, Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov, New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennet and Ho. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

University leaders and foreign diplomats underscored the importance of international cooperation in higher education at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference in Seoul Wednesday, calling it vital for both Korea’s competitiveness and the global exchange of experts.

While Korea’s soft power has made its culture an increasingly sought-after commodity, experts at the conference argued that the country’s universities must do more to compete for the best and the brightest around the globe. With a demographic cliff looming and the nation’s economic future hanging in the balance, failure to attract and retain foreign professionals could stifle innovation and threaten Korea’s long-term prosperity.

Ewha Womans University President Lee Hyang-sook said the event comes at a time when Korean universities are drawing growing global attention.

“I heard that The Korea Times is planning evaluation programs to raise the global standards of domestic universities,” she said. “As Korea becomes more globalized and attracts more inbound and outbound students, I believe this forum will play a role in elevating the global status of our education.”

Kyung Hee University President Kim Jin-sang highlighted the connection between education and Korea’s trade-driven economy.

“Our country has built its economic ecosystem on trade and exports, so the economy is very important,” he said. “Because the economy operates on a global stage, internationalization is essential, and the same applies to education. That is why today’s conference will be of great help.”

Han Sang-shin, president of the National Institute for International Education under the Ministry of Education, emphasized the need to integrate international students into Korean society.

“It was good that this forum delved deeply into linking employment for international students,” he said. “This is the right discussion for our times. Korea is becoming a more open country, and with 250,000 foreign students currently here, it is time to seriously discuss how to integrate them into our community.”

Foreign envoys also voiced strong support for cross-border cooperation. Swedish Ambassador Karl-Olof Andersson said, “Higher education and research and innovation is a very important topic in today’s world, and it’s very important to learn from each other and to collaborate on this, so I look forward to learning more about how Korea works with these issues.”

The Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho speaks with New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennet during a VIP session at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennet stressed the importance of student exchanges.

“Higher education is very important for a modern world for all of our youth,” she said. “New Zealand is very keen to attract more Korean students, and I know that many more New Zealand students are also looking at coming to Korea. So I hope that we can continue to have this very productive exchange between our young people at our universities.”

Indian Deputy Ambassador Nishi Kant Singh pointed to growing academic collaboration between India and Korea.

“Already we have a good number of Indian researchers and students who are studying in Korea,” he said. “They are doing their post-Ph.D. and are contributing to the technological advancement of Korea, so there is an opportunity to connect.”

The conference, held under the theme “Beyond Borders: Strengthening Global Competitiveness of Korean Universities,” brought together policymakers, ambassadors and education leaders to explore strategies for attracting more international students, enhancing global rankings and supporting career pathways in Korea.