When is a university truly global?

By Michael L. McManus

We hear a lot about the globalization of education these days. It is one of the main ways that universities from around the world compete with each other for better rankings on lists drawn up by various organizations. The ranking of a university can mean everything. If one in Korea, Japan or Taiwan goes from a worldwide ranking of 18 to say 7, this is regarded as a major leap and would represent a significant victory for the school. Parents would be proud of course, but they may also be asked to pay more tuition as a result. Students and alumni would revel in the glory, with professors claiming their fair share too after any big movement in rankings.

Overall rankings among Korea’s universities are based on many scientific factors, as well as some less tangible ― but no less meaningful ― criteria.

A top 10 global campus in Korea needs to look like a global campus. The layout and quality of buildings for student lectures, science facilities and laboratories must be clean and organized. Landscaping must be perfectly manicured and made to look special. There also needs to be special integrated activities for international students. Student ambassadors, faculty ambassadors, and presidential dinners should also feature.

A major dimension of university globalization is inbound students - how they got there, are they happy, and do they want to stay longer? After all, if they are happy with the university, its services, and its teachers and programs, they may want to stay and contribute more to Korea. At three universities where I teach in the Seoul area, I survey the students often, and in particular, the inbound ones from all over the world. The good news is overwhelming. They all love Korea for its energy, its digital qualities, its culture, food and kindness of the Korean people. Many of these students extend their stay with an internship or a second semester.

A truly global university also has outbound programs where Korean students can pick a qualified university abroad for a one-semester exchange with full-credit transfer. Another possibility is a dual-degree program where the student spends two or more semesters abroad and comes home to finish both degree requirements.

This means the student can have a dual bachelor’s degree from two different countries. We conducted many dual-degree programs successfully with French, German, Dutch and Danish universities. These programs can happen very easily where there is passion and a correct approach from senior administrators. Some schools, including Korean universities, give tuition discounts and jobs on campus to help out financially. The tuition costs in Europe and Asia are about the same as Korea.

The European Business School in Schloss Reichartshausen near Wiesbaden was Germany’s first university business school to require students to spend one semester in another country in Europe and one outside of Europe. Under the bold leadership of Klaus Evard, the program remains one of few with such stringent foreign study requirements. I have conducted many alumni interviews with these students and they are enormously grateful for the two semesters in two countries policy.

As a president who introduced these programs at my own university, I have enjoyed sending faculty colleagues to exotic places to teach (Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Paris, Rhine River and even Russia). It is a great perk for a senior faculty member to spend a few weeks being treated like a king.

However, the story is not entirely positive. Many domestic students lack the perception that this experience will make them far more attractive in the labor market. It may be a job clincher, in fact. Other negatives exist within the universities themselves. If they do not put people in international administration jobs that have a passion for global education, little innovation will happen. I have witnessed first-hand universities putting people in such roles that could care less about global education. For them, it was just a job. For rankings to climb, schools need to search for passionate people who are qualified for these positions. Universities are struggling everywhere to define and re-define their globalization. A new paradigm is needed, and new ideas will generate that paradigm.

Presidents and vice presidents need to establish an organizational culture that allows creative globalists the necessary freedom to innovate. Then we will be truly on the way to a new paradigm.

Michael McManus contributes a column to The Korea Times twice monthly. He is an adjunct professor at Sookmyung Womens’ University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Gachon University.