Hanyang to set up tech schools in Asia

By Na Jeong-ju

Hanyang University President Lim Duck-ho said Wednesday the school plans to set up branches in Asian countries where Korea’s economic and cultural presence is growing as part of its globalization programs.

Its first branch school will be established in the Malaysian city of Seremban, some 60 kilometers southeast of the capital Kuala Lumpur by 2014 in close partnership with the city government and Beta Group, a Malaysian engineering firm.

The school, tentatively named Hanyang Malaysia Institute of Technology (HMIT), will be built on 19,000-square-meters of land that Seremban will provide for free. Beta Group will construct buildings and develop the area.

“The concept of the HMIT is an institution of higher education that will specialize in offering technology and engineering courses. That’s where Hanyang has a competitive edge,” Lim said in an interview.

Under the plan, the HMIT will operate 10 undergraduate courses for some 2,400 Malaysian students in electronics, engineering science, business administration as well as international studies. Its faculty members will include about 20 experienced professors who have taught in Hanyang, according to the school.

“Besides Malaysia, there are many other Asian and Middle East countries which are eager to learn about Korea’s economic success, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” said the 57-year-old economics professor.

“Given that the key to economic growth is industrialization and technological development, it is important to nurture talents who can lead such tasks with a clear vision. I believe that’s what Hanyang can do.”

The school has emerged as a key destination for overseas studies among Chinese students since it set up two institutes in Shanghai and Wuhan.

Unlike other Korean colleges which have attracted Chinese students without adequate evaluation systems, Hanyang has picked talented students through its institutes in China, Lim said.

Local schools have adopted ambitious globalization programs, creating more all-English classes and attracting students and professors from foreign countries.

The administration has backed such moves under a long-term plan to nurture world-class universities and meet the growing needs of students and parents for globalized education.

However, some unpopular private colleges here have misused to system to give admissions to any foreign applicants in a bid to increase enrollment and boost profits. The government is now considering a policy shift.

The education ministry has urged colleges to introduce more quality-oriented school programs, rather than just increasing the number of lectures given in English and accepting more foreign students.

One of such efforts is to make it compulsory for universities to get government certification first to admit new foreign students.

“We’ve been operating our own evaluation system for a long time. Having such system is crucial to attract talented foreign students and faculty members,” Lim said.

“It’s also equally important to enhance the quality of education services for those who want to study in Hanyang.”

Officials said Korea is the best geographical fit for Chinese students seeking globalized education.

Of the 83,842 foreign students studying in Korea, about 59,000, or 69 percent, are from China, followed by Japan with 4.6 percent and Mongolia with 4 percent.

“What’s important now is not a reckless push for globalization, but to change the way we globalize and improve our services to meet the needs of foreign students,” said Choi Young-chool, a ministry official.

Schools ‘worth investing’

Along with the globalization strategy, Hanyang is now expanding partnerships with large technology companies, including Samsung Electronics, to provide tailored courses for students who are seeking to work in such firms.

The school recently set up a software research department under a contract with Samsung. The firm will engage in setting up the academic curriculum and provide on-the-job training, while providing full scholarships to students. Graduates of the department will be hired by Samsung as full-time employees, Lim said.

“The software department is a good example of academia-industry cooperation. Like ordinary firms, schools must draw investment to provide better learning environment and better courses to students. That’s an irreversible trend,” said Lim.

The president called himself “CEO” of Hanyang, saying he is focusing on making the school “worth investing.”

“The employment rate of graduates has become one of the key standards in rating schools. I want to set up more courses that can satisfy our investors’ needs. That will be good for students as well,” he said.

To that end, Lim is now reforming the school’s governance structure to give each department more autonomy in setting up its own budget as well as selecting students and professors.

“I believe decentralization is the key to ensure efficiency and flexibility. Since I took office in March, I have transferred many of my rights to heads of departments so that they can work with a greater sense of responsibility,” Lim said.

“They will draw up their own spending plans, select students and faculty members, decide on the level of tuition and engage in fund-raising activities without intervention of the school’s headquarters. I will just oversee them through regular and extraordinary audits and evaluate their activities.”

The transformation is part of bold changes Lim is seeking to take the school to a higher level, based on the legacy of his predecessor Kim Jong-ryang, who had remained in the position for some 18 years.

“Kim handled all school affairs and made all related decisions,” Lim said. “However, Hanyang has become too big for a single person to manage all affairs.”

Tuition cut

Asked about the government’s move to cut tuition, the president said that will ultimately dampen the growth potential of private schools.

In early November, the Board of Audit and Inspection, the state auditor, revealed that universities have inflated expenditure estimates in order to collect more tuition from students, calling for drastic measures to lower fees. It audited 113 state and private schools, including Hanyang, for months.

“We must tighten our belts to survive. There is no other option,” Lim said. “A tuition cut will erode the competitiveness of local schools although they must spend more on expanding their globalization programs.”