Education ministry to lead strategy expanding global reach of Korean universities

The Ministry of Education headquarters in Sejong Government Complex / Yonhap

The Ministry of Education will host a two-day national conference for universities on April 8 and 9 at Kyonggi University’s Seoul campus to discuss broadening the global reach of Korean higher education.

Ministry officials and international affairs directors from universities across the country are expected to attend. The conference will be divided by institution type, with the April 8 session focusing on national universities, while the session on April 9 will be dedicated to private universities.

The ministry said growing global interest in Korean education has prompted foreign governments to formally request that Korean universities establish operations abroad, citing the rising international demand for higher education as a key driver of the initiative.

At the center of discussions will be the franchise model, under which Korean universities license their curricula to partner institutions abroad.

A February 2024 amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act eased regulations, allowing universities to operate franchise programs through bilateral agreements and eliminating a previously required ministry preapproval process.

Universities were also granted autonomy to set curriculum composition and course operations through their own internal regulations.

Among institutions already operating under the model are Inha University, Bucheon University and Ajou University, which each run franchise programs at Tashkent University in Uzbekistan. Kyungpook National University, meanwhile, has signed an agreement with Vietnam’s FPT University to establish a franchise institution there under its name.

Despite regulatory reforms, the ministry acknowledged that structural obstacles remain.

The conference will focus on three areas identified as persistent barriers to overseas expansion: governance structures, accounting standards and the deployment of faculty abroad.

Particular attention will be given to financial mechanisms — including the transfer of capital abroad and the repatriation of locally generated revenue — that universities encounter in practice.

The ministry said the conference marks the formal start of efforts to translate field feedback into policy reform.

“We plan to address changes that can be implemented immediately while pursuing longer-term legislative and regulatory revisions in parallel,” it said.

“This aims to create a phased framework for overseas expansion, from franchise operations to the eventual establishment of full branch campuses.”