South Korea - The Korea Times

QS summit closes with clear message: Inclusion, collaboration are no longer optional

Amid rapid changes driven by diversity, advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) and the post-pandemic shift, experts at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 emphasized that universities must embrace strategic transformation to stay ahead in today’s evolving educational landscape. The importance of fostering an inclusive environment that extends beyond attracting diverse students was highlighted during the session titled "Inclusive Institutions; Exceptional Outcomes" on Thursday. "Seeing inclusivity extended beyond the classroom is crucial," said Vittoria Vitucci, an international student from U.S. at Korea University. "It made me feel that this institution isn’t just talking the talk, but actually walking the walk." From the perspective of international students like Vitucci, an inclusive institution is one that not only offers the chance to interact with people from diverse backgrounds but also actively supports programs and initiatives that foster community-building. Kim Kyu-seok, director of IES Abroad Seoul, stressed that diversity is meaningful only when students from

Nov 6, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

QS summit closes with clear message: Inclusion, collaboration are no longer optional

QS urges universities to align branding with goals to attract students

Universities should move beyond visibility to build meaningful connections if they are to establish a strong global presence, QS said during a discussion session for the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 on Thursday. During a session titled “Branding Your University for Global Success,” QS officials highlighted several key tactics institutions can adopt to enhance their global presence and align branding efforts with strategic goals. QS Editor and Program Designer Anton John Crace emphasized that while many universities are “visible” — meaning they attend conferences, publish supplements and distribute yearbooks — visibility alone does not guarantee impact. “It’s like going to a gym and wondering why you don’t have a six-pack even though you’ve gone a lot,” he said. “The correlations aren’t there.” Crace’s colleague, QS Global Director in Marketing Allison Ridge, agreed. She urged that universities need to clarify what they want to achieve and make sure their branding activities serve those goals, rather than scatter efforts across many initiatives. “(I

Nov 6, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

QS urges universities to align branding with goals to attract students

QS summit highlights collaborative role-play to boost university reputations

QS offered a round-table to discuss how to improve university’s reputation via a role-playing exercise at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 on Thursday. During a discussion session titled “Beyond the Student Lens: Reputation Building in Higher Education,” at Korea University in Seoul, guests participated in an exercise on how to improve the reputation of Pacific Global University, an imaginary institution located in Southeast Asia with growing global ambitions. Each guest played one of the six roles at the university during the session — mass communication & public relations, career services, strategic planning & institutional research, internationalization & global engagement, alumni relations and individual staff. They introduced interesting solutions to improve the reputation of the imaginary university. “Strong R&D competitiveness is always the most judgmental factor defining each university’s reputation,” said one guest participating in the session. “So, I would promote the school’s strong faculty capacity and their R&D competitiveness.” Another guest dev

Nov 6, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

QS summit highlights collaborative role-play to boost university reputations

Higher education turns to industry to meet community needs, boost funding

Universities are increasingly forging strategic partnerships with industry and expanding into new academic fields to sharpen their brand, bolster funding opportunities and meet evolving community needs, scholars participating in the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 said Wednesday. During a discussion session, titled “Elevating Local Roots to Global Reach in Higher Education,” King Saud University Computational Mathematics professor Abir Alharbi described how institutions can deepen their relevance by aligning with external partners and diversifying into emerging disciplines. “You are serving the community and at the same time you are also giving them the right knowledge,” she said at a session on the second day of the summit at Korea University in Seoul, stressing that such efforts can open doors to industry-sponsored research budgets and practical collaborations. Alharbi also highlighted the importance of governance, clarity of roles and mutual language in partnerships between academia and industry. She emphasized the need to speak in business terms about roles, deliverabl

Nov 5, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Higher education turns to industry to meet community needs, boost funding

Asian universities expand global reach, diversity as international demand grows

Universities across Asia are stepping up efforts to attract and retain international students, recognizing that a globally diverse campus is essential amid the region’s rapid demographic shift toward multiculturalism and its growing role in global engagement. This institutional pivot was a central theme at the recent QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025, where academic leaders detailed how their institutions are aggressively adapting to the evolving global landscape. Strategies range from adopting inclusive campus policies and launching robust new scholarship programs to fundamentally enhancing student support systems tailored for a diverse foreign demographic. Korea University International Affairs Vice President professor Song Sang-kee emphasized the nation’s ongoing transition into a multicultural society. “If you walk around campuses here in Korea today, you’ll see more international students than ever before,” he said. “Even in rural areas, there are growing numbers of multicultural families, especially from Vietnam and China.” To address these changes, Song noted tha

Nov 5, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Asian universities expand global reach, diversity as international demand grows

From K-pop to career: Can universities turn cultural fandom into lasting education?

K-pop has become a global cultural juggernaut, propelling Korea to the forefront of the world's entertainment stage and turning the country into a top destination for international students. But as the Korean wave surges, the question remains: Can K-pop's initial appeal translate into lasting educational impact, or will it be just another passing trend for universities? "While Koreans initially reacted with skepticism to global hits like 'Squid Game' or 'KPop Demon Hunters,' unlike the enthusiasm of international fans, these pop culture moments ultimately exploded in popularity," said Michael Hurt, adjunct professor at Korea National University of Arts and photographer, during a session of the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025. "They are now seen as smart gateways that can lead to deeper engagement with Korea’s culture and society." Before the recent surge in global popularity driven by BTS and "KPop Demon Hunters," Hurt pinpointed Psy's "Gangnam Style" in 2012 as the beginning of Korean culture’s global explosion. He highlighted the pivotal role platforms like YouTube and Netfl

Nov 5, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

From K-pop to career: Can universities turn cultural fandom into lasting education?

Korean universities display renewed momentum in latest QS World University Rankings

Korea’s universities are gaining fresh momentum in the latest regional rankings, as competition intensifies in Asia’s higher-education landscape. The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 released Tuesday showed that 12 of the country’s top 15 universities improved their positions. Korea now features six institutions among Asia’s top 20, matching the number of mainland Chinese universities and underscoring its continued strength in higher education. “Despite demographic headwinds — including an aging population and a shrinking youth cohort — Korean universities have leveraged strong links among academia, industry and government to maintain and raise their global standing,” QS said in a press release. “Korea now appears as the fourth-most-represented country in the Asia rankings with 103 ranked institutions, behind Mainland China (395), India (294) and Japan (147).” Among the leading national players, Yonsei University remains the highest-ranked Korean institution, placing 11th overall, down from 9th in 2025. Korea University follows at 12th, while Sungkyunkwan Univer

Nov 4, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Korean universities display renewed momentum in latest QS World University Rankings

'Powerhouse of change': Asia-Pacific at heart of global higher education shift

As society undergoes rapid change, with artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping industries alongside challenges from climate change and growing inequality, universities are emerging as key players in steering innovation for the public good, according to educators and experts in higher education, Tuesday. The growing responsibility of higher education in a time of transformation was underscored during the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025. "The context in which universities and workplaces operate is transforming faster than ever," Ben Sowter, senior vice president of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), said in the opening remarks. "Global higher education still faces significant challenges, but it is through a commitment to excellence, inclusivity and purpose-driven partnerships that we can turn those challenges into opportunities, ensuring universities continue to drive positive global impact," he said. Organized by QS and co-hosted with Korea University, the three-day summit started Tuesday, organized around the theme of “Advancing Generational Potential: Skills and Partnerships in the Asi

Nov 4, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

'Powerhouse of change': Asia-Pacific at heart of global higher education shift

Universities urged to rethink internationalization strategies, forge purposeful partnerships for Gen Z

Universities should overhaul their internationalization strategies to address the demands of a world rapidly changing due to political, social and technological shifts, Christopher Cripps, vice president of Europe and international affairs at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, said during a masterclass at the QS World University Rankings: Asia event at Korea University in Seoul, Tuesday. Cripps told academic leaders that higher education institutions must look beyond traditional, market-driven models and instead adopt focused, long-term partnerships built around shared values and mutual benefits. "The world is a messy place and will continue to be complex for the next several years," he said, emphasizing the need for strategies that directly address major global issues and anticipate future changes. He highlighted how the expectations of students and researchers are evolving, noting Gen Z’s growing demand for educational experiences with purpose and grounded in global citizenship. "Gen Z cares deeply about socially engaged and climate-aware mobility, and our strategies must align with th

Nov 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Universities urged to rethink internationalization strategies, forge purposeful partnerships for Gen Z

Scholars examine how transformational leadership reshapes education

Scholars and university officials emphasized the need for transformational leadership in education to navigate “an era of profound change” during a discussion session at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific. Opening “Transformational Leadership in Challenging Times,” session moderator Renaud Joannes-Boyau highlighted that “leadership today is not just about managing change, but shaping it — about having vision, empathy and courage to create a future not only for education, but through education, for the world around us.” The discussion brought together three panelists representing diverse experiences across academia. Panelist Valerie Won Lee, founder of the World Citizen Artists and a Global Leader at WomenTech Network, started with over two decades of cross-cultural experience spanning both corporate and humanitarian sectors. She is also the author of “Social Impact Global: Turning Obstacles Into Bridges,” which introduces her framework for authentic cross-cultural impact. “The clarity of purpose and collective action remain essential to creating sustainable transfor