Kyungpook Nat'l Univ. 1st Korean public university to launch overseas branch

A view of Kyungpook National University's main building in Daegu / Courtesy of Kyungpook National University

Kyungpook National University (KNU) is set to operate an overseas franchise program, a move that officials describe as a milestone in the global expansion of the country’s public higher education system.

The university will export its academic curriculum to Vietnam’s FPT University, where it will oversee instruction and administration. Local students will be able to complete the same coursework offered in Korea and earn a degree from the Korean institution without leaving Vietnam.

FPT is Vietnam’s largest IT company, with core businesses in software and telecommunications, and operates FPT University to train technology students.

According to the Ministry of Education, the two universities signed a memorandum of agreement for the franchise program in Hanoi, Thursday.

The agreement marks the first time a Korean public university will operate its own curriculum at an overseas university. Several private universities, including Ajou University and Inha University, have similar programs.

Until now, overseas activities by national universities have largely been limited to faculty and student exchanges or jointly run educational programs with foreign institutions.

The new initiative goes further by integrating curriculum delivery, academic administration and degree conferral, effectively exporting a Korean-style higher education model abroad.

Financial management will be handled by the local institution, but graduates of the program will receive degrees conferred by the Korean university. The courses are run with academic oversight from Korea and faculty members may be dispatched to the overseas campus to teach and support the program.

KNU and FPT University will establish KNU Vietnam in Hanoi and begin offering KNU’s academic programs in the second half of this year.

The education ministry plans to use the case as a starting point to expand the global reach of what it calls a “Korean-style higher education model.”

It will continue to refine relevant laws and institutional frameworks for universities seeking to expand overseas or establish branch campuses, while strengthening quality control mechanisms for programs operated abroad.

To support universities’ overseas expansion, the government has been easing related regulations. In February 2024, the ministry revised the system so that franchise-style programs can be launched based on agreements between universities, without requiring prior approval from the education ministry. Universities are also being given greater autonomy in designing curricula and operating courses to facilitate implementation.

“This expansion into Vietnam by a national university marks a turning point, signaling the full-fledged global expansion of Korea’s higher education system,” Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said. “We will use this as a leading example and further strengthen the institutional framework so that capable universities can pursue overseas expansion.”