A scholar has called for establishing "Regional Higher Education Councils" and nurturing community-based "teaching-focused universities" as Korean universities face existential threats from declining student populations and weakening competitiveness.
Hong Chang-nam, a professor of education at Pusan National University, said at a seminar hosted by the National Assembly Research Service under the theme "Higher Education Strategy and Challenges in an Era of Educational Transformation" that "the school-age population will plunge from 430,000-460,000 in 2033 to 260,000 in 2040, accelerating the extinction crisis of regional universities, which makes specialized university education necessary."
Regarding concerns over university closures, Hong proposed specialization policies including world-class research hub universities, region-based teaching-focused universities, and lifelong learning-based vocational universities. The research hub university policy is linked to the so-called "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones" strategy, while the region-based teaching-focused university policy aims to build innovation platforms connecting mega-regional areas with universities.
"We need to consider establishing special corporations such as 'Regional Higher Education Councils' to build regional innovation platforms, and existing 'glocal universities' should be converted to 'specialized regional universities' to enhance competitiveness," Hong said. "Undergraduate education should strengthen ties with local communities and industries, while institutionalizing shared degree programs, educational programs, and infrastructure across regions should be considered."
Regarding measures to nurture lifelong learning-based vocational universities, Hong emphasized that "vocational education institutions including junior colleges should be reorganized while strengthening linkages between specialized high schools and higher vocational education institutions." He added that "vocational-focused universities should be reorganized around lifelong learning, and the national scholarship system should be improved to consider implementing free education starting from higher vocational education."
Hong also addressed so-called "marginal universities" paralyzed by financial difficulties, saying that "voluntary restructuring should be induced through expanding the scope of reserve fund usage, simplifying procedures for disposing of basic assets, and providing tax benefits, with government-led forced restructuring used only as a last resort." He added that "national-level legislative reform, establishment of mid-to-long-term master plans, and dedicated agencies for university restructuring also appear necessary."
