The Ministry of Education is moving to strengthen cooperation among regional universities and build a mega-regional talent development system, in line with ongoing discussions on the administrative integration of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju. As policies to nurture regional universities and promote balanced national development gain momentum, the ministry plans to reinforce the role of universities as "talent platforms" linking academia with regional industries.
The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday that it will hold an on-site communication roundtable on Thursday at Mokpo National University with universities running the "Regional Growth Talent Development System (Anchor)" program in the South Jeolla and Gwangju region. The roundtable was arranged to review the direction of cooperation between regional universities and industries and to explore mega-regional talent development models in step with the administrative integration discussions.
The ministry assesses that recent policies favoring non-capital regions and supporting regional universities are easing the concentration of education in the Seoul metropolitan area. In particular, if the administrative integration of South Jeolla and Gwangju is pursued, students' living zones and the industrial and economic zones could become more closely connected, and the ministry plans to use this as a turning point for regional talent development.
The ministry intends to support universities so that they serve as a key driver of regional growth by cooperating with other universities, companies, and local industries within the region. The aim goes beyond simple university support to building a talent development system linked to industrial demand.
At the roundtable, the South Jeolla Anchor Center and the Gwangju Anchor Center will each present the operational status of their first year and future plans. Universities will then share best practices in anchor operations and discuss field experiences in regional talent development and industry-academia cooperation.
This will be followed by an open discussion on "The Direction of Mega-Regional Talent Development Following the Administrative Integration of South Jeolla and Gwangju." Participants plan to exchange views centered on how to link resources in the South Jeolla and Gwangju region and how to design a mega-regional talent development model tied to strategic industries.
"I ask for your cooperation so that the integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City can become a leading model for talent development that drives balanced regional growth through substantive cooperation among universities," Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said.
