Inha leads global university consortium

Jon · Korean Citizen Joined: Mar 19, 2004 Posts: 524

Inha University will host Global U7 Consortium on April 29. This is the first time a Korean university has organized a coordinated curriculum with international universities.
Inha University has worked to speed up the level of cooperation with globally-recognized universities.

After extensive contacts, Inha and a select group of institutions have agreed to discuss establishment of a global university consortium, which will lead to signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the respective presidents.

Collaboration between faculty and administrative staff, notably heads of international cooperation offices of Inha and other universities, have driven the idea of the consortium.

The outcome is the decision to set up the Global U7 Consortium comprising Inha University and six other universities, including the University of Washington, the University of Rhode Island, Xiamen University, the University of Haifa, Le Havre University, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

This building is the venue for a meeting of the Global U7 Consortium that will open on April 29 at Inha University.

The world is shrinking and more interdependent than ever due to developments in communication technology and the free movement of capital across national borders.

Globalization can be a whirlwind; local, national, and regional economies have become interlocked and interdependent. In addition, computer-mediated technologies provide a highly cost-effective way to obtain much of the information and knowledge provided by universities. There is no reason not to believe that most higher or tertiary education in industrialized countries will be electronically delivered in the near future.

Recent developments in communication technology create another serious problem for traditional residential universities. Many institutions may soon disappear. Even those that survive may have to offer students what they cannot get from virtual universities and are likely to become more highly selective and expensive. Or they may be forced to adopt new arrangements.

Responding to this global educational challenge, Inha University has had longstanding relationships with other universities around the world. With the continuing globalization of the education market more focused partnerships are required.

Inha University has sought to develop networks with globally-recognized universities in conjunction with its 50th anniversary this month since president Hong Seoung-yong began his term of office in 2002.

The Global U7 Consortium comes at a time when major challenges are confronting higher education stemming from globalization, and the resulting complexity and competitiveness of both labor market and product markets, coupled with the increasing rapidity of technological change. Therefore, the Global U7 Consortium will give allied institutions several key advantages that are complementary, cost-saving and, above all, beneficial from an educational perspective.

The Global U7 consortium's purpose is to meet a growing demand for cross-cultural education through student exchanges and the adoption of common curricula. New challenges are posed by the need for global logistics, business administration, marine affairs and advanced technologies, as well as interdisciplinary activities. It will conduct joint-research and expand outreach programs, and seek to strengthen global cooperation among university administrations.

The Global U7 Consortium will concentrate its cooperative and collaborative efforts on three main areas: developing a joint education system which may feature common curricula, distance learning and credit transfers and joint degrees, conducting joint research, and building administrative capacity.

The main functions of the Global U7 Consortiums are:

1) Joint Education. It will develop joint-curricula and credits transfer. An informal education committee will explore the possibilities of establishing Selective Track Courses (STC), considering the cataloguing of course descriptions and degree requirements, and harmonizing curricula. The same informal education committee will explore the possibilities of a joint- degree program. A Language Training Center shall be established by one of the U7 member universities with Inha taking a leading role with possible government support. A suggested two prong approach will involve: (a) the integration of English language acquisition (vertical integration) with specialized fields such as global logistics, business administration, marine affairs, and advance technologies (horizontal integration); and (b) the training of students in a cross-cultural environment. While the integration of vertical and horizontal elements are expected to expand to new fields of interest (e.g., other languages, services, and disciplines), a cross-cultural focus will heighten the participants' awareness of each other.

2) Conducting Joint Research. The purpose of developing a joint-research program among the participating universities is to encourage researchers to work together in the areas of global logistics, business administrations, marine affairs and advanced technologies. The joint research may be based on interdisciplinary investigations covering areas of mutual interest particularly, those receiving wide public and private sector support.

3) Building Administrative Capacity. Member universities may desire to upgrade administrative staff through a collaborative training program, which may include sharing visions and strategies in formulating long-term development plans, assistance with administrative restructuring, and exchange of library information.

(hayney@heraldm.com)