As domestic universities actively seek to attract international students, Seoul National University has announced its intention to join this trend. It is reported that Seoul National University has decided to establish a new College of Global Talent specifically for international students and plans to release detailed implementation plans shortly. Once finalized, the university will be able to admit international students starting in the second semester of next year.
International students are admitted outside the regular enrollment quota, and domestic universities have long been competing fiercely to recruit them. With tuition fees having been forcibly frozen for an extended period, universities struggling with operational difficulties have viewed this as a “financial lifeline.” In particular, for humanities and social sciences programs—which require fewer labs and practical training—simply filling classrooms with students generally meets academic management requirements, leading to a competitive race to secure international students. The number of international students, which stood at 181,842 in 2023, surged to 253,434 last year. Forecasts suggest the figure will exceed 300,000 this year. As students have poured in indiscriminately, there has been criticism that in some regions, international students have become a conduit for illegal workers and a loophole for “visa trafficking.”
In an era of lowered international barriers, the increase in international students itself should not necessarily be viewed with suspicion. Given the financial difficulties faced by universities—with tuition frozen and external donations limited—there is a practical side to this trend. Even so, a decline in the quality of university education is unacceptable. If the proportion of international students meeting Korean language proficiency standards falls below 50 percent—to the point where they cannot keep up with lectures and research, cannot communicate smoothly with Korean students, and cannot even participate in collaborative projects—then there is a problem. What kind of evaluation will Korean universities receive when students who barely graduate or complete their programs return to their home countries or seek employment in the international community?
There are also suggestions that Seoul National University’s push to recruit international students stems from a desire to improve its standing in domestic and international university rankings. The argument is that the proportion of international students is one of the indicators of international competitiveness. However, indiscriminate recruitment of international students coupled with irresponsible follow-up management could result in a case of “gaining a little but losing a lot.” Since international competitiveness is not determined solely by quantitative figures such as the number of international students, it is necessary to find various complementary measures. The challenges facing universities, caught between a sharp decline in the school-age population and financial difficulties, are easy to imagine. All the more reason, then, to break through these challenges by devising fundamental, long-term strategies grounded in sound principles. We look forward to seeing universities innovate in a way that is suited to the AI era.
International students are admitted outside the regular enrollment quota, and domestic universities have long been competing fiercely to recruit them. With tuition fees having been forcibly frozen for an extended period, universities struggling with operational difficulties have viewed this as a “financial lifeline.” In particular, for humanities and social sciences programs—which require fewer labs and practical training—simply filling classrooms with students generally meets academic management requirements, leading to a competitive race to secure international students. The number of international students, which stood at 181,842 in 2023, surged to 253,434 last year. Forecasts suggest the figure will exceed 300,000 this year. As students have poured in indiscriminately, there has been criticism that in some regions, international students have become a conduit for illegal workers and a loophole for “visa trafficking.”
In an era of lowered international barriers, the increase in international students itself should not necessarily be viewed with suspicion. Given the financial difficulties faced by universities—with tuition frozen and external donations limited—there is a practical side to this trend. Even so, a decline in the quality of university education is unacceptable. If the proportion of international students meeting Korean language proficiency standards falls below 50 percent—to the point where they cannot keep up with lectures and research, cannot communicate smoothly with Korean students, and cannot even participate in collaborative projects—then there is a problem. What kind of evaluation will Korean universities receive when students who barely graduate or complete their programs return to their home countries or seek employment in the international community?
There are also suggestions that Seoul National University’s push to recruit international students stems from a desire to improve its standing in domestic and international university rankings. The argument is that the proportion of international students is one of the indicators of international competitiveness. However, indiscriminate recruitment of international students coupled with irresponsible follow-up management could result in a case of “gaining a little but losing a lot.” Since international competitiveness is not determined solely by quantitative figures such as the number of international students, it is necessary to find various complementary measures. The challenges facing universities, caught between a sharp decline in the school-age population and financial difficulties, are easy to imagine. All the more reason, then, to break through these challenges by devising fundamental, long-term strategies grounded in sound principles. We look forward to seeing universities innovate in a way that is suited to the AI era.
