Higher education
Higher education is provided primarily by universities( industrial universities, teacher-training universities, broadcast and correspondence universities, cyber universities) and colleges( junior colleges, cyber colleges, technical colleges, colleges in company, graduate school colleges) as well as various other research and other institutions. A distinction is drawn between national institutions( funded and managed by the MEST), public institutions( funded and managed by local management boards) and private institutions( funded and managed by individuals or organizations). The three most
prestigious universities are the Seoul National University( 서울대학교, Seoul Daehakgyo), Korea University( 고려대학교, Korea Daehakgyo) and Yonsei University( 연세대학교, Yonsei Daehakgyo), jointly abbreviated to SKY. The national universities also have a good reputation.
The number of higher education institutions in Korea has increased considerably in recent decades. In 2007 there were over 400 higher education institutions in the country, whereas currently the number is dropping again due to institutions closing as a result of financial difficulties or institutional mergers.
The government has set up various higher education projects to implement reforms in the higher education system.
The Brain Korea 21 Project( 1999) is aimed at developing and encouraging excellent and creative researchers. The participating universities form research networks, each of which contains one prestigious university. Government funds go directly to the Master’ s and PhD students, and provide them with a stimulating working environment with opportunities to study abroad.
The New University for Regional Innovation( NURI) project aims to provide encouragement and support to institutions outside the capital city, to create a‘ balanced development of the nation’. Regional education institutions are experiencing difficulty in recruiting students due to the dominance of institutions in the Seoul area, and graduates from regional education institutions have considerable trouble finding a job. It is for this reason that the NURI project aims to enhance the competitiveness of regional institutions. Specializations are offered that match the demands of the regional economy, so that graduates can provide a boost to these economies. A partnership is also being set up, the Regional Innovation System( RIS), in which higher education institutions, local management and research institutes all collaborate. The BK21-NURI Committee( BNC) was founded in 2006 in order to steer both of these projects in the right direction. For more information, see the BNC website under Addresses.
In addition, the Study Korea Project( 2004) has been established in order to attract international students by offering a more extensive scholarships programme, setting up and developing a number of Korean Education Centres abroad, offering more courses in English and better accommodation for students.
Lastly, in 2008 the World Class Research-oriented University Project was launched( WCU Project), in which top-notch researchers from abroad are recruited to collaborate with Korean scholars in carrying out research in technological innovations.
For the purpose of higher education internationalization, the National Assembly passed in 2007 the Regulation on Joint Curricular Operation between Domestic and Foreign Universities, enabling Korean universities for the first time to provide courses abroad and to confer a joint degree with a foreign university.
Adult and distance education
The sector for adult and distance education is very large, and is served by many different institutions and in a variety of ways, including secondary education.
The Korea National Open University( formerly called Korea Air & Correspondence University) provides distance education to adults via television, radio( Educational Broadcasting System), CD-ROMs, Internet and video / cassette tapes. In 1990 the Educational Broadcasting System( EBS) was founded in order to expand opportunities for life-long learning. EBS broadcasts its cultural and social programmes daily via TV, radio and satellite. Cyber universities and digital colleges provide distance-8-