The info, launched by the Korean Instructional Improvement Institute, comes after an announcement by the nation’s immigration service that Korea had handed 200,000 worldwide college students.
The 205,167 worldwide college students enrolled in March 2023 means the nation hit a goal set in 2015 of internet hosting 200,000 overseas college students by 2023. A earlier ministry of schooling purpose from 2011 had hoped to host 200,000 college college students by 2020, however this date was later revised.
A complete of 166,892 college students had been learning in Korean establishments in April 2022 – a rise of slightly below 10% from 2021, when there have been round 152,000 worldwide college students.
The figures present a rebound after the borders had been closed in the course of the Covid pandemic.
”The resilience of Korean greater schooling is highlighted by the slight decline in scholar recruitment in the course of the pandemic, lowering to 153,695 in 2020, and 152,281 in 2021,” Kyuseok Kim, a group chief from the State College of New York’s Korea Campus, instructed The PIE Information.
“Regardless of the worldwide disaster, these numbers quickly rebounded and surpassed the pre-pandemic figures, indicating the robustness of Korea’s worldwide schooling sector.”
Simply after the information was launched on Might 7, the nation’s ministry of schooling additionally introduced it might be launching a brand new worldwide scholar assist division.
“The brand new division will cater to worldwide college students, accomplice with universities to create new applications and ease visa restrictions for worldwide college students,” a ministry spokesperson stated.
The present utility course of for a scholar visa requires quite a few paperwork, together with ones that show monetary stability.
The division has been arrange underneath the umbrella of the nation’s International Schooling Planning Bureau, and can begin with seven employees.
In keeping with KEDI’s knowledge, China despatched essentially the most college students to Korea final yr, with 40% of the numbers. Vietnamese college students had been the shock improver, accounting for slightly below 23% – up nearly 6% year-on-year.
The surge in Vietnamese college students, based on specialists, may partly be as a result of Korean funding in Vietnam with some main firms making bases within the nation.
Varied universities in Korea have begun to collaborate with universities in Vietnam. Inje College signed an MoU with Hanoi Polytechnic School in April and Dongnam Well being College additionally just lately signed an MoU with two Vietnamese universities with the purpose of making particular change applications.
Nevertheless, Kim warned that the surge in Vietnamese college students in Korea might not solely be all the way down to an curiosity in research.
“A possible concern is the fast development of the Vietnam scholar market, because it has raised points concerning unlawful immigration,” stated Kim
“Growing numbers of Vietnamese college students look like coming to South Korea with the first intention of incomes cash somewhat than schooling.
“Whereas Vietnam is a big contributor to transnational scholar mobility, the necessity for South Korea to diversify its recruitment methods is clear. At the moment, China and Vietnam account for almost all of worldwide college students, which may probably be an unsustainable technique in the long run,” Kim continued.
Different international locations that made giant contributions to the surging numbers embody Uzbekistan, which accounted for simply over 5% of the coed numbers, in addition to Japan with 3.5%.
“The necessity for South Korea to diversify its recruitment methods is clear”
“These international locations primarily contribute to the language program college students, resulting in a rise in certificates mobility,” Kim defined.
KEDI’s knowledge refers to worldwide college students at greater schooling establishments (graduate and undergraduate) in addition to non-degree applications and language programs.
By way of the establishments attracting essentially the most worldwide college students, the personal establishment of Hanyang College was essentially the most profitable, with some 6,999 abroad college students attending the college in 2022.
Hanyang was carefully adopted by Kyung Hee College with 6,912 worldwide college students; Sungkyunkwan College with 6,676; Yonsei College with 5,926 and at last Korea College with simply 4,739.
Lacking from the highest 5 was the highest ranked college in Korea, Seoul Nationwide College, however all 5 are based mostly in Seoul.
“Regardless of the worldwide disaster, these numbers quickly rebounded”
Solely one of many prime ten universities with essentially the most worldwide college students shouldn’t be based mostly in Seoul: Gacheon College in Seognam, which welcomed 3,057 worldwide college students in 2022.
It reveals the necessity for extra MoUs and partnerships for universities exterior the capital, as has been occurring, stated Kim. He added that, general, the numbers growing at this charge is encouraging.
“There was a gentle improve within the enrolment of worldwide college students in South Korean HEIs over the previous twenty years,” Kim stated.
“The quantity [is a] important leap from the mere 12,314 college students in 2003. This spectacular development is attributed to the elevated recognition of the necessity to globalise greater schooling, which has subsequently caught the eye of Korean HEIs.”
