Globalization has become a hot issue among Korean universities along with the growing demand for graduates with global awareness and the increasing need to export Korean education.

In 2006, the number of foreign students studying in domestic institutions of higher learning increased 44.5 percent from last year to 32,557. However, the portion of international students in the country is still insignificant compared to other countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Last Friday and Saturday, the Korean Association of Foreign Student Administrators (KAFSA) held its fall conference on Cheju Island, gathering 108 international relations department heads and working level personnel from universities across the nation to discuss ways of attracting international students and promoting international recognition of Korean universities.

George R. Harada, a managing director of Japan Network for International Education (JAFSA) and a professor from Hiroshima University of Economics, said that to attract international students, it is vital to offer English-taught major courses.

He said that traditionally in Japan, the old-fashioned model required international students who came to Japan to speak Japanese.

''I had enormous problems on my campus to internationalize the curriculum and even at this time I have only about 10 courses that are taught in English,’’ he said. ''The problem is that although a lot of international students and English-speaking students want to come to Japan, they just can’t due to language barriers as well as money barriers. Also, only a small number of students are fluent in Japanese before they come to Japan. So we want to open up the market and offer a few major courses in English.’’

Mariam Assefa, president of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), said that the best way to attract international students is to have a strong marketing strategy and to promote institutions worldwide so that people know what you have to offer.

Lee Doo-hee, president of KAFSA and a professor of Korea University, also said that Korean universities must actively participate in international associations and activities and make the efforts of their institutions known to the world.

''Most Korean universities have only domestic-oriented programs. Also, Korean universities are under-evaluated by global society because they have not been keen on publicizing their institutions. I would like to see a diversity of cultures and people on our university campuses,’’ said Lee.Lee said that internalization is not an option but a must for Korean universities.

''Whether you like it or not, we are already in competition for internationalization. So I think if you are an administrator of a university in any country and want to be successful, you must not fight against the wave, you have to ride the wave,’’ he said.

Harada emphasized that internalization is not just about accepting students but it is also about providing various unique types of education to prepare students for working in a global society.

''Education needs to reform itself. The traditional way of education was to establish conformity. Now, education needs to create people who have different ideas; creativity, so they can apply it when they find work and this is the reason why globalization is so important,’’ he said.

A legal system that facilitates incoming international students is necessary, according to experts. For example, thanks to deregulations in immigration rules in Japan, the number of international students in the country, has increased enormously from 55,000 in 1999 to 121,000 in 2006.

''Major changes were brought about which led to universities deciding which pieces of documentation would be used for approval in making these international students eligible to come to Japan. So immigration standards opened up and that was the major reason why there was an increase of students coming in,’’ said Harada. ''Policies and rules that are too strict and unfriendly to international students should be changed to attract more international students.’’

However, he said that with the increase of international students, it is also important to thoroughly examine whether or not the students are here with the objective of studying.

Assefa said that the Democrats'''' victory in the polls in the United States buoys hopes for comprehensive immigration law changes, which will lead to attracting more international students to the U.S.

''There were some radicals who chose to exploit anti-immigrant sentiment to be elected. And thankfully they lost. Americans knew it was not a smart idea. Now that those people are gone, we expect even more of a variety of international students on U.S. campuses,’’ she said.

by Park Chung-a Staff Reporter

The Korea Times 2006/11/16