Global Campus has University of Surrey at its heart
Friday 22 May 2009
Groundbreaking ceremony in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, Korea
Incheon, Korea, 20 May 2009 - The University of Surrey’s position at the forefront of internationalised higher education was reaffirmed today in Incheon, Korea, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the area’s Global Campus. The new facility will offer a world-class education - accredited by Surrey and other participating universities – as well as a vibrant, multicultural environment for students drawn from Korea and across the world.
As the only European university to have been approached to take part in the project at the Incheon Free Economic Zone, Surrey’s involvement marks the latest and largest development in its Global Partnership Network (GPN). With the Global Campus joining North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Brazil’s Universidade de São Paulo (USP), the partnership now incorporates elite institutions on four continents.
Professor Chris Snowden, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, said:
“The University of Surrey continues to operate at the cutting-edge of teaching, research and economically-relevant innovation with a truly international mindset. The Global Campus, situated in one of the most dynamic cities and economies anywhere, will help students to gain the rigorous education and cultural awareness needed to operate successfully in a competitive, globalised world.”
Chief Executive of the Asia development Institute, Dr Heeyhon Song, also Senior Advisor in Education policy to the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City and to the Commissioner of Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, said:
“The Asia Global Universities Campus is expected to be a model for the acceleration of human networks across different cultures. This is a cornerstone of global convergence across different professions, which and this will underpin the knowledge-based economy in the 21st century”.
When complete, the first phase for the Global Campus will see it take around 12,000 students. Just under half of these will be from Korea, with the rest drawn from elsewhere in North America , Asia and the EU. Dormitory facilities for all students will be made available by the Korean government, while rent-free or low-cost accommodation and research facilities will benefit non-profit organisations and their researchers.
The Incheon Free Economic Zone comprises the three regions of Songdo, Cheongna, and the island of Yeongjong. A northeastern hub of an Asian economy expected to provide nearly 50% of world research funding within 30 years, the Zone has been designated a Centre for East-West Intellectual and Cultural Exchange. In addition to providing a unique, international offering to students, Surrey’s involvement in the Global Campus will help develop the area’s world-class offering in knowledge-based services and high-tech industries.
The University of Surrey’s GPN strategy is designed to bring together a select number of institutions of global renown in research and education. In addition to its full pan- University partnerships,
Surrey has a discipline-specific Memorandum of Understanding with Seoul National University, and is also in advanced negotiations with a major Chinese institution.