Participated by Ministry of Education, Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private (& Public) School, Gyeongbuk-do, Gyeongsan, and Five Universities in Gyeongsan including YU
Global exchange hub to accommodate 240 international students and the International Student Support Center
[September 18, 2014]
The 'Global Exchange Center', a residential and combined support facility for international students studying in Korea will be built for the first time in Korea at YU (President Noh Seok-kyun).
YU Held the opening ceremony of the 'Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center' (hereinafter called Center) at 3 p.m. on the 17th. This center, which was built south (112 Gyeyang-dong) of the YU Gyeongsan Campus Hyangto Living Area and a total of 9.8 billion won was invested with 2.5 billion from national funding and 500 million from provincial funding (Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsan). The center has a total are of 5,169㎡, standing five stories tall with one underground floor. It includes a dormitory that can facilitate 240 students, and various facilities to support international students such as conference halls, global lounge, seminar room, international student support center, and fitness centers.
At the opening ceremony, Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private (& Public) School President Lee Won-hee, Gyeongsangbuk-do Vice-governor Lee In-seon, Gyeongsan Mayor Choi Young-jo, Gyeongsan Council Chairman Lee Cheon-soo, Ministry of Education International Cooperation Bureau Kang Young-soo, Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center Chief Park Tae-gyeong and other directors and officers for the center, as well as YU President Noh Seok-kyun and Scholarship Director Kim Jin-sam, Kyungil University President Jung Hyun-tae, Daegu Haany University President Byeon Chang-hoon, Catholic University of Daegu Nam Jong-hoon, and other personnel from universities in the Gyeongsan area, as well as Sayeeda Tasneem (27) who is studying at the YU Korean Language Center from Sri Lanka attended as the representative from international students.
In his congratulatory address, YU President Noh Seok-kyun said, "I am very happy that the first global exchange center is opened at YU," and added, "I hope that the Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center, which was constructed together by the Ministry of Education, local government, and colleges in the region including YU, will become a hub for internationalization of the local community and colleges."
Operation of the center will be overseen by the special purpose corporation 'Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center Company' established in March of 2012. For this, the Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private (& Public) School and the Yeungnam School Foundation invested 50% each of 20 million won the capital of SPC, and the operation rights will be returned to Yeungnam School Foundation after being operated by the SPC for 20 years.
There are a total of 1,514 (based on school statistics of 2014) international students at the five universities participating in the Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center including YU and about 6%, or 1,036 are studying at YU. The center will operate adaptation programs for life in Korea, as well as domestic and international student exchange programs to help improve the residential conditions of foreign students in the region, and help them establish themselves here.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is planning to actively pursue international student dormitory construction projects for the stable residences of international students. Starting with the 'Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center', the second international student dormitory will be built at Wonkwang University by building the 'Iksan Global Exchange Center' that can accommodate 200 students.
