Busan, South Korea – Busan Metropolitan City has announced the successful selection of the integrated model between Pusan National University (PNU) and Busan National University of Education (BNUE) in the Ministry of Education’s 2023 ‘Glocal University 30’ project.
The ‘Glocal University 30’ initiative is a visionary project aimed at fostering world-class competitive regional universities. Starting with 10 universities this year, the plan includes selecting a total of 30 universities by 2026, each receiving up to 100 billion won over five years.
Busan formed a Glocal University Support Team, actively working with the preliminary designated universities to develop implementation plans. Following a rigorous selection process, which included in-depth interviews and evaluations, the integrated model of PNU and BNUE emerged as one of the ten final selections nationally.
As part of this initiative, PNU will receive a maximum of 150 billion won in national funding over the next five years. This funding will support the vision of creating a new future educational city under the concept of ‘Edu-TRIangle.’ The university aims to push three major strategic initiatives, including educational innovation through governance convergence, integrating educational systems for nurturing convergent talents, and leading future industries through campus specialization.
These initiatives break down into nine detailed strategic tasks. These range from innovating the future teacher training system, revitalizing cutting-edge digital campuses, and operating human care platforms, to transforming educational systems for advanced biomedical convergence education.
Moreover, Busan City plans to closely align these educational innovations with its strategic industries. The focus will be on EduTech, life care, semiconductors, quantum and ICT, and digital finance, aiming to foster specialized local industries.
Particularly, the integration of PNU and BNUE is a national first, expected to bring revolutionary changes in education from primary to tertiary levels, as well as in lifelong learning in the region. The synergy from this integration is anticipated to drive innovation in education in the Busan region, prevent the outflow of local talent, and contribute to the revitalization of the local economy.
Busan Metropolitan City is committed to strengthening the support system to ensure more regional universities are selected for the ‘Glocal University 30’ project by 2026. This includes developing joint strategies for regional development, holding policy forums, and providing consulting support to enhance the capabilities of regional universities.
Mayor Park Heong-joon of Busan expressed high expectations for this integration, stating, “With the selection of the integrated PNU in the Glocal University project, we anticipate the universities playing an active role in regional development. We are committed to supporting these institutions to become competitive and function as hubs of regional development, creating a successful model of growth in tandem with the region.”
